Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-01-05
CORBETT TO FITZ,
"Jim" PlankS Down $1,000 as a
Guarantee of GOOD Faith
for Fight.

Cincinnati. O.. Dee. 3O.-James 7. Cor
bett today gave to the Times-Star for
publication his challenge to fight Robert
Fitzsimmons as follows:
Robert J. Fitzsimmons. Champion of
the World: Your published declara ton,
Mr.. Fitzsimmons, that You intend re-en-
tering the ring, pleases me more than
can a present express to you, for l know
that the public esteems me to be the only
candidate for the honors you thus place
within reach.
Il am sorry, however, to note that in
wording this declaration. you give me the
impression that since we last met you
have become unwisely forgetful. For in
stance, you say that before l can claim
q return match with you l must prove
myself to be worthy of it. You certainly
intended that for a joke, as no one N the
world knows my ability better than your
SELF You cannot SO soon have forgotten
your remark to me at Carson, just after
the battle: Jim you said, in your simple,
earnest way, L will never fight again.
You've given me bloody good licking.
You, the winner, uttered these words
with face and body SO battered as to
leave no doubt Of your sincerity, while l,
the loser, listened with never a bruise or
scratch from head to foot which could
contradict yeu.
SIS this consistent with your now re-
worthy opponent? You Will find the con-
fdence of the public in my ability to en-
tertain you still mistaken. You will find
that the public will insist upon your rec
ognizing my claim that you must meet
me again. But surely you have been
misrepresentee. | refuse to credit you
with the lame memory, broken judgment,
poor taste and entire untruthfulness
which the printed remarks alleged to
have been made by you would imply.
Il prefer to think that those who have
entered the ring with ME were men, hon
est brave and incapable of the vulgar.
lying and cowardiy language in which the
newspaper version of your remarks was
couched. However well | know that the
great journals try to be and usually are
accurate to the letter in reporting utter
anceS made by important men upon i'm
portant subjects, l prefer to believe that
In TINS case grave error has been made
somehow, somewhere. and for a purpose
not worthy of ONE who wishes to be con-
Si6ered above contempt
What the public expects from me is to
maintain the manly dignity of the ring
and not be a brawler. nor shifty evader
of the honest principles which govern hon
est men when adjusting their respective
merits.
This is all have to say.
But this is what propose to do:
The day we sign articles I will give
you $1,000 in recognition OF your courtesy.
The moment you enter the ring.
ready to offer me battle, / will give you
a second $1,000 in token of my pleasure.
Upon. the completion of the tenth
round, if you are still undefeated, [ will
give you third $1,000 as a souvenir of
my surprise.
Upon defeating you, no matter in what
round, [ will give you $1,000 more as q
reminder that l am not an ungenerous
foe.
ION the other hand, should you again
defeat me, promise, if still able to move,
to place my hat upon my head, and then,
removing it in your honor, to proclaim
you in frank and unmistakable terms to-
be my superior, and to state that then
and tbare quit forever all possible claim
to the championship of the world
LET further remarks on this subject
be made by 1000 clean, honestly earned
American dollars, given me by the pub
lie that believes in me. [ have this day
forwarded these to Will j. Davis of Chi
cago in testimony that [ mean every
word l have herein spoken.
(Signed) James J. Corbett,
Champion of America.
Cincinnati, O., Dec. 80. 1897"