The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-29
CORBETT ADMIRERS BELIEVE
CHAMPION DESERVED A DRAW.
NO CHARGE MADE THAT
GRANEY Is CROOKED.
ALL THE SPORTS HAVE AGREED
HE is AS FAIR AS ANY HUMAN.

Some Account for His Decision aS
Being the Result Largely of Local
Sentiment and Pride-Experts Be-
Ifeve That Britt's Body Blows
Were More CIeanIy Placed and De-
served More Credit Than Corbett's
Face Jabs-BeIieved Britt Will he
Able to Put Corbett Out at Next
Meeting.
On the highest authority, the young
and agile Mr.. Puck is reputed once
to have put a girdle round the earth
in forty minutes.
Mr. Eddie Graney, the somewhat less
agile gentleman, who meted out the
decision which deprived Young Cor
bett" of championship and conferred
it upon Mr.. Jimmy Britt, of California,
went Mr.. Puck many points better.
BY the decision which he handed
down, Mr.. Graney succeeded in put
ting a conversational girdle around the
United States in about two seconds
assuming every ticker worked on sched-
ule time. Much of that conversation
was not particularly favorable to Mr..
Graney, especially in this particular
section of the country, where Corbett
was a great favorite.
Perhaps no decision in recent years
caused widespread elevation of the
eyebrows, and even open condemna-
ton, as that promulgated by the placid
Mr.. Graney.
COrbett Was Confident.
Corbett went to San Francisco to
whip a man who was said to be the
John L. Sullivan of his class, time and
country. He went out with the as
surance of his friends that he would
prove the James j. Corbett of this
young Sullivan. He also went with
another assurance-that as referees
are human and therefore amenable to
the clamor of the populace and the
throb of local pride, he might have to
beat him to a quivering pulp to retain
the championship.
Despite his competitors advantage
of hight, reach and weight, Corbett
sailed forth confident of victory. His
admirers wagered money on his abil-
ity to whip Britt. The latters ad-
mirers also wagered money, sparing-
ly, and at good odds. Then the fight
came.
has reached the East, it W nip-and
tuck for many rounds, e. nan CIV
ing and receiving great Inishment.
The champion met mal who may
have been a worthy foe, but when the
gong changed for the last time, at the
end of the twentieth round, he was
still ready to fight, and so announced.
His opponent was battered around the
face like a Russian battleship trying
to sneak out of Port Arthur. Then
Mr.. Graney announced that Mr.. Britt
was the champion featherweight. And
several voices throughout the country
were heard to murmur. Among them
was that of Jimmy Wakely.
Jimmy WalxeIy Speaks.
wakely, after the usual query as to
the accuracy of the decision had been
put to him, knitted his brows, then
banged his fist against a partition,
and said:
''The boy was robbed of that fight!
Yes, l mean that word robbed It's
confoundedly absurd-that decision.
'Corbett' went out there with a cham
pionship, battered the other fellow,
| and remained on his feet like a tele-
| graph post at the end of the fight. If
anybody should have got the slightest
| shade the better of a decision 1t
| should have been a champion, who not
only had more at stake, but was in the
! enemys country, where every bush
may conceal something deadly. I'm
not saying Graney isn't on the level.
/ know him, and think he's honor
| able"
Then wakely rubbed his chin ref1ec-
lively and continued mysteriously:
did you ever hear a big crowd yell
| ing for a favorite? Inspiring thing,
EN-? l should say so! The best Britt
should have got in that fight was a
| draw. But the crowd-ahem! How
ever, there was some cog loose some
where"
! John and George Considine, who
were keenly interested in the bout,
! displayed no hesitancy in declaring
| that the native SON. strain had been
injected into the proceedings in
Frisco. They dwelt emphatically upon
| the proposition that when a champion
is fresh, strong and on his feet. with
| out signs of distress at the end of the
scheduled number of rounds, he Is not
| dealt with fairly if the bout be de-
clared not his.
"a Draw at Best"
"A draw" said John Considine,
would have been at least fair. de-
cision against 'Corbett,' according to
every account of the fight 1 have read,
is something you can't talk about with
| too much calmness. Here is telegram
l have just received from a man con-
nected with legislative affairs and
known widely and favorably all over
| the state"
The telegram was as follows:
John Considine-I win on Britt, but
they robbed Corbett.'
Frank McQuaide."
That" continued Mr.. Considine,
Shows which way the wind blows. II
the boys meet again I'll back Young
Corbett' without the slightest hesita-
| tion."
George Considine was of the same
opinion. He said that even If Britt
had a shade the better of the bout
which was not conceded-he should
not have been given the fight,
for the champion was uninjured and
hungering for battle at the end Of the
twentieth round.
/