The Virginia enterprise., 1906-03-09

From
Inside the
Priiz;ieRi11g Z
+ INTERESTING, LETTERS OF AN
EX-WORLD'S CHAMPION =
HEAVYWEIGHT "
By BOB FITZSIMMONS
~ - - r. :. :
Copyright, bS Joseph B. Bowles.)

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: Copyright, b4 Joseph B. Bowles)
MY FIGHT WITH sHARKEY.
One of the hardest things . any
pugilist has. to battle against in
this world is public opinion, and
I'm not shooting wide of the
mark when say that I've had a
bit more than my share of adverse
criticism. In fact, I've been up against
II good and hard lot of times, and
while I've tried to hold my temper in
the face Of unjust charges and still more
bull-hcaded wrong opinion, sometimes
I've let go when couldn't hold out any
longer-and I've been sorry for it. ..
Every man, woman . and child has
been misunderstood at one time or an
other, so maybe what I'm going to tell
now may get me. little sympathy,
though I'm not looking for it. to any ex-
tent, because I've always found that
could take care of Bob Fitzsimmons
pretty we'll without any outside interfer-
ence. Still, man sort of looks around
the circle when he gets into mean cor
ner, and if there's friendly look in
the chaps eye in the corner, he feels
, that much better. ~7~.
What started with in my mind this
week was that little affair that came
OH out In San Francisco about nine
years ago. I mean the, go had with
Tom Sharkey out there, when a. bunch
or pikers and lot of sure-thing crooks
]obbed it to give me the worst of it any
way it happened to go.
AS I said before, I'm not looking for
sympathy, but when fellow has had
1t handed to him in the rawest kind Of
a. way, it salves the sore spot whole
lot to get chance to tell just how it
happened. Maybe some of you folks
who read this can remember how you
felt when sneak thief belted you on
the nose as you walked down the street
and took your weeks salary out OF
your right-hand pocket just as you were
going home to hand it over to the wife.
when some fellow you thought was all
the cards, handed you the double cross
and set you back hustling for the break
last money, and you never got chance
to tell even the sergeant at the police
station how it happened. Well, that's
lust the way feel about it, and the more
I think of it, the sorer get. I'd been
ho~ ~I 70
with Sharkey for some time, and it was
pretty hard shedding to get wallop like
that for all my pains. II I'd been
whipped, I'd never have said a word, not
peep from; yours truly, but to be
sandbagged, and by a gun fighter at that
was all the worse. Of course, it all hap
pened good while ago, but it's like
an old gun shot wound-it aches on
rainy days.
But I've been gassing about my feel
ings long enough. AS say, hadn't
been over here so long. anyway. When
l first showed up in this country the
Fitzsimmons stock was selling long
way below par, and guess good many
q the public had an idea it was watered
stock at that. That stacked line up
against the Black Pearl first as sort
OF trial horse, and when put him away
in four rounds, it looked easy. Sharkey
was coming along then as the cham
pion of the navy, and he had his eye out
for Jim Corbett's scalp. worked quite
q while to get line on Sharkey, but
had to whip Jack Dempsey first snd
then Abe Congle. After him they trot-
ted out Pete Maher, and he tossed up
his arms in II rounds. Jim Farrell was
handed over, and he remained with me
just seven minutes, all told. l thought
Sharkey was in line, but had to make
a chopping block Of Joe Godfrey for one
round. argued with Jerry Slattery
for q couple more, and they showed
dead one named Millerd Gender over
the table at me and ate him in round.
So it went for four more years. ani
then came the time when got Sharkey
into a corner, and he couldn't get away.
There was neat little purse of Sc, 900
up for. that mill, and thought it was:
mighty useful money. Anyway, l
counted it as good as mine, and the.
wake-up was all the worse when it.
came. = .'-@ -, =
We; drifted into the ring that night
out IN 'Frisco,F and the house looked
mighty good to me. saw lot of men
/ knew, and some Of them, wagged the
finger at me to show they had bit on,
snd counted it already spent. That:
made me feel a little bit better, and I
commenced to&wonder about this ref
cree they had selected. /, never was
much Of stickler for referees. Any
man that looked right to me was plenty
good enough, and though I'd heard
something about this chap, Wyatt carp,
Itdidn't take much account of what they,
said about him. One fellow leaned over
the ring as loafed In the corner, and
said: ,*%s. s... - II & =. j. .s! Y
There's q job out to do you, Bob. IL
they have to kill you to get away with
1t. watch out for the gun sss Il
And then some one dragged him OF
l