Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-16
FITZ TRIED TO
DoUBLE-CROSS o'BRIEN

SAN FRANCISCO, December 16.-It now
deyelops that Jack O Brien has been suik-
ing in his tent over the charges mace
against him by Fitzsimmons in connection
with their six-round bout at Philadelphia
some time ago.
Before leaving the east for this point to
train for the coming match with 'Brlen'
Fitz referred frequently to the former con-
test. He said in plain words that friends
of O'Brien in Philadelphia had arranged
for interference in case Jack was In dan
ger of being knocked out. According to
the story Fitzsimmons tells, the fight was
was sin a bad way" O'Brien seemingly
was loath to speak about the contest, ana
whenever questioned would content him
self with remarking:
LET 1t go, 1t doesn't matter much what
F'itz says. The licking I'll give him on
the Goth win be full reply to all he has
had to say"
Last evening at the beach 0'Brien I'M
bosomed himself to a couple OF newspaper
men. Said he:
II have never referred to my Philadel-
phia match with Fitzsimmons before. but
now 1 going to give my side of it
Fitzsirnmons has claimed that / crossed
him in some way, but the fact Is that
he tried to cross me- While / was train
ing my manager came to the camp one
day and said that matters had been ar
ranged and that Fitzsmmops and myself
We're merely to box a fast exhibition.
! quite satisfied with the arrangement
and I Immediately ceased training A
few days before the contest reports came
to me that Fitz was working his head off
to get into shape 1 thought 1t strange
and I told my manager that it looked as
il Fitzsfmmons was trying to dupe me. -
He said he could not understand FitZ's
tactics. l tried to see FitZ three or four
times on the day of the contest. so as to
have an understanding as to whether the
arrangement in regard to an exhibition held
good. He simply avoided me, and 1 could
not get to speak to him.
Night came and / was kept guessing.
Fttz came into the ring wearing hand
bandages three-quarterS of an inch thick.
l realized that l had been jobbed and
that Fitz was going to try to hurt me
| made objections to the manner in which
FitzsimrnCns hands were bandaged and
he was compelled to remove the layers of
adhesive tape he had put his knuckles.
Meanwhile / managed to get close enough
to Fitz to ask him what he intended to do
said to him. rs each of us to protect
himself the best he can, or Is this mere
exhibition Fitz replied that would have
to look out for myself that he intended
to get me if he could"
We'll, l thought that even though 1 was
in bad shape l could stay six rounds with
| the old man, and I sailed in. For four
rounds he did not land an effective blow,
while l kept hitting him at ease. After
four rounds | began to tire, and T admit
that | was all in at the finish"
Such is Jack OBrien's story of the six
round bout, and he appeared to feel relieved
when he had told it. He says that Fitz-
simmons. in addition to trying to steal 2
march on him at the time of the contest
had failed to give a correct version when
speaking of it for publication.
When asked If there any arrange
ment in regard to an exhibition" on De-
cember so. Jack replied:
Not on your life. l will try and get
( even with Fftzsimmons. and 1 have no