The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-29


suit Of the championship battle fought
here last night between James Jeffries
and Robert Fitzsimmons is prolific Of
widespread discussion. The story cir
culated, to the effect that the fight was
a pre-arranged affair. has enraged the
champion, and frenzied Fitzsimmons
to the point of bursting into tears and
fainting away. If any proof of a fake
can be offered Fitzsimmons says he will
forfeit his winnings and his last dollar
in the world. Jeffries is very vehement
IN his denials and both are courting a
full investigation.
Mayor Schmitz is weighing the al
legged evidence in the case, intimating
that he will end prize fighting here if he
finds the committees bear out the
charge that the fight was a fake.
Fitzsimmons is badly hurt. The ter
rifle body blows that he received last
night has unquestionably affected his
heart. Great welts stand out on his
back and sides and while being rubbed
down today he tainted. He said this
afternoon: II was beat fairly and am
badly hurt. The story that I engaged
IN a fake is a lie.''
Fitzsimmons' right thumb is dislocat-
ed and two knuckles of his left hand are
badly out of place. He is now under
the care of a physician. Those who
claim that the outcome of the fight was
prearranged. base their allegations
principally on the fact that FitZsim-
mons after gaining a masterful and tel
ling battle dropped his guard, leaving
an opening which Jeffries took advant-
that this was not done Intentionally.
He was fighting all the time and the
very punishment he had borne up un-
der told on him at last. Delaney. Egan.
George Siler. Alex. Gregains, Sam Thall
and others are loud in their denucia-
tions of the story that the battle was a
fake. They say that the prophesying
of the result and the final round in 4
sealed note to the mayor, was a coin
cidence and that hundreds of anonv-
nous letters suggesting parellel out
comes, are extant.
Fitzsimmons said today: Its a
shame to call it a fake. I fought the
greatest fight of my life and hear I
have been branded as a cur. There I
was winning all the time but could
not have won anyway. Both hands
were gone. Iv fought three hundred
and twenty-eight battle and have been
beaten twice, both times by Jeffries.
That shows he is the better man.
doesn't it I've had twenty-five 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 excuse. AS
God is my judge, did my best"
When Jeffries was seen his face was
a sight. His eyes were puffed and dis
colored his cheek cut and bruised. "Do
look like fake?" he remarked, as he
looked at himself in a glass. "If I was
going to be a party to a fake would
not have stopped all those blows with
this face of mine. Anybody who says
that fight was crooked is a liar, and
they can break me if they can bring a
bit of evidence. If there had been a
fake would have been the man to hit
the floor for 1 was on the long end of
the betting"
San Francisco July 26.-There is a
wide difference of opinion in this city
as to the character of last nights fight
between Jeffries and Fitzsimmons. The
charge that the fight was fake and
that it had been pre-aIranged for Fitz-
simmons to go out in the eight round
does not meet with general belief, al
though there is no doubt that Mayor
Schmitz was warned that the fight was
fixed to end in the eight round. A
communication sent to Mayor Schmitz
before the fight, TO be opened after II
was ended. stated that the writer had
in the eighth round. which he did.
When at his Office today, Mayor
Schmitz was emphatic in his assertion
that. should he be convinced after a
thorough investigation that last nights 5
contest between Fftzsimmons and JEFF
would do all in his power to prohibit
future fights IN this city. Mayor
Schrnitz has been very much disgusted
with many of dne recent fights that
have taken place in this city, it being
evient that they were pre-arranged
and that the best man did not always
win. 1t is expected that the fighting
game i'm this city will be forever killed,
should conclusive evidence be adduced