Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-05

thing tut Fitzsimmons. This is moi
 swelled head or anything like that, but
 after I'd whipped Dempsey, that lad
 was always watching out for me, and his wife told me once that when he 1 was on his death-bed he put roll oi
 money he had saved into her hands and said:
 Whenever, or whoever Fitzsim-
 mons fights, place your money on him, for he's bound to beat every man of any weight he ever meets" ! Poor Jack was wrong towards the last, but it went then. We'll. stories like that had got about, and they
 helped me little in the betting, but the big money was on Hall. Here is where the fun commences and
 where i fought myself out of hand- some stake.
 Jim and got into the ring, and it
 was all day for him, and he knew it.
 He'd fourfushed about long enough, and while wanted to show him just
 how much of ringer he was, didn't
 want the thing to get too short, for believe in giving crowd a run for its money any time that's possible. I Set it pretty stiff for Jim, and long
 before the first round was over knew had him on Queer street.
 When the fourth round came in a nj nd i,ref hon l>l him his and began to count up that big bit of change in my mind. It's a gocG thing l counted it there, for it was the only counting I did While was putting a nice artistic finish on Jim the good president of the club was out. I'll give you five guesscs, and you'll never hit it, unless you've heard the story. The president was down the street putting Up the purse on Jim Hall. As am a living man, that's just what came off. There we were in the ring, getting warm and hruisy. and the good president was hiking from one place to another put ting up the $40,000 on dead one That's where I fought myself out of a good bunch of ready stuff If I'd have been beaten, I'd have taken down the short end, and that would havo been something, but I had to go and whip Jim into plug hat, and just because did, and the presidents judg- ment had hole in it, got financial slap that hurt.
 Then I thought of that fancy little speech I'd made about sticking to my old friends in, New Orleans, and l could have sat down and howled an indian war song. thought of the $50,000 we'd been offered in New York, and could have hit some one with an ax but I had to stand and take the medicine, though I'll never forget how mean I felt when they came in and told me that it was all up.
 Where's the coin?" I asked.
 "Tbere isn't any coin," said they. "It went up on Hall"
 All of it?" wanted to know.
 Every red" said they, and then kept quiet.
 That was my good friend from New Orleans. Say, but there are lot Of things they can hand you in this sporting game, and it's new one every minute. Think of me standing up there to batter Jim Hall up and dowr the ring for nothing. Of course it was some satisfaction to have hand. ed James his, and to shut his trap down about what he was going to do to me, but that money was bitter wallop. I've got many a worse one in the ring, but they never hurt like that did And me all but broke. Wowi
 However, it's good saying that it'll | all come out in the wash, and it did. 1 I got along somehow, but that les- son taught me lot of things.
 In the newspapers sometimes you've read something like this: Some de- 1 lay was caused at the ringside by | He wanted the money , put up in plain sight, and said he wouldn't go on unless some reputable man held the stake"
 Maybe you've thought it mighty | queer for man to act that way, and perhaps you've felt a little bit sore, and had a whole lot of contempt for ! man that couldn't trust anybody with the change he was going to fight for.
 Well, now, do you blame Fitzsim- mons? Do you think he did that for l joke, or because he didn't want any ,ne to get the hooks into him again? It's the old story, once bit, twice ihy, and it's a burnt child that dreads he French ball.
 I'm going to know where I get my lands on that purse, no matter how a,ngs go, and if any more presidents want to gamble. they can do it with ome other lads money. However. hats where I have a laugh now nd then, when I think of me rorking like a mule. and the other fei- ow running down the street with that atchel putting 1t up on Hall.
 I. is to laugh-now.
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