Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-06-12

NEW YORK, June 11.-Bob Titz-
simmons, ex-champion heavyweight
pugilist, in company with his wife and
his manager, Martin Julian, attended a
ball game at West End Field Club, Jer-
sey City, this afternoon. Fitzsimmons
acted as one Of the two umpires, and
after the game he and Julian found
time to deny the assertions made by
being an attache of the sheriff's Office
in Cincinnati. Shilly claims to be a
personal friend of Fitzsimmons, but
Bob says he does not know such man,
and Julian is equally positive that he
never met such person. The letter in
itself purports that Fitzsimmons feared
defeat and advised his friends not to
risk any money in their belief that he
would retain the championship.
Il never wrote such a letter" said
Fitzsimmons. Il don't know Shilly
Who is he anyhow? You say he is
connected with the Sheriff's Office at
Cincinnati. Well, if he is know moth
ing about the Sheriff or him. l never
WROTE SUCH A LETTER.
I'm not letter writer. This letter in
question is dated New York, May 31st.
Since l went into training some weeks
ago, l only wrote one letter, and that
was to DR.. Kelley, a dentist of Peoria,
Ills, but 1 made no mention of my
chances of victory or defeat in it.
''I'll tell you what I'll do" continued
Fitzsimmons. I'm order to show the
public that never wrote such letter
to Leonard Shilly or any other person,
I'll give $1,000 to the person who pro-
duces such document, and further
more, if any one believes that he has
such letter, l will pay bis expenses
from wherever he resides to this city
and make him present of $3.50 pro-
viding that such a communication can
be produced. OF course the letter may
be a forgery, if such letter existg, but
want to be satisfied as to its existence,
and also want the public to be salts
fed that.I never wrote it, or had it
written for me.
II am at loss to understand why
any person could make such a state
ment, because
SEE NO REASON
why any one should try to injure me in
this underhand manner
Martin Julian, Fitzsimmons' man
ager, was equally emphatic in his de-
nunciation of the report, and said:
"Fitzsimmons and l are close friends,
and l know that he never wrote such a
letter. 1t is lie on the face of it.
Fitzsimmons is not making any idle
boast when he says that he will give
$4,000 for the production of the letter
if it can be proved to be authentic
This we can easily afford to do, seeing
that we know if such a letter exists it
must be forgery. Now let these peo-
pie come to time, and if there is a
negro in the woodpile we will soon dig
him out. If the letter can be placed IN
evidence we will gladly pay $3.50 to
the person presenting i. IS we'll as all
other expenses, in addition to the $2,-
500 promised by Fitzsimmons.
Mrs. Fitzsimmons, who was present,
said that she was positive that her
husband had never written such Il let
ter.
bob was more than
CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS,
and all those who saw the fight must
certainly agree with me in saying that
he did his utmost to retain the cham
pionship. He had no doubts as to his
ability to defeat Jeffries, and although
he was beaten | am not quite satisfied
that he can not reverse the order of
things
Several rumors are in circulation
that Jeffries has offered TO spar with
Fitzsimmons at a benefit for the latter,
but Manager Julian said tonight that
Jeffries and his manager, instead of
giving benefit, the proceeds of which
would go to Ntzsimmons, had made
provision that they should receive so
per cent. of the receipts. When this
proposition was made to Fitzsimmons
he and his managed declined to have
anything to do with it, and stated that
when Fitzsimmons gave a benefit for
Jack Dempsey after he had defeated
him, Dempsey received all the coin.
Neither Fitzsimmons nor Julian will
accept half favors from the new cham
pion or his manager, and if they wish
to give the ex-champion benefit he
must have all.
SHARKEY'S VIEWS.
PASO ROBLES, Gala. June 11.-In
the course of an interview with an AS
ISOLATED Press reporter to-day regard
inc the .IeffrieS challenge Ton, Shar