Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-05-21

ed easily Neither cared to take a
desperate chance. although Fitzsim.
mons was apparently the more care
less Of the two
Corbett danced and jabbed steadily.
Fitzsimmons. his face reddeued by the
blows, only grinned and waited his
chance He wasn't one of those tight
ers who like Corbett gradually wore
their men down. He was terrific
hitter. who won with a sudden knock
out Corbett knew this. and he was
wary as a fox Oh. it was pretty the
way they watched each other and
measured each lead TO the fraction Of
an inch. At the end of the round
lCorbett danced back to his corner
laughing. flushed and confident. titz
stood up in his as If he didn't even
care to rest himself by sitting down.
And so the ight went along. Cor
bett growing bolder, was gradually
cutting and tearing at Fitzsimmous
with left and right as be found bis
openings. Fitzsimmons landed hard
blow on Jim's mouth. and ! could see
q grim look come over our champions
face for a moment His lips had been
cut. but he would not show first
blood" He jabbed at Fitz until
tiny stream of crimson trickled from
his nose and lips. and then Corbett
deliberately spit the blood from his
own mouth.
Fitzsimmons was making a mistake.
and COrbett could see it as well as
any man at the ringside Whenever
| he was hit hard the freckled fighter
turned his head toward his corner and
grinned at his wife TO show her he
was unhurt. Each time that he turn
ed Corbett caught him heavily with
| jab. but he didn't step in close, for
| Fitzsimmons was notedly crafty. and
1t might be one of his tricks 70 draw
the more clever man within range.
In the sixth round that rapid fire of
jabs and short right handlers to the
jaw began to tell The middleweight
champion moved unsteadily on mis-
! legs and seemed worried His face
was smeared with blood. Corbett was
lighting hardeF-hitting harder and
more confidently. At last Fitz step
ped into a clinch. took blow in the
body and slipped down to his hands
and knees. There he sat up deliber-
ately on his knees and cleared his
throat of the blood that was strangling
and sickening him He took the count
Of nine and rose. Corbett had waited
deliberately Instead of rushing in
wildly and trying TO beat Fitzsimmons
In In a hIr1p o.
ers do when they have man going,
he took his time, feinted and jabbed
carefully while his enemy reeled away.
We were jubilant, but foxy old Billy
Delaney. the veteran, called to Cor
bett: Hes shamming, Jim. Look
out"
Just then the bell rang, and Fitzsim-
mons. reeling to his corner like a
drunken man. fell into his chair. We
were busy on Corbett in an instant;
but stealing a glance across the way,
! could see frantic towel waving in
the corner across the ring. Evidently
Fitzsimmons' seconds were furried.
In our corner Jim sat up straight,
laughing and cracking jokes with his
IEleDQS dl the sue VI tue ring LLS
looked an easy winner.
But when the bell rang for the be-
ginning of the seventh round .Fitzsim
mons sprang from his chair like a
flash, with no trace of grogginess now,
and ran across the ring at Corbett so
hard that Jim was almost caught nap
ping in his corner. With this round
Fitzsimmons stopped turning his head
toward his wife and gave all his atten-
ton to fighting He was strong and
full of fight again.
Whether he was shamming in that
sixth round or just naturally recover
ed his strength nobody but Fitzsim-
mons will ever know. In any case he |
was different man now. Corbett re-
allied it at the first clash. | could see
the laughter so from his lips and his
face turn to dull gray. Then he set
his Jaw grimly and went on fighting,
using every particle of his wonderful
skill TO stall the rushing Cornishman
of and wear him down If he could.
Corbett didn't laugh aud joke in his
corner after that. The affair had |
grown too serious. He fought like a
game man. and when Fitzsimmons |
dropped him in the fourteenth round |
with the famous solar plexus blow |
he crawled to the ropes across the ring |
and tried desperately TO pull himself |