Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-30
The 0Tense Committed Against Him
While Fighting Jefries'
FORGOT. HIS ANTAGONIST.
For the First Two Rounds OF the Great
Battle He Was Feeling splendidiy,
but Grew HAY AFTER Drinking.

A dispatch from New York today says
that Robert Fitzsimmons, now pro.
claims that he was drugged when he
was whipped by James Jeffrles for the
championship Of the world at Coney ISL
and last June
In an interview last night Fit2slm-
mons said
1T Is impossible for me TO point TO the
man who was responsible for my con-
dition on the night Of June 9, when
fought Jeffries, but this ! do know,
and say il with emphasis and with
full knowledge Of the consequences,
was drugged by some one, and It Is only
natural TO suppose that there was a
conspiracy arranged to accomplish my
defeat l went into the ring In good
condition | was III 20 fight and did
fight to my entire satisfaction for two
rounds
In the second. It will be remembered,
/ was knocked down. That blow did
not hurt me, and. in fact would not
have even staggered me had IL not
caught me Just at a moment when |
was resting far back on my heels. |
came up not IN the least dazed, and
was feeling as good as new when |
went to my corner.
During the rest Of the second and
third rounds / took a drink OF mineral
water. and following that / have only
q hazy recollection OF one or two in
cldents OF the fight.
Just how | got through the third
round cannot tell, but when | went 10
my corner II struck me as a very good
joke that | was there fighting before a
great crowd with man | did not know.
| asked Julian what 1t was all about
and who / was fighting with. They
tell me that when he said Jeffries
expressed my surprise and said that !
had no reason for fighting him. But
Of all that l remember nothing.
Then, again, In the tenth round, in
a hazy way. | remember Julian saying
stand up. Fi,z ] stood up, wondering
what is was all about and what par
ticular reason Julian had for wanting
me TO stand up at that time.
THE next day l was physically as
well az " aS hflNlt I WIN lHAN VIC
fight My upper lip was a triile puifed,
but aside from that | was unhurt. But
my mind was almost a blank and con-
tinued so FOR nearly two months This
condition gradually wore away and lit
tie by little / regained my former
strength Of mind
Finally when the affairs OF the night
Of the fight began to become tangible
| made an inquiry and ! believe that !
discovered Just how the drug was adj
minlstered / provided for my use dur
ing the fight lot OF mineral water In
bottles As the gas was likely 10 dis
tress me. / told Julian to uncork the
bottles and let them stand for some
time so that the gas might escape. He
told me that he had done this. that
he had given the water 20 Clark Ball,
who took IL into the box office 10 guard
H. Ball told me that while he was In
the box Office and had the water under
his care two OF the men who were
most prominent In backing Jeffries en-
tered the room. one Of them engaged
him In earnest conversation. and for n
moment he lost sight of the other He
did not say that the water was drugged
at that time and neither do ! say so
now, but. | am convinced that the drug
was given TO me In that water