Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27
FTTZSINMONS BREAKS DOWN
oOmishman Sheds Tears in Denying that
Fight Was Fake,
SAYS THAT he PRAYED TO WIN BATTLE
All Others In Pugiiistic
Contest Assert that Fight was
Fair and that the Best
Man Won.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 2e.-The result Of
the championship battle fought here last
night between James Jeffries and Rob srt
Fitzsimmons lie prolific OF widespread dis
cussion. The story circulated to the effect
that the fight was a pre-arranged AFFAIR
has enraged the champion and frensied
Fitzsimmons to the point Of bursting into
tears and fainting away. II any proof OF
q fake can be offered. says Fitzsimmons,
he will forfeit his winnings and his last
dollar In the world. Jeffries is equally
vehement in his denials and both are
counting a full investigation. Mayor
Sehmitz is Weighing the alleged evidence
in the case and intimating that he will
end prfzenghting here II ne nnds the cir
cumstances bear out the charge that the
fight was q fake. F~itxsimmons is badly
hurt. The terrific body blows that he re-
celved last night have unquestionably af-
fected his heart. Great welts stand out
on his back and sides, and only today
while being rubbed down he tainted. When
coming out OF the faint he imagined he
was In the ring once more and his at
tendants had a busy time Of It controlling
him. At was beat fairly and am badly
hurt" said Fitzsimmons to an Associated
Press representative today. THE story
that 1 engaged in a fax is q iie."
Fitzsimmons' right thumb is dlslocated
and two knuekles 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 pre-arranged base their allega-
tion principally on the fact that Fitzsim-
mons, after waging a maeterful and telling
battle, dropped his guard, leaving an OPEN
- 49, MA
simmons insists. however, that this was
not done Intentionally. He was fighting all
the time and the very punishment he had
borne up under told on him at last. De-
laney, Egan, George siler, Lou House
man, Alec Greggains, Sam Thall and others
are loud in their denunciations of the
story that the battle was a fake. They
say that the prophesying OF the result and
nnal round in a sealed note to the mayor
was a coincidence and that hundreds Of
anonymous letters suggesting parallel out
comes are extant.
story Told by Fitxsimmons.
F1ttsimmons said today:
It's q shame to call It a fake. / fought
the greatest fight of my life and here 1
have been branded as a cur. There l was
winning all the time, but l could not have
won anyway. Both hands were gone; I've
AOaAhN q bdANhNS dAu hdNE bOCA aOANasOu
twice, both times by Jeffries. That shows
he is the better man, doesn't TT I have
had twenty-five years of hard fighting and
my hands have gone back on me. II they
had been all right Jeffries would not have
lasted six rounds, but I've got no excuse.
AS God is my Judge, I did my best.
F~itzsimmons cried as he said this and
looked regretfully at his crippled hands.
I know some woman had written to
Nauehton that 1 was to lay down in the
eighth. / was told of It yesterday after
noon. Naughton was to judge by the fight
whether there was any truth IN the story
fake. When I got in distress In the eighth
Last night / thought Of the letter and tried
to stall of the end, but 1 could not do IT..
I remember that as I went down l said
or tried to say I'm gone" but l guess II
was not any more than a gasp. He Knocked
III th ,sse w wlsd a out peS Ss my a Soay il ! / p s%l nsa 's as
smAe Of pain. / tried to last, but ! could
not. / got what l gave many a good man.
1t was the same blow that 1 gave Corbett,
only It was a little to one side but 1t did
Some time during the hght Jeffries got
in one that caught me under the heart. 1
did not feel Il much then, but this morn,
ing about 2 o'clock II caught me good and
1 thought l was going to die. I can't raise
my left hand now.
My hands went back on me. In tho last
two round put my or gloves to int into b his race
was whipped fair and square. The story
that I laid down is a damned, malicious lie.
condition in my life. Where is there a
man OF my weight and age who could do
what 1 did last night2
A moment later he said; "And they say
I was taking. l call on the American pub
lie to Judge" He cried again as he said
this.
Why he said. with childish frankness,
ct prayed TO win this fight. 1t was the
49, - - 5000 - -, L.. A..
that room tbere"-he pointed to the ad-
joining apartment-"and prayed. God. give
me strength to win this battle. and 1 will
be thankful. Amen Do you think 1 was
taking after that. II I wanted to fake ]
could do 1t better than any one in the
world because I'm not afraid Of a punch. ]
would have gone UP and taken one that
would have stretched me out. / have beer
offered hundreds of thousands OF dollars
to throw fights, but ! always fought on the
square. / did my best. / could do no more
Now. I'm going to retire. I'm done for
good"
JeMries Makes Denial.
When Jeffries was seen his face was
sight. His eyes were puffed out and dis.
colored. and his cheeks cut and bruissd
do / look like q faker?" he fseetiously
remarked. as he looked AZ himself in 8
glass. "If / was going to be a party to q
fake ! would not have stopped all thosS
blows with this face Of mine Anybody
who says that fight was crooked Is a liar
and they can break ne II they can bring I
bit Of evidence. II there had been a fake
would have been the man to hit the floor
for I was on the long end Of the betting.
Mayor Schmitz made the following state
ment in regard to the fight:
I saw the exhibition and up to the tim,
the blow that settled the night was strucl
II seemed TO be q fair and creditable per
Torrance. but at the time the blow wal
delivered by J~efries. Fitzsimmons appeared
TO be entirely on his guard.
Perhaps so much stress would not b,
placed on this fact were It not for IN,
Information given to me on the night be
fore the exhibition that the contest woult
end. and in favor OF Jerries. In the eight
I DUN
> I am 10th TO believe tha the promoters O
this exhibition were in a conspiracy q
defraud the public and believe that the
knew nothing at all Of a prsarranged affair