The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-19
HUMOR AMONG
PRIZE FIGHTERS
Bob FitzSlmmonS Shows Few
Friends How He Knocked
Jim Corbett Out.

ager, Percy Williams. now a we'll
known theatrical magnate, asked Fitz
TO show a number of friends how Cor
bett was annihilated. Robert was i'm
fine form then as he was training for
a fight at the time. He promptly
complied with the request by calling
upon Reggy Williams, a brother of his
manager, to stand up and be a victim.
Reggy, however, had been there before
and knew the power of the Cornish
mans blow. so he was not overanxious
10 take part in the exhibition. So ne
said to Robert:
Wait a minute, Bob until go and
get stiff bracer, for I need courage"
"All right" replied Fitzsimmons. with
a grin. but hurry" Reggy stepped
over to the bar. took a nip and then
picking up a thick board he slipped it
under his vest.
Go ahead, Bob, but not too hard"
Fitz jumped about. feinting and
sparring for a few minutes while Will
Jams squared off like a real fighter
Then Robert shot out his terrible right
and hit the mark with a crash. 1t
sounded like a blow on a board fence
with a sledge hammer, and though
Williams was knocked down he jumped
up quickly and laughed until his sides
shook. FitZ was dancing around on
one foot, with his left hand under his
right arm ard a look of intense pain Oh
his face.
What's the matter. Bob?' asked
Percy Williams, who was next to the
trick
What's the matter" roared the
angry COrnishman, why me blooming
and is smashed! That funny brother
of yours has d sheet of iron under his
Vests'
Fitz was a mark then for a lot of
guying, but the joke was a serious one
for his hand was in poultices for six
weeks.
Jack Skelly, the former featherweight
champion, who fought George Dixon at
New Orleans in 1892 is something of
a practical joker. StrOlling along
Third avenue one morning after a
night of festivities, Skelly saw a sign
which read
Professor GUstave Schmidt Premier
Boxing Instructor"
Skelly lost no time in climbing the
stairs to the professors" studio, where
he found a heavily built German of the
wrestling type Of athlete giving box
ing lessons to few of his countrymen
who looked like BARRIERS OF deIicatessen
dealers.
You want to learn box lessons, yes?''
asked the professor as Shelly ap-
peared.
Yes, sir. But don't hurt me- re-
piled SkeIly, who looked for all the
world like a green novice.
''Oh, pigs knuckles, not Won bit Take
off your coat and push on desc gloffs.'
said Schmidt, as he handed out a pair
of five-ounce mits. Sicily played his
part we'll The professor had to
show him how to put on the gloves.
When they put up their hands Sicily
= 81
graduation day.
Don't be afraid" yelled the German,
as he jabbed Skelly in the face BE
spunky, Hold up your head Now try
TO hit me!' Then, after ten minutes of
burlesque. Sicily tapped the profess
sOr" on the nose and quickly apollo
sized. But the Dutchman was mad
clean through and suddenly handed
Skel1y d hard blow on the jaw that
sent the latter up against the wall
bang! Sicily wanted to take off his
gloves, but Schmidt who wanted to
show his pupils how good he was.
would not permit such. a thing SO
Sicily reluctantly consented to go on.
The German rushed like a bull a. a red
rag. Sicily saw an opening then and
drove his left into the professors" big
stomach. He followed this with a great
right hand smash on the Jaw. and
for dreamland. As Sicily escaped he
said to friend who was with him:
1t wasn't exactly fair, I'll admit
but the Dutch ice cart got too fresh
and tried to make monkey of me be-
fore his yapsr'
John /. Sullivan fears rat as much
As an elephant does. Circus people al
ways put small terrier in with the
elephants to keep the rats away, and
the big animals, knowing this. make
great pets of small dogs. Before Sulli-
van ever appeared in the prize ring ne
was working in a tin shop i'm South
Boston repairing furnace flues. While
busy at his trade in an old building one
day a large rat ran up Sullivan's trous-
ers leg and gave the big fellow a fierce
battle before il was killed. John was
bitten on the leg in two places. That's
the reason said Sullivan TO a friend
one day, that / wear tight pants I'd
never take a chance with a rat in loose
pants again. 1t was lesson I'll never
forget" When Sullivan first made his
appearance in New York in 1880 ne
wore the slickest skin-tight trousers
ever seen on a man in the city, and.
with a short pea jacket he presented
an unusual picture. When John L. be-
came the champion, therefore the
other fighters and dead game sports
copied the fashion set by him. and
even today ohe big fellow wears the
same kind of leg coverings. This is
one reason why Sullivan has always
had a valet for it is no easy task for
d corpulent person TO pull off tight
trousers, especially after a night in the
Great White Way. Sullivan, like the
elephants, has often taken a good rat
ting dog to his room at night when ne
had a suspicion that rodents were at
hand
X
When Jack McAuliffe. the retired
lightweight champion. was in England
few years ago he met Jumper Howe,
a noted pugilist of Newcastle. Jack
and Jumper became fast friends and in
a burst of confidence Howe told Nc
Auliffe one day that he could neither
read nor write. He also asked Jack to
read for him a letter he had just re-
eeived from a sweetheart McAuliffe
readily consented TO read The love note
and was getting interested, when Howe
exclaimed:
Il say, Jack old up there. Yer don't
care to know just wot she writes, does