Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-12-17
SAhDYS GRAPHIC LINES
ON THE FRISCO BATTLE
How Old Man Fitzsimmons De-
ported Himself With the
Fresh New Eng1ander.
Thinks Gardner Lucky Fellow to
BE Permitted to Hang on for
Twenty Rounds.
BY SANDY GRIsMn1n

felt called upoa 10 inportune Bob Fitz-
simmons 10 retire from the boxing game
after his fight with George Gardner
week ago "Wednesday night is Il problem
that l snail not attempt to solve. Being
one OF the few eastern newspaper men
VINO Witnessed that one-sided contest
privileges me. l presume. TO make few
comments myself, not in defense of F'itz.
for he needs no defense, nor in condemna-
zion OF the opinion of Others but simply
as an Illustration of how different people
see the same thing.
In the first place, the Frisco sporting
chroniclers and the Frisco sporting pub
lie are unquestionahly u bit disgruntled
with the fieckled old gladiator. but upon
what score l do not know. Anyway. the
feeling IS heartily reciprocated by Fitz-
simmons, and that makes it a standoN.
TlTZSIMoNS is PUZZLED.
The evening after the fight, while sit
ting in the reception room at the Adams
house discussing with Bob and his wife
the general tenor OF the mornings stories
OF the hight, he said:
Il can't understand why these Frisco
newspaper men should jump onto me IN IN
this Way, but l suppose deserve IL, lol
When they handed me that mess seven seven
years ago, when i Knocked Tom Sharkes
out vowed meyer , W9ld pun put up but tA
have on several occasions, ana nave
ALWAYS given them q run for their money,
hui they wont have H., l. II ss seems ans ought ought
TO retire from the ring, but WIZ lieNs new.
feel as il ought to get out on account
Whip this sturdy young fellow-a, little
over half as old as l an-if it did take take
me twenty reunds9 Hasn't he peer, peen
toutad as one OF the most terrific hgnteris
Of the times; hasn't he a longer reach
,han have and didn't he outweigh me
half a dozen pounds! s;o,, man
And again, haven't L been a SICK n!sit.
for over a week. and haven't l consistent. l.,
IL and persistently told them SO, day y! :
and day. out? What more do they S wansi
q AHa p 5aes s' WY ri al'Is can't even ii[t
forS5ui OF food to my mouth ,ha,,
and l seriously doubt whether ls1'in eaa A
maj. tbev are Yet good enough for Cor
bett But there is no use CRYING oVer ti,s
matter. can only grin ana pear u, 90 ,on ne
up "a swell cafe. I've got more friends ,i
.here , in one ne % 6l9cs than haSe 81 -
There is the gist of the whole, tale.
i,itz has covered the facts eompletei ",
and il is for the unbiased reader 70 sum
IN tie matter for himself Now Tor
cursory resume OF the fight.
WHY IT WAS A BURLESQUE
That it was a disappointment, must be
admitted. but not from a lack OF any.
thing Fitzsimmons did, or oidn 90, NV
ception of a feeble bluff In the taiiena
rounds. made no stand whatever asai IN ,,
filn.aad he was the sorrsst onrlesa.ie On ID d
Heavyweight championship asplrahe !, u
any otaer man ever saw ,
He was a whipped man-coWed, proDa-
bly, would be the better w4fq 1Ia .ru c ore
belts at O'Clock on the afternoon OF
the fight on this occasion old man flIz NJ
acted like a schooboy out at recess: ne
had a jocular quip. a shuttle or quibble
Tor every man present: laughed and loked
and prattled like a maggie while Gard
sea4oid, He was already suffering from
stage fright. His eyes We're downcast. ne
had never word for anypod mol ey .S.
back ana his humorous congratulatoIs
as lie stepped Oft the scales.
STORY TOLD IN ONE ROUND.
Ana wten they got in the ring that
night q single round was sMficient 10
chow the veliest ,yro at the game that he
,inssiders thought he committed pu-
silistic solecism by appearing in the ring
IN trunks ana fighting CATERS. He would
have been more a home in pantaoons,
s.ith cap and bells
AID Cd Fi5z He was there With all
tire ap!emb and distinction Of the real
thing While he started q little SLOW, as
81 70 get the kinks out of his lanky
frame and lui.ierols limbs ne was
and briiancE. His light gray eyes emit
ted ambient rays MS head was as clear
T. flef!, ana tileFe WASH Secollu III
the entire twenty rounds that he WASH I
Z master Of the situation.
Gardner kept his eyes on those always
nlendcing big grsen mittsi he seemed to
Sc afrasd thai one Vi them would get
loose from its noorinss and bore hole
- lam Bag enough 70 crawl thfougi.
AEtleh lio did occasionally venture III lar
enough 10 hif Fitz watded off his weak
d8}yss Ike 4 duck shakes water from ats
Ia lie last five lounds the New Eng
l4nda.s eNap0rted courage seemed TO
oe.lgaal esli, and he bore down on the
laed 9iG eenelemar from the land of the
GaliaIi tifttct as II he meant TO do some
liliil-s sure bat his fusilade of body
hi.Hs bad no more sting in them than the
t4Is ieatier and Fitz, SIN smiling
t3Iiliiske Stuffed and buffeted him
;altAd the ring until the gong called for
!. cessation 81 these Delsartean calisthen
hes8usa it Lad grown weary with tn,
hu!iesqpe I'itz because he was very tired.
,sna gardner because he was sim scared
lail 10 death.
II locked az If Fitz could have ter
rlpnteG The unequal strife anytime he
wished in the tils. ten rounds, and at
lines his actions We're not above sus-
rl@5}il Re would stand off and allow the
loweil youth TO recover his equilibrium
utter having Jared him from top to toe.
in lie fourth and fifth rounds was this
particularly noticeable, and onookers at
ieers ard Kisses. In the fourt! Fitz sent
The alleged terror from Yankeedom spin
ping round he ring like a top with a
bone brea;Sfng smash in the jaw. Finally
ye sprawled fiat on his stomach, and
while Fitz stood aside leerng comically
at The uploarious crowd, he rolled over
and rose slowly to his feet
Knock him ont, old man" yelled the
crowd and as if to comply Fit2 walked
oyer and with a straight right poke in
the wind, put him down on the boards
again. At the stroke of nine he regained
liis feet and Bob permitted him to wob-
bic around unmolested for full half
minute. despite the frenzied demands
fair.
Finally he slipped over to the dazed
downeaster. tented, POISED as if about
10 let go the longed-for soporific punch.
ance. and Gardner staggered into him
and clinched ard held on until the bell
rang.
The people didn't like this a little bit,
and it was right there that F'itz made
many enemies. Ills excuse was that it
was the three blows he gave Gardner in
this round that broke his hands But some
claimed that he stood in with some big
bet that the Lowell gentleman would be
there at the end of so many rounds; 9th
down and vas awaiting the opportunity.
If this had been so-but it wasn't-the op-
portunlty never arrived, for Gardner
never hit Bob a single. blow that had
steam enough in it to make him backstep.
let alone go over.
Noting the onlinous .displeasure of the
gardner in the fifth and. rushing him to
the ropes. seIt first the right and then
e ene 55 INTO IN quick s,k and forcslul
Then he backed away, stepped in again
ana poked his head back between his
snoulder blades with a particularly vi
eious left. following it up. with a right
q inn 1nf ne t1,@