The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-19
SPORTING NEWS.
C0rbett Goes for Swim and
Gets in the UndertOw.
Was Carried Beyond His Limit
by a Strong Tide.
INTERVIEWS SEALS.
Little Fighter Has Thrilling
Experience at Frisco.
Is Taking ley Ocean Baths Off
the Cliff House.

San Francisco, March 19.-Champion
Corbett had an interesting session buff
feting the ocean waves yesterday morn
ing and real keen bookmaker would
not have laid even money that the
contest of the century" would take
place on March 25 until Tuthill and Nc
Grath managed to drag the chubby
scrapper back to terra firma- Not
withstanding the chilly atmosphere and
icy water, Corbett insisted on going into
the briny for short swim. He has
done this before without difficulty and
the trainers did not attempt to talk him
out of his whim. So manned with a
long tow line and mammoth life pre-
server, the chubby one jumped into the
sea By the pier below the Cliff house
and started toward China. When he
had gone his usual distance a warning
shout was sent from the shore, but the
plunge had sent the blood tingling and
Corbett struck out still further. He
went beyond the limit and soon found
himself among the seals. Just at this
time he found a strong current sweep
ing him along faster than he cared to
go and a numbness took possession of
his limbs. 1t was an exciting moment
on the shore. as well as for the fighter
In the water. The more the watchers
on the shore tugged at the life line the
harder the undertow grasped the body
of the struggling lad in the water. A
couple of byStanderS took a hand at the
rope and the combined effort of the
quartette was sufficient to combat with
the angry waves. The champion was
badly wtnded when he was hauled up
on the beach, but soon came around all
right and was none the worse for his
adventure. He must have been a bit
Eighty while in the water, as he insisted
that no less than a dozen seals were
crowding around him when the under
tow was getting the best of the bout.
k14A ErrA. &,Iw IL
bathing in homeopathic doses.
Nothing daunted by his trip among
the seals. Corbett rested a short time,
ate hearty lunch and ran his auto
mobile out of the shed. He said Moth
ing about any speed tests and was mum
concerning certain def from "Bogie'
O'Donnell, who claimed to have the
fastest machine In the city and county
Of San Francisco. Corbett bundled four
people into his RED Devil" and met the
other party coming down the ocean
boulevard.
Beat you through the park" sang
out Corbett.
Not in a thousand years you
WON'T replied 4 Skipper O'DonneIl.
And the race was on. If you leave it
to O'Donnell he was crowded out at
the first turn. Leave it to Corbett and
/ his party and the champions machine
ran away from the other, coming out
on Stanyan street fully half mile to
the good. They went so fast during
part of the journey that Benny Gar
sons curly black locks Strengthened
out and Harry Tuthill's horid face
was as white a sheet.
| An ordinary boxer does not consider
an automobile as a necessary adjunct
to training, but the featherweight
| champion is no ordinary lad of his
kind. He believes that he struck the
finest thing in the world to steady the
nerves and brighten the eyes when he
! learned to man the wheel of a hore-
less carriage. OF course, he does not
advise every exponent of the manly
art to buy a $4,000 vehicle. In fact,
he appreciates that it might drive Il
nervous chap like Jim Corbett to the
verge of the grave, cut around corners
and miss Instructions by the fraction
of an inch while going at a 40-mile-an-
hour gait. but for his particular case
it fills the bill. He says that as long
as it does not interfere with his regu-
| lar work that he will continue to drive
the big machine as fast as the law al
lows and has an ambition to make the
! trip from the Beach to town in Is
minutes. He has already done the dis
lance in II minutes and is only wait
ing for the roads to mend.