The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-20


heavyweight championship fights cause
such an outcry in this country. when
other glove contests pass practically
unnoticed?" asked well-known sport
ing man during a discussion relating
to pugilism the other night. This JEFF
fries ohnson affair reminds me or the
trouble the late Dan Stuart experienced
while trying to pull Oft the Corbett.
Fitzsimmons affair; and by the way. II
was Stuart who had the law passed
which may allow Jeffries and Johnson
to settle their differences In Nevada
Stuart was just such promoter as
Tex Richard. He was a dead game
chap, liked prize fights. and was will
ing to run the risk of losing money to
pull one off When he matched Corbett
md Fitzsimmons In 1896 stuart thought
he had It all fixed to stage the scrap
In Texas. There was no law against
lighting in the Lone Star State at that
time, and Stuart picked out Dallas as
the battle-ground. The business men.of
that city were with him 10 man. ana
1t looked like n sure, thing until shortly
before the scheduled date. when Gov
crnor Culberson. in response to pro-
tests from the clergy. called special
session of the Legislature and passed
a law that killed the fight.
Stuart was $4,000. out of pocket,
which had been spent in arranging de.
tails, but he didn't weaken He picked
out n place in the Indian Territory for
the battle-ground and was going ahead
without opposition when Congress
stepped in and blocked him. Then he
turned to Mexico-Juarez-ju across
the Rio Grande from FL Paso, where
bull fights are still pulled off, but the
greasers told him there could be moth
ing doing. Florida put upsthe bars. and
finally. when Stuart received assurances
that Hot Springs. Ark. would stand
for the mill. Fitzsimmons. in disgust,
declared everything off.
by that time Stuart was $4,000 in
the hole. but he didn't give UP. He got
a tip that Nevada wasn't averse 10
prize fighting. so ne went 10 Carson
city and talked the matter over with
politicians and business men. with the
result that the Legislature passed a
bill legalizing finish nights upon the
payment OF license fee of $1,000. Then
signing Corbett and Fitzsimmons all
over again, he built huge wooden
arena. with room for $4,000 spectators
and sent word togthe sporting world
that there would be no interference
The fight took place on March II, 1897
and the men battled in the open air
Snow was on the ground, and the little
town was crowded with fight fans. Yet
when noses were counted there were
not more than 1000 spectators that
paid. Stuart took in only $4,000, and
was big loser on the venture hselfj
but he owned the moving picture priyi-
leges. which netted more than s25o.ooC
IT,, 4
clined to promote any more prize fights
saying that 1t was not worth the trou-
BILE and worry.
When Sullivan fought Kilrain al
Richburg. Miss. in 1889. there was a
strong protest from the ministers. and
1T was only by selecting this outlandisf
place that the mill was carried out
E'itzsimmons and Maher, in 1895, had tc
travel all over the South before they
met at Langtry, Texas, before fen
hundred spectators, Fitz scoring 4
knockout in round. Yet Jeffries's
fights with Fitzsimmons. Sharkey and
Corbett in this city were not intcrferct
with because of the existence of tbs
Horton law. There was no serious op.
position to the Corbett- Sullivan fight
at New Orleans in 1892, while the Cor.
bett-Mitchell fight at Jacksonville tw.
There was no interference with Jeff's
fights on the coast with Sharkey, Fitz.
simmons. Rubin, Munroe. Choynski
Jackson and others.
California has been the scene OF
more ring contests than any other
State in the Union for that matter
The Fitzsimmons- Sharkey Corbett-
Sharkey, CorbettCoynski. jackson.
Corbett Fit2slmmons-OBr Fitz-
simmons-G Gardner. Burns Hart, O'Brien-
Burns. Johnson-Hart, Burns-Squires
Johnson-McVey. Cans Britt Cans Mel.
son, tell-Moran, Attell- Nelson
o'Brien- Kaufman, Johnson-Ketchel
Mcfarland : Welsh. Ketchel : Thomas
Ketchel Papke. Nelson Young Corbett
Nelson Britt, Nelson-Wolgast, Hyland-
Cross BrittYoung Corbett McGovern-
Young corbett McCoy-Jack (Twin)
Sullivan, Langford- Barry. Langford
Flynn. Murphy-Moran and many othe,
big fights have been decided on the
coast without Interruption.
TITS a matter of record that nc
heavyweight championship fight in this
or any other country has ever re-
suited fatally. These big fellows as