Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-21
WIVES INFLUENCE
A HELP TO BOXERS
Jeffries, Corbett and Fitzslm-
mons Guided by Their
Advice.

town" said the old New York sporting
man 10 q group of fight fans the other
evening. II spent several hours with him
and his clever little wife after the show
But we didn't talk much about fighting,
because Mrs. Jeff. to say the least, is
a bit sore on the game
IT was her influence and persuasion
that made the big fellow retire from
tie ring Jeff thinks a whole lot Of his
better hall and generally does as She
saws see Mrs. Jeffries is on the road
with her husband now. She always
travelled with him. for that matter, so
that she could keep eye on him, and
let me tell YOU. boys. Jeff will never fight
Johnson the coon champion, without Mrs.
Jeffries consent.
During the evening | spent with JEFF
and his wife the retired champion seemed
10 he much Disguised with both the stage
and the ring.
IT'S this way old pal he said. Il
never was cut out for an actor, nohoN.
and Eve reached the top in the fighting
game. so I'm going to get out of them
both for good You know, ] never like
these noisy hurrah crowds that come
and shake you by the hand when you
don't know them and never expect to
see them again.
1t may have been all right for Sulli-
Van. Corbett and FitzsimmonS as cham
pous. hut I'm not built that way. Yes.
III stand for my pals at any time but
these strange fellows who are always
huttiug into your dressing room. slap
ping YOU on the back. get my goat.
DO YOU know. Old man. that these
curtain calls often annoy me? Its all
right for regular professional actors. but
not for mine. I'm one of those down
n-the-farm fellows. you know. At this
stage of the conversation Mrs. Jeffries
said.
Mrs. Jeff's Prophecy.
Never mind. jim: il will soon he all
over. You are going 10 retire from the
stage and you'll never fight again with
m, consent. We've had enough of both!
Now boys. believe me when l say
that Mrs Jeff meant just what she said
and | don't think she will allow the big
fellow to fight again. You can depend
upon that. She is positively the boss
and under no circumstances will she
allow her husband TO fight coon with
the chance of getting licked.
AS long as Mrs. Jeff is the dictator
there'll be no match between Jeffries and
Johnson. whether Jim is fit or not. ] tell
YOU some priZetighters are like men in
other professions who are ruled by the
fair sex
You all remember how Bob Fitzsim-
mons second wife, Rose Julian. former
acrobat, helped him win the heavyweight
championship from Jim Corbett at Car
son City, when she stood in the Cornish
mans corner and cried:
." Hit him low, Bob in the stomach"
And you'll recall how F'itZ needing his
wife's advice. walloped Corbett with his
famous solar plexuS blow which won the
tight. as James, from the effects of it,
fell to the floor writing in agony. This
Mrs Fitz was an athlete herself, and she
made a close study of the fighting game
She knew better than her husband that
torbettS weakest spot was his stomach
She was a magnetic woman and ruled
Robert because OF her superior will power
FItZ never entered into a match without
first consulting his expert wife, and then
when he began training his routine work
as we'll as the preparation of his food was
under her direction. This Mrs Fitzsim-
mons died about four years ago at Bath
Beach after a short illness from an attack
of pneumonia.
She was a fine. large woman, and her
sudden death was a great surprise to
those who knew of her wonderful ply
slque. FItzsimmonS about a year after
ward married Julia Clifford, an actress,
who Is now performing with him in the
English music halls.
John L. Sullivan never lived long
enough with his wife to be guided by her
in any way. They disagreed few months
AFTER their marriage in Boston about
twenty-five years ago, and separated. II
was only recently that John secured di-
r"rce from her in Chicago court.
There was one boy born of this IN
hsppy union, but he died in infancy. There
was rurnor some time ago that John l..
and Maggie Cline were going to hitch up
but neither seemed to know anything
about it. so all bets were declared off
Most fighters, I'll acknowledge, do not
consider the marriage contract a sacred
one. There's Kid Mccoy for example,
He's been married and divorced so many
times that it's hard to keep track of his
adventures in wedock. His first wife,
remember, was a pretty little country
4 n hrnI yI,f
her to this big town and then suddenly
deserted her The poor girl appealed to
some of the fight fans and they paid her
way back to her humble parents home
where she resumed the task of trimming
hats while the festive Mccoy forgot all
about her.
Turned Corbett Down.
Sometimes it's the woman who gives
d fighter the dinky dink however jim
Corbett's first wife. Ollie Lake. grew
tired of Gentleman Jim after ne had pre-
scented her with Il fty-thousand-doIl
house in West S7th street She obtained
divorce and married the son of multi
millionaire paint manufacture.
This thrOwdoWn didn't break Cor
brtt's heart. however. for he soon married
again, and has been very happy ever
since. Mrs. Corbett No. presides over
III.
like Mrs Jeffries. she forced Gentleman
Jim 10 give up prizefght!ng some time
ago
Il had to laugh the other day when l
read about COrbert declaring that he
would fight Johnson and bring back the
championship TO the white race Why
boys. YOU couldn't get corbett into a rims
again with derrick III" told me only
recently in his dressing room that neith-
or money nor Influence would ever in
du"c hmm to return To the boxIn. game
JlnI'S ambition is 10 keep on studying
until ne becomes great comedian Jim
certainly has the phiz for one. Did YOU
ever look il over carefully? It's rather
q comic mug AT that. more especially
when james gives that hard, horscy laugh
Of his.
y friend OF mine says Corbctt's face
III profile always reminds him of n clean
shaver horse. but i think Jim is not at
All bad looking considering ne fought
his way to the championship, which as
"a rule, does not improve manly beauty
tprbett has no marks To indicate his
ring Carecr-no cauliiower ear or broken
nose.
It's a strange fact that few OF the
great fighters were ever marked in this,
way. Look at Burns. Attell Sullivan.
AIcAuliffc, Mccoy, Mitchell and a score
of other Attacks, and they show no
diSfSurements.
CREW TO HOLD DANCE.
n