The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-07-18
]. O'BRIEN
NO WORSE
THAN FITz
Friends in Bet
ting When He Could
Not Win.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

There was little surprise last night
when IL was learned that the heavy
weight bout in Philadelphia between
Jack johnson and Bob Fitzsimmons had
proved a horrible fizz.e.
From the first announcement that
they were TO fight there was feeling
that It was simply a stall TO get easy
money from the nberai-spending Elks
who are in Philadelphia this week by
the tens OF thousands. Some Of the &C
counts state that there was compare
lively little interest in the engage ment
among Philadelphia fight fans. AID that
the patronage was very largely IRON
the outside. This is PROBABLY true.
FItzsimmons got himself In bad In two
ways. First, although be was not ca
pable OF even giving good sparring ex-
hibition 70 illustrate the methods that
made him champion, much less OF meet
ing on equal terms u clever and husky
opponent. he deliberately deceived the
public about his condition, allowing his
friends 10 pay high prices for seats. and
then sprung the sympathy gag. that,
although his hand was injured he would
do his best, when he knew he couldn't
lick 4 platter. His thousands OF friends
and the audience was composed almost
exclusively OF his personal friends or
Northumberland bilked Of the price
they paid to see what was carded as a
frst-class contest
Money Was Bet.
Secondly. there was lot OF money on
this fight 1t was OF such a peculiar
character, and had so many angles that
It afforded many more opportunities for
betting than the average uo-decision
bout. FItz used 10 have a settler 20 the
body, and johnson has a VIGOROUSLY
weak solar plexus. so that there was a
chance OF a knockout there. On the
other hand. Johnson also poss asses a
wallop, and because Fftz wac an old
has-been it was thought the negro might
put him TO sleep at any mInutl The
ordinary line Of reasoning wgss that they
would fiddle and clinch for six rounds,
but II they really intended to fight
somebody was likely TO take the count
IL is a pretty safe bet that nearly all
the bets were mare with the proviso
that IL the bout went the limit they
should be called off. Now, Fitzslmmons
knew that with one hand he had no
chance OF escaping johnson, who has the
reputation OF DelnS clever. II nothing
else. and that 81 they fought on the leve!
he must invariably hit the canvas. and
all his lOyel hackers lose their money.
Yet, the Cornishfnan who has been one
OF the IDOLS Of the American fight pub
lie, and even when tottering on his last
legs attracted their wagers and price Of
admission, to say nothing OF railroad
fare and time, coidly and callOusly kept
them In the dark about his condition in
order 70 draw large attendance 70 the
ringside and let them bet their heads
on when they were dead certain not to
get run for their money.
II was shameless action on the part
OF man who spends nine months OF
the year travelling around the country
with cheap melOdrama soliciting the
patronage OF the public because he was
once a great fighter and in some ways
q credit TO the game.
f1tzstmmons star has set not only ~
pugilism, but In popular estimation
C'Brien. with his faxed fights in which
! there was at least plenty OF action. was
little, If any, worse than FitZsimmons
who, in his craving for gate money,
fooled his friends into paying to see
something not worth seeing and into
betting on a sure-thing loser.