The San Francisco call., 1899-06-11
INQUEST
OVER DEAD
CHAMPION
"Greatest Fighter Of His
Weight That Ever
Lived" the Verdict.
OPINIONS OF SPORTS
Believe FitzsimmonS Suffered More
in the Clinches Than From
Blows Received
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, June 1O.-They buried
Fitzsimmons to-day-the game and shifty
Kangaroo-and then they held an inquest
and went into the evidence. The greatest
man of his weight who ever entered the
ring had been put away, new fistic king
had arisen. and sporting men began to
ask themselves why and how he did it.
And looking soberly back at the strug-
gle, free from smoke. excitement and the
roar of a great battle, there were many
who said fatty that the former cham
pion was not so much outfought as he
was wearied and borne down by the sheer
weight with which the giant boiler-maker
hung upon his neck whenever they
clinched.
As the rules go, it was a clean fight
and no one wished to take a, 1.-THE from
the credit due the mammoth boy who
faced an unbeaten champion and put him
down and out But men recalled that
from time to time during the middle
rounds. when Jeffries was clearly tired,
he Clung TO Fitzsimmons in clinches and
wore him down by simple bulk. There was
never a clinch from which Fitzsmmons
did not go away some pounds worse for
the hugging; and thus, as the game
went on. he began TO lack steam, and his
legs-spindle legs which have been the
wonder Of the fighting world-began to
tremble. And. however good his head and
arms may be. the man whose legs lack
their strength and spring is beaten, bar
ring always a chance blow.
There were always weight and youth
against the Australian. In terrific rushes
or when Jeffries ducked a swing, his head
or shoulders shot against Fitzsimmons
ribs with tremendous force. That hap
pened again and again. and often in
clinches Jeffries leaned his full weight
upon his opponent. and Fitzsimmons-
thoroughbred fighter that he is-lOst
steam and strength every time it oc-
Cured.
And Fi1zsimmons was conceding thir
teen years and fifty pounds in weight to
a man trained to a nicely and coached
bv Tommy Ryan, who knows too much
Of the Cornishman' style of fighting not
TO be dangerously useful to his principal.
There were hundreds of men to-day who
could tell you all about II and who nailed
Jefries as the greatest ever, but no
two men in fifty told the same story of
the critical periods of the contest, al
though the majority of them agreed upon
this-that the boiler-maker's mighty bulk
wore FitzsimmCns out more than dld all
the punishment the blacksmith received
before the ninth or tenth round.
BY that time the odds We're shifting. Ihe
youth of the Californian, his great recu-
perative powers and the absence OF any
serious injury left his legs steady and his
head clear as he went to his corner. But
Fitzsimmons who had really been mauled
more than pounded up to the last of the
eighth was Wearied, and while his game
ness and his temperate life MADE MIN
marvellous man for his age, at such a
stage of the game his speed and strength
were on the ebb.
Great ring general as he was, he seemed
to neglect to follow up striking advan-
tages from time TO time and he was per-
ceptibly weak when Jeffries roughed it a
bit. And it was then the crowd, demand
p,f- r,1a ursSla nj f1NnrifRG
shouted wildly for Jeffries TO break and
fight hands free. The boiler maker had
used only legitimate tactics, but thou
sands about the ring realized in an in
stant that by hanging his weight upon
the Cornishman's neck and shoulders he
was wearing him down, and they pre-
ferred to see the men break quickly and
have the trick done by science rather than
weight.
every one by the ease with which he hit
the champion. And when he did land
there was always a driving force of 21J
pounds behind the blow. But Fitzsim-
mons-as game as they make them-could
stand punishment proper better than he
could bear up under the fatigue Of
clinches.
Thousands watched that small bald
head frnged scantily by red hair and
said to themselves that FitZsimmons
would do the trick yet. The blue eyes
were ever steady and alert and as fierce
as the punishment was. The game old
man followed the giant about always try
ing TO coax down MS pecullar guard ana
send in one smashing blow which would
end 1t. It was not to be. for Jeffries. who
had been prepared wonderfully well, had
a head on him which kept him from the
dangers Of confidence at one moment
and confusion following punishment at
the next. He could wait. which was a
great thing in itself. and he could afford
to wait which was a matter Of still
greater Importance.
No one. unless 1t be Fitzsimmons him
self knew how desperate his chances
were by the end of the eighth. when an
unexpected rally by Jeffries iolted him