Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-04
Corbett Had His Own Troubles.

SOxOCIS &4&o Lao -" - e~SSS~~~S
Those who remember Corbett's fight
with Charley Mitchell at Jacksonville In
1894, when the ancient Englishman was
stopped in three rounds. still declare that
Corbett was bordering on nervous pros
the first ciang Of the gong. But when
Corbett discovered that Mitchell was
nothing more than a shell and couldn't
hurt a schoolboy, he recovered his nerve
and won like a champion.
There has never been a question OF
doubt that Corbett was ready to quit In
his fight with Tom Sharkey at the OLD
Lenox A. c., in this city. II Corbett
chief second. Con McVey. hadn't jumped
into the ring at critical moment In the
ninth round 1t is believed by eyewitnesses
that Gentleman Jim would have gone
through the motions OF a knockout in or
der to escape further punishment. Cor
bett, II Is true, was not in his best con-
dition when he met Sharkey on that &C.
cason and was really the victim OF the
double cross. as he had been assured that
the fight would be stopped by the police
in the sixth round. But that was only
trick to induce him TO make the match.
1t is also q matter of record that when
Corbett and Mccoy put up the never-to-
be-forgotten fake bout in Madi. on Square
Garden Corbett refused to go on until
Mccoy had posted q ten-thousand-dolla
guarantee that he would lay down and
Yet Corbett showed undoubted gameness
in his two battles with Jeffries, who In
each case subjected him to terrific knock
out blows.
cowardice when he refused TO fight the
mighty Peter Jackson for the champion
ship OF the world. Sullivan was in his
prime then and Jackson was conceded TO
be a formidable antagonist. Because OF
the criticism he received Sullivan finally
agreed to fight. but the affair was nnaiiy
called of. because Of the sudden oppo-
sition to pugilism on the racine coast
which was due to ring fatality. Sulli-
van. after that, refused point blank TO
make another match under any condi-
tions and thereby created a lasting I'm
preston that he was afraid to try con-
illusions with the Australian negro.
In 1892, just before Sullivan signed
he declined q bold challenge made by
Mitchell In behalf of Frank p. Slavin.
Mitchell had 10000 to bet on the side.
but Sullivan disposed OF the matter In
few blunt words when no SAID 60 ano
get q reputation"
Mitchell at that stormy conference,
which was held In this city. accused
Sullivan of having yellow streak.
You QUIT when you fought me at
Chantilly. France." roared Mitchell Il
had you beaten ana you know It You
were only too willing to agree to draw
at the end OF the thirty-ninth round"
Bystanders prevented a free fight and
Sullivan was literally dragged away by
his hacker, the late Charley Johnston or
Brooklyn.
Maher Had Bad Reputation.
Peter Maher. the Irish champion. was
always regarded as q gutter. When he
met Fitzsimmons for tho first time at
New Orleans In 1892 Maher was believed
to be a world-beater. He had great
wallop In either hand, and in the second
round he almost knocked B1ts9immons
out with q blow on the jaw. Fits Tell
through the ropes and would have been
counted out but for trick by his Sec
ond, Choynski. who kicked the gong a.
he jumped into the ring.
Fitz revived quickly and then proceeded
to fight Maher at long range. He pep
pered the Irishman's face with left-hand
labs until Peter was bleeding and half
blind. In the twelfth round Maher. after
receiving an unmerciful punching. turned
| his back on Fftzsimmons and said to Billy
Madden, Hes q red divvil! I can't see
Maher ehowed q yellow streak when
Mccoy beat him in five rounds at Coney
island in 1900. There was no doubt
about that fact, and Maher lost practical
ly all of his prestige. But. strange to
saw. Maher beat two towards In Steve
O'Donnell and Mike Morrissey In the
quickest time imaginable. O'Donnell was
a clever boxer, but no fighter. The mo-
ment he faced Maher his knees knocked
together and he went down and out be-
60 a fau well directed punches Maher