The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-29
FlTzsIMMoNs SAYS HE DID HIS
BEST TO WIN.
HANDS WERE OUT OF SHAPE
Facts That Would Make It the QUEER
est "Fixed" satteI the World
Has Ever Seen.

| San Francisco, July 27.-The result
of the championship battle fought be
tween James Jeffries and Robert Fitz
simmons is prolific of widespread dis
cussion. The story circulated to the
effect that the fight was a prearrang.
ed affair has enraged the champion
and frenzied Fitzsimmons to the
bursting into tears and fainting away
If any proof cf fake can be offered
says Fitzsimmons, he will forfeit his
winnings and his last dollar in the
world. Jeffries is equally vehement
in his denial and both are counting a
full investigation. Mayor .Schmitz is
weighing the alleged evidence in the
case and intimating that he will end
prize fighting here if he finds the cir.
cumstances bear cut the charges that
the fight was a fake. Fitzsimmors is
badly hurt. The terrific body blows
that he received last night have un.
questionably affected his heart. Great
welts stand out on his back and sides
and once today while being rubbed
down he tainted. When coming out
of the faint he imagined he was in
the ring once more and his attendants
had a busy time of it controlling him.
"I was beaten fairly and am badly
hurt said he today "The story that
l engaged in fake is lie
Fitzsmmons' Condition.
Fitzsimmons' right thumb is dislo
Gated and the first two knuckles OF
his left hand are partially out OF
place. He is now under the care of a
, DOCTOR Those who claim that the out
come of the fight was prearranged
base their allegation principally on
the fact that Fitzsimmons, after wag-
ing masterful and terrible battle
dropped his guard leaving an opening
which Jeffries took advantage OF.
Fitzsimmons insists, however, that
this was not done intentionally. He
was fighting all the time and the Sc
we're punishment he had borne up un-
der told on him at last. Delaney. Egan,
George Siler, Leu Houseman, Alex
Greggains. Sam Thall and others are
loud in their denunciations of the
story that the battle was fake. They
say that the prophesying of the result
and final round in sealed note to
the mayor was coincidence and that
hundreds of anonymous letters sug-
gesting parallel outcomes are extant.
Fitzsimmons said today:
The Old Man Talks.
''It's shame to call it fake. I
fought the greatest fight Of my life
and here have been branded as a cur.
There are people who thought | was
winning all the time, but could not
have won anyway Both hands We're
gone. I've fought 32s battles and
have been defeated twice, both times
by Jeffries. That shows he is the
better man, does it not? I've had 25
years of hard fighting and my hands
have gone back on me. If they had
been all right Jeffries would not have
lasted six rounds, but I've got no ex-
cuse. AS God is my judge, I did my
best" tm~
Fitzsimmons cried as he SAID this.
and looked regretfully at his crippled
hands.
Was a Solar PIexus.
sI knew some woman had written
to Naughton that was to lay down in
the eighth. 1 was told of it yesterday.
Naughton was to judge by the fight
whether there was any truth in the
story and now he comes out and says
it was fake. When / got in distress
in the eighth last night thought of
the letter and tried to stall off the
end, but l could not do it. remem-
bered that as went down said or
tried to say, Tn gone but guess it
was no more than a gasp.
.It took all the wind out of my body.
did not say, That is peach and II
l smiled as they say I did that must
have been smile of pain. / tried to
last but l could not I got what !
gave many a good man. 1t was the
same blow gave Corbett, only it was
a little to one side but it did the bus
mess.
"Some time during the fight Jeffries
got in one that caught me under the
heart. l did not feel it much then
| but this morning about 10 o'clock il