The sun., 1909-02-14
WIVES INFLUENCE FIGHTERS
JEFFRIES. FITZSIMMONS AND
CORBETT CASES IN POINT.
Boilermaker Cannot Meet johnson Unless
Mrs. Jeff Says so-Hlow Rose Julian
Helped Eitz to Win tho Title Gentle
man Jim's Wifo Made Him quit.

Helped E1tz to Win tho Title-Gentle'
man Jim's Wifo Made Him quit.
sThe last time Big Jim Jeffries was in
town. said the old New York sporting
man TO a group Of fight fans the other
evening. Il spent several hours with
him and his clever little wife after the
show. but we didn't talk much about
fighting because Mrs. Jeff. 10 say the least,
Ia bit sore on the game. II was her in
nuenoe and persuasion that made the
big fellow retire from the ring. Jeff
thinks a whole lot Of his better half and
generally does as she says. see Mrs.
Jeffries Is on the road with her husband
now. She always travelled with him,
for that matter, 40 that she could keep
an eye on him. and let me tell you, boys,
Jeff will never fight johnson. without
Mrs. Jefiries's consent.
During the evening ! spent with Jef
and his wife tho retired champion seemed
TO be much disguised with both the stage
and the ring.
Its this way. old pal, he said, I
never was cut OUT ior an actor. nohow,
and I've reached the top in the fighting
game, 30 I'm going to get out OF them
both for good. You know l 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. IL may have been all right for
Sullivan, Corbett and Fitzsimmons as
champions, but I'm not built that way.
Yes. I'll stand for my pals at any time.
but these strange fellows who are always
butting into your dressing room. slapping
you on the back. get my goat. Do you
know. old man. that these curtain calls
often annoy me. It's all right for regu-
lar professional actors. but not for mine.
I'm one OF those down on the farm fel.
lows, you know' At this stage of the
conversation Mrs. Jeifries said
Never mind, Jim: 1t will soon be all
over. You are going to retire from the
stage and you'll never fight again with
my consent. We've had enough!'
sNow. boys. believe me when | say
that Mrs, Jeff meant just what she said
and l 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 a coon with
the chance OF getting licked. AS long as
Mrs. JEFF is the dictator there'n be no
match between Jetfries and johnson,
whether Jim is fit or not. i tell you some
prizefghters are like men in other pro-
fessions who are ruled by the sex.
you all remember how Bob Fitz-
simmons's second wife. Rose Julian. for
mer acrobat. helped him to win the heavy
weight championship from Jim Corbett
at Carson City when she stood in the
Cornishman's corner and cried:
@'Hit him low. Bob, in the stomach
You'll recall too how Fitz, needing his
wife's advice. walloped Corbett with his
famous solar plexus blow which won the
fight as James, from the effects Of 1t,
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 Corbett's 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 well as the preparation
Of his food was under her direction
This Mrs. Fitzsimmons died about four
years ago at Bath Beach after a short
illness from an attack OF pneumonia.
She was fine large woman. and her sud
den death was great surprise to those
who knew OF her wonderful physique.
Fitzsimmons afterward married Julia
Clifford. an actress. who is now perform
ing with him in England.
You know Tommy Burns. who lost
Iva nh hn nTip N 20, To- L.
son. is another fighter who has been well
guided by his wife's advice Mrs. Burns
has travelled all over America, England.
Ireland France and Australia with her
husband and has always looked after his
comfort at training quarters. 1t was
much against the little woman's will
that her husband agreed to meet the big
negro champion, 1t was natural for
her 70 object on general principles to
having her Thomas mix it up with a
burly coon, but outside OF that Mrs Burns,
who had taken a peek at johnson her
self while he was boxing in a London
music hall, told her hubby that the big
Burns turned a deaf ear because he
was sure Of that $50, 900 win lose or draw
cinch. He wanted the coin, even IL he
had 20 take licking. and he got both.
John J.: Sullivan never lived long
enough with his wife to be guided by her
IL
months after their marriage in Boston
about twenty years ago and sepa-
rated. 1t was only recently that John
secured a divorce from the lady in a
Chicago court. There was one boy born
OF this unhappy union, but he died in
infancy. There was a rumor some time
ago that John l., and Maggie Cline were
going to hitch up. but neither seemed to
know anything about it, 80 all bets were
declared of.
Frank Craig the Harlem Coff ee Cooler,
was lucky moke. This big, lazy coon
went TO England in 1894 dead broke
and caught on at the music halls at once
with his alleged buck dancing and bum
musical act which would have been rotten
egged on the Bowery in short order.
He also knocked out a stiff named Jack
O'Brien. who called himself the champion
OF Wales, in two rounds at the National
Sporting Club. This brought the Cooler
into prominence and he was soon pitted
against a lot OF other stiffs beating them
all dead easy. He was flying high until
Dan Creedon went 10 England and cooked
his goose. Meanwhile, however. the
Cooler married rich white woman
and was on Easy street The way that
ooon drives about London in his swell
tandem would knock your eye out The
last time Craig was over here he met
Tommy Ryan at the old Consy Island
fashy smoke was awful On his return
to England Mrs. Cooler insisted that he
should retire from the rude ring, and
taking her advice Mr. Cooler, late OF Har-
lem, now enjoys the life Of a retired
English country gentleman.
oh. England's great place for coon
fighters! just watch and see what
they II do with Jack johnson when he
gets back there! Why, they'll just hand
him the key 20 the Bank Of En- gland and