The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-14
AND EX- CHAMPION.
The Coney Island Fight Lasted Just
Three-Q Quarters of an Hour.

lnrep-tyudHtefS OF an Hour.
\ News and Observer reader inquierS:
How long did the F'itzsimmons- eff
ries fight last: I've read much in the
papers about it but nowhere have /
seen its duration stated
There were eleven rounds. a round
lasts three minutes. Between each
round there is Il rest of one minute. In
case of Il Knockout ten seconds are
counted. If the man knocked out fails
to rise and returns to the fight III that
time the sponge goes up and the fight
is lost to him.
Robert Fitzsmmons. the champion.
began life rs a helper in "A blacksmith
shop in England Time and the chance
of life took him to Australia. There
boxing hourished. He took to boxing
as Il duck to water. He was built for
it, He had world of strength above
his hips Ills arms We're long. his
hands good. his eye quick as a flash
and his head small and hard to hurt.
He was working for Il livelihood and
he became a professional early in life.
He used TO leave the blacksmith shop
Il
Il pound or two.
But as time went on and no one ap-
peared who could beat him. he became
known as Il dangerous man When he
came to this country he made his first
appearance in San Francisco. He. Is
far from brutal. has never mixed IN Il
street fight and he never allows per-
sonal feeling to enter into his contests.
1t is usually a trihing incident which
changes the course of a mans life. A
negro boxer who journeyed through tine
land and made livelihood by beating
the DULLES Of the country towns, once
struck Los Angeles. AS was the habit
he announced that he could lick amy
man in town.
Some one told big. curly headed boil
er-maker, who was christened James j.
Jeffries. Jeffries was a bully. He was
rather the man who took it upon him
self to keep the town clear OF bulies
Whenever one appeared he gave him a
thrashine
The boiler-maker naturally concluded
that this negro must be Il bully Hence
he quit work and went after him at
once. He learned that the negro wanted
to fight with gloves. and that he might
have no excuse. .Jeffries offered TO
fight him that way.
The negro knew lot about boxing
and Jeffries nothing. Jeffries took the
punching and learned how TO box while
it was coming. Then he sprung one of
the tricks the negro had played ON him
during the early part of the fight and
dropped him.
lie Went back to boiIer-making the
next day. but be had won a fight with
gloves and people Interested in boxing
heard of it. He got an offer to box
another man. He won. Then another.
and again he won.
With every fight he learned. He is
without doubt the most apt pupil the
ring has ever known. lie was taken
on by Corhett to Carson as n sparring
partner. and it is doubtful If he ever
stood before the champion of that day
for a round that he did not learn some
thing.
Before long another chance came to
hgld. and again he won. lie gave M
labor and became professional boxer.
Long before he was able to execute one
half he knew he was familiar with
nearly every blow and stop ever used.
But in every fight he was developing.
lie talked little. he worked hard. Al
though but few knew it. his mind was
set ON the championship.
As crude as he was ut Carson. he be-
lieved that he could beat E'itZsimnmt,s.
and TO that end. for that chance he
worked He said nothing, just worked.
He believed that Fitzsimmons some day
would stand before him in the ring. II
has come about, and without any parti-
cular effort on the part Of Jeifries.