The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-04-20
CHAPTER XXI
Telling for the First Time What Hap
pened IN the Dressing Room
Before the Fight.


FTER the show we went TO
" Coney Island by train-they'd 60
- in an automobile nowadays-and
straight TO my friend Williams
cottage. There I went upstairs TO
room and slept soUndty until nearly
O'Clock, when II was time 20 60 over
70 the club. I got UP and went down 70
meet Brady and Delaney and the rest
Coney Island was on tiptOs that night
The streets were packed with people
waiting 10 Rear what happened inside
the club Everybody was hUstlins
around Everybody was trying TO get
a bet down on Fitzsimmons- That is
everybody but a few loyal CaIifornians
and my few personal friends
Fftzsimmons was a great favorite, Of
course, Few people knew anything
about me I was a stranger. At Ben
COhen-s hOtel-a great gathering place
for sporting men-the most famous
sports in America had gathered They
had their dinners there, and afterward
gathered in groups 10 listen 20 the fight
talk or wandered around getting down
their wagers.
In the beginning Fitzsimmons was a
9 70 I fav0rfte. but as the talk about his
great fights grew his friends began Of
ferinE more and more Before we were
in the ring the betting was 81 TO 1 on
Fitz- and some even put I'D Z 70 l.
! heard all about the odds but that
didn't WOT-T me at az / felt absolutely
sure that I'd win. OF course. ] knew
that FttzSimDOus was a great fighter,
and that he knew more about boxing in
q minute than I did in an hour. But J
had Il all fCured out I hadn't the
slightest fear that he'd knock me out.
That never entered my head did think
9 hot a. 4
rtble beating before 7 reached him and
brought hin own expected 10 have
my head h: = knocked on The only
thing that -JtheTed me was the idea
that ne might be able to close both Of
nay eyes and thar in tnaC case II would
be hard TO find him. But al the time
expected 10 get him IN the end
ON the nigh # the uTezr f7r-rr many
little things happened that might make
good reading. ana that never found their
y y 70 f1c public Brady ard Delaney
and i had 'auEh over them many a
time I'D IN Billy Rrady-S Office Neither
Brady nor Delaney. ever rushed into
print with then trade secrets. and -
for myself, I never die talk much auv-
own book, and unless 7 have a few in
side things 10 tell about. what's the r7So
OF writing at al
When we reached the Conev Island
annette Club then there vas a FEELING,
or neTvo1lsreSs IN our little party. Brad
ana tenancy thought / was on edge
and perhaps waS-a little L was q
pretty DIX occasion In q Cnr11Te NJ
hours / was going TO either have ny
mead knocked OF or beat the worlds
champion, and put myself in line for a
whole lot OF fame and a big bunch %
money II was either 60 the TOP OF back
20 tie hills FOR me, and nobody knew
j. better than I did I knew that =
FlIZStTuno1S made a fool OF me in tbs
ring the whole East would laugh SO
hard my friends could hear Il out n
California
StilI II I was nervous I didn't feel II
and I thought the boot was on the
other foot 7 thought Brady and De
as I was They weren't in training ike
myself and they hadn't lived out OF
Goors IN the hills They were TO win OF
lose a pile OF money on what I did IN
the ring. and they could only stay on
the outside and watch me. 7 didn't need
10 feel shaky, because I was going to
do the fighting myself, and I knew
could depend upon myself 70 90 Il the
right way 20 win
But as I heard Il afterward. Billy
Brady took Delaney CT 20 one side and
said something Ike this
Bill, we've Z0t to keep the big Tel
low from getting too nervous while he's
waiting. We must get him away from
here and keep him where he won't do
too much thinking I've got a scheme
want 10 talk Il over. and when he gets
i IN his head he'll be more confident
So Brady and Delaney came back TO
me and said. JET, lets go out Of here
and take q quiet walk 10 KIN time
We started II was cold night We
walked slowly along Coney Island
ing in the shade Of the trees where no
body could recognize US And on the
way Billy Brady unfoIded his plan
jim" he said, we don't know what