The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-02
THE LINE OF COLOR
HAS NOT BEEN DRAWN
Armstrong for Jeff and De-
laney for Johnson
CORBETT AND CHOYNsKI
A Review of Their Remarkable Twen-
aforementioned "B0ut of the
Barge In the Long
Ago Past
BY W. w. NAUGHTON

San Francisco. May 1-(Special with
Bob Armstrong helping to train Jira JEFF
fries and with Billy Delaney likely to
take charge of the johnson camp, it
looks as though the color is beginning to
run, doesn't it? 1t certainly interferes
with the. belief that the coming fight is
to be clash of the races" It looks,
indeed as though the clash had occur
red already and has left a maybe effect
upon the opposing ranks.
| one of the most interesting things about
Jeffries' training is that Jim Corbett and
Joe Choynski are to be members of the
big fellows crew:
Just imagine these old time rivals
working in harmony for a common causei
The fact that they are to be together
has revived memories of the famous
Choynski-Corbett battle of q years ago,
and many arguments are in progress re-
garding the way the feud developed.
rpened, had its climax and left corbett
master of the field.
There is no harm, suppose, in telling
the story in abbreviated form. Jim Cor
bett and Joe Cohynski were Hayes Valley
They had a scrap in the sand dunes and
Corbett. it was claimed, came out VIC
tor. The jealousy did not end there,
however Both youngsters developed a
penchant for pugilsm, and in the course
of time Jim Corbett became the boxing
instructor Of the Olympic club Chonyski
was one of the star men of the Califor-
MIA Athletic club, of which l.. r. F'ulda
was president.
ba Wn 1it,o
together, and when the talk of matching
them came up it was a case of two hearts
with but single thought. The stake was
$1,000 a side and the young heavyweights
met the first time in barn above Fair
fax, the date being May 80, 1889.
Jack Dempsey was Choynski's principal
second, and 1t is said that before the
spectators were admitted to the upper
floor of the structure where the fight took
place they were relieved of enough re-
volvers to fill coal basket
When the contest reached the fifth
round Sheriff Healy of Marin county put
in an appearance, and the affair was
stopped. Corbett, who had far the better
of the going. injured his right thumb
during the encounter and heroic methods
were resorted to have Jim's crippled hand
In shape by the date set for the -esump-
ton of hostilities.
1t was on June when Joe and Jim got
together again, the fight taking place on
a barge moored near Benecia. Patsy
Hogan WAS the referee.
Before the men entered the ring it
developed that Choynski had forgotten
to bring fighting gloves with him. The
arrangements were that the men were to
box with four-ounce gloves, and there
was some discussion before matters were
adjusted. Finally Corbett agreed to al
low Chownski to use ordinary street
gloves with the fingers cut out and this
being settled, the contest began.
1t was largely Corbett function. Jim,
with his left jabs and left hooks had
choynski bleeding profusely early in the
encounter, and about the most damaging
wallop inflicted by Choynski was right
handler in the fifteenth round. Corhett
suffered from the effect of the blow, but
stalled TO ra couple of rounds, and then
went back to this task of the blood let
ting
1t was claimed that Corbett's right hand
gave out again, and that in addition he
injured the knuckles of his left hand
He whispered to Billy Delaney at the
close of the sixth round MY left is gone.'
Delaney told him to keep the matter to
himself and do the best he could After
that it was said Corbett was able to In
fuse very little force into his punches
and that delivering a blow with the left
hurt him as much as did the receipt of
the punch by Choynski. Jim hit hard
enough at that to make the blood flow
and Choynski was conquered in the
twenty seventh round
Corbett and Choynski kept up their
GOODNESS for years after the contest, but
now it Is said they have forgotten all
the past bitterness and are friends again.
The fight between them was a notable
one on account of the way the Corbett
and Choynski factions were arrayed
against each other and the scrap on the
barge will be remembered long after