The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-21
NO EFFECT.
Fitzsimmons Does Not Care
What Lenox Club Does.

Toledo, O., JAN 20.-"Bob" Fftzsim-
monds this evening gave out the follow
ing signed interview:
1.-The announcement made by the
managers of the Lenox Club that they
have decided at a private meeting not
to permit me to box before that club,
is decidedly amusing, to say the least,
especially when one stops to think that
during the past year have repeatedly
stated publicly that would never have
anything to do with either the man
ayers or their club.
of course everybody can easily see
that the play is one of the O'Rourke
| grand-stand order to save his sailor
from having his head again knocked off
However, the refusal of the club 10 al
low me to box in its arena will not have
the slightest effect upon my future
plans, for the simple reason that ]
never for moment intended to fight
there.
I have been in America just 10 years
and l defy anybody to point out one
! suspicious move or unfair act commit.
ted by me during that time. My record
is clean and I have Won the title OF
champion by hard and honest fighting,
| have defeated all the best men before
the public and can do it again. And il
any OF the wouldbe champions dom
think that mean what 1 say they car
easily lind out whether I am sincere by
covering the $2500 which has been on d =,
posit in New York for the past 81,
months.
Il am the champion, and am not dis.
posed to issue challenges to ANYBODY
but | wish to go on record as sayins
that Will accept challenge from any.
pody VINO has nerve enough to put III
ms money with which to back up hi!
/ challenge. l would be delighted to have
Sharkey come forward like a man. wifi
straightforward challenge, and 1 viii
accept SO quickly it will make his heaC
SWIM. l don't prefer ShaIkey, because
tnlnk he is the next best man of al
rhe lighters put together. l think Shar.
key is the easiest man for me of the lot
Inc only reason I give him the prefer
ence IS because l want to give, him E
nrst class beating and get even Ior that
ulrty deal ne and his thieving associ.
ateS named me in San Francisco, ant
incidentally win some of O'Rourke',
money nc
II Sharkey wants to be the cham.
plon, the only way he can win that title
is by defeating me; therefore it WorlC
seem mat he would fall all over himsal
10 make match with me, if he though
ne had half a chance. / don't think III,
sailor wants any more of my game, be
cause ne VIII never forget the beating
L gave him in Frisco.
ITO prove to the public that 7 am sin
cere IN this matter, I will offer thi,
last chance for a meeting with me, anC
II the offer is not accepted within two
weeks from date, 1 will forever ignor,
hlm Let Sharkey issue a formal chaI
lenge and cover my money in New Yorl
and | will let the match go to the high
est bidder, the Lenox Club barred.
VIII waive my right to insist upon tn,
articles calling for a finish fight. bu
will insist that they call for a contes
OF rs rounds or more. BY more | NEAR
that the fight must continue until one
man is Knocked out or unable to con.
tinue the fight.
Il Will also waive my right to insist
upon side bet of $4,000, but want il
understood that my manager, Martin
Julian, will bet O'Rourke personally al
the money he can scrape together al
such a meeting. If at the end of two
weeks Sharkey has failed to make goot
the above offer stands good for any
white man in the world; in fact, chal.
lenge the world, Jeffries preferred, be.
cause he is the only heavyweight of any
consequence before the public that
have not already met and defeated. :.
Robert Fitzsimmons,
Champion of the world.'