The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-16
JEFFR|ES A PANTHER
And Fitz a GameCoCk, Says
Julian Hawthorne.
If He HAD KNOWN 1T
JefrieS Could Have Settled
Fitz in the First Round.

New York. June 15.-JuIian Hawthorne.
who saw the fight, thus described il for
the Journal:
Il one could suppose such a thing as
battle between samecock and 2 panther
he would get a notion OF the appearance Of
the late ana the present champions n the
ring Fitz stood up straight. and was a.
ways going at his adversary, even when
his brain was SO dazed by the latters
blows that al his own movements must
have been Instructive.
Pluckier man 1 never saw; and he was
wiry. tough and quick; moreover he set
out With the manifest conviction thar ne
would win. and maintained himself in that
delusion up to within a couple of rounds
or 50 OF the end. when he became anxious
and made desperate efforts 70 redeem the
crown which ne saw was slipping away
from him; but i, was too late; IN truth. Z
may as Wen be confessed that FIJz never
had chance earring some extraordinary
ACCIDENT from the first.
That sleek. creamy-Sk,nued panther,
with his serious, intent face. stepping light
and noiseless on his feet. terribly graceful.
was always crouching near him and
around MIN, edging away rom him. then
suddenly sliding 10 close quarters; shoot
ing out little cuffs with his paw now and
then. which seemed mere Tove-taps. but
which dropped FItz whenever they hap
pened 10 reach him square; receiving IN
moved and seemingly unnoticed The furious
blows which Fitz darted az him; watching
him all the while with 4 certain grave
curiosity and wariness, as II he were wait
ing for him to do some OF those wonderful
things which it had been claimed he would
do; waiting for an exhibition Of the mar
velous swiftness and wizard cleyerness
which were to bewilder his adversary and
leave him helpless; never once letting out
his own full strength, but gradually gsin-
ming in spite of himself. as It were, be-
cause what was play to him was deadly
earnest TO poor Fftz.
Jef-ies is still an unknown quality; ne
did not attempt to extend himself; and It
is probable that the extravagant stories
which have. during the last few weeks,
been dinned into his ears and the publtce
as 10 what Fitzz would do TO him, had
produced their effect. in making him over
cautious-too careful not TO run the Tisk OF
losing by some oversight.
He might have annihilated I'Itz IN The
second round or in the first. for that
matter, if he had not been led 20 believe
that the ex-champion was loaded with
some hitherto unexampied explosive, en-
dowed with some til now unimagined sub
tIety and guile. But really ne was looking
for what mad no existence; he was every
D.. -aT
q blow, just as clever in avoiding or block
ing one; and TWO OF three times as strong
as the other.
In fact, FItz was, If anything, the less
scientific Of the two; he fought a straight
fight, with desperate zeal; and his only
guile was in contriying to look confident
and cheerful when the very shadow Of
death was upon him.
Il was pathetic TO see him rain those
sharp. singing blows on his foe. and pro-
duce no effect whatever, Jefres had She
air Of absorbing them uueonSc'9usIy while
awaiting the arrival Of some really serious
attack The two men were not in the same
class. and II Jeffries mad known F.-z be-
fore they went into the ring as vel as ae
knew him afterward the fgat would have
been over very promptly.
The odds were. Of course, quite unjus.f-
able, and also incomprehens bic. How men
who had spent their lives n z1z.n- up fgh,-
ers could fall into such gross error is per-
picking to the lay mind: and the suspicion
was aroused that there might be some So
cret deal back of H. But there was not.
it was simply inability 70 see a patent
truth that was staring one out Of c0uutc-
nance
Fi-z IS a remarkably good middle We ht,
he was never anything more than that.
and one is constrained 70 believe that s-e-
eral Of MS victories were after sil Que in a
measure 20 luck; and he TIRED he lgak
once too often. lie was not drfcstel By
any single tremendous blow. he vas maui
81 about and Gradually weakened b. 4
man Of vastly greater strength and y9ata-
full vitality; cuGed and 5o.-ed and Jared
from mead 20 heal. and a. last a hump Oh
the Jaw. which. fortunately, lacked gn--e- +
f5urtns % thu eteam ws.c1 Je'Ts.es v1s
capable % putting into 81. dFDatcasJ aIn I.
euphatlca-y tu.o the category ~ ta.aea .
that have been.
As he lay there on his back Writing (
little. but quite helpless The great. seek 4
panther paced with hss l1ug. gliding s.-p
70 and fr1 across me stage. z,a-elHg side 1
long az he fallen enemy. attn t1r r<Hl
serious c5gn.euarce. MS sk1 Ets.'rr
zlta sweat bst h.s hreafbirz 1r1srr.eg /
and his v.r5r %. IMPAIRED. eapaH.e n aza.-
iDz hsIs dozen more such aElls IS tl,1t
distress
There Is 10 oas -: saa-ssy les; 70 % 4