Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-10

arm AID holding ii as he came over 10
shake-hands. you must fight me again..
Hesturned pale. .:Jim,'' he replied. .1il
neyer.fght you again! You gave me a
bloody. good lickin'. You'll fight me
again" l shouted, ''or I'll lick you every
time meet you on the street,. He back
ed away. IF you ever hit me. Jim. I'll
shoot. ,you.' he announced. Then the
croHds separated us.
My fighting years are all behind me.
Far, removed from the world of sport, 1
anilisng in the town of Bayside, l.. H.,
ands tske very little interest in the doings
of RreSent-day pugilists.
IshAke II a rule to pay no attention to
petty sSander written about events in my
lighting career. However. there recently
appeared an article on my famous fight
WITH, .kHtzsimmons at Carson City that is
SO ngrsssly misleading as to facts, that
| have decided to break my long rule of
silence in order that the present genera
ticR or fight followers may know the true
story Of that battle and the circum stances
thar surrounded it.
=. Bears No Malice.
uTfstand me. / bear no one malice.
Bob ufitzsimmons was a great fighter.
One e the very greatest that. the ring
has krrewn. I have nothing but good will
for, Eob. and / hope and believe he feels
the Sd33te way toward me. One forgives
and s60egets one grows older. But
abplIEthat fight and the events that pre-
cedeG3Qd followed it:
Who0rI had been champion of the
woff6rcr some time Fitzsimmons began
to G15aIeage me in the press throughout
to ,nsppr him Hot Springs. Ark. was
inafGSelected as the battle-ground. and
myn, laaaager. Billy Brady. and myself
dug,into our jeans and built the ring at
our. own expense.
A,controversy then arose over holding
the'hght in Hot Springs. 1t was a sort
of poliucal row. the Governor of Arkan-
sasuwanting to stop the mill and the
mayor and sheriff of Hot Springs insist
ing. that the fight should go on The up
shot. of the matter was that the governor
sent. an officer to meet Fitz on the way
up from his training camp, and the
mayor of Hot Springs sent the sheriff
on like errand. The two officers met
FitZ$immons on the train. Come with
me,,to Hot Springs and Well pull off the
light urged the sheriff. THE fight
can't be held, Come with me to Little
Rock" quoth the governors representa-
tive-
wclf Of course. don't accuse Fitz of
running away. but he chose TO go with
the governors representative. despite the
sheriffe- assurance of protection if he
went 10 IIOt Sptifl6S anu IOuBnt. 30 IOT
the, time being the fight was off. and if
there was any lodging or stalling done
! think that these facts show conclu-
sively that it was not done by me.
Two-years drifted by. I retired from
the ring and handed my title to Peter
Maher. Fftzsimmons licked Maher, but
the public refused to let the title go with
the victory, and demand arose for me
10 re-entcr the ring and fight lanky
Bob.
E;f1 pupe n1,E
Fitzsinmons bluffed. He offered TO bet
me sfo,oO0 on The result of the fight and
then when i went TO post my $4,000 with
the New York Herald Fitz admitted that
he didn't have the money. I'm give you
time TO go out and earn it, / told him.
And. did.
At length Fitz earned the $4,000 and
aftet being refused permission to box in
sevysal states we finally decided to meet
at Carson City. New.
Now word about Fitzsimmons and
his. weight. As every one but q certain
sporting editor is aware. heavyweights
are never required 10 weigh in. l don't
know what Fitzsimmons weighed on the
dan of the fight. or what l did myself,
for. that matter: but this much / do
knoT: Bob Fitzsimmons was no middle
i
honestly believed weighed almost as much
as + did. He bias ever since. and today
| believe he weighs more than Mo.
A. story has been printed to the effect
that. fJtz thought the fight was joke.
Well maybe he did. but two years ago.
when ! vas playing at Nyles Theater.
in Dctroit. Bob came upon the stage and
aupQunccd to the audience that Jim.
bcrts gave me the worst licking of my
life at Carson CITY, Some joke. But
to continue:
AtsConey Island some wears later Jane,
~ JfhrieS. whom ] regard as the great
est heavyweight the game has known.
three rounds. The only solid punch he
hit ane was the one that knocked me
cuis when | bounded into his huge fist
aftcr-t'acking into the ropes jeff and
every one else knows that he was one of
thclacixiest men in the world 10 win that
fight. The only man that was ever luckisr
WAS Ftzsimmons.
At Carson City, New on that memoir
able day many years ago I cut Rob
IttzSimmo iis TO pieces for thirteen rounds
The.fight was iokc-for me- In the sixth
round ! knocked Eitz down. and he was
really out. as the referee kept making
remarks to me and to the timekeeper be-
tween each count. The referee counted
eight. but ! and others believe that Fitz.
sirnr1ons was down at least eleven sec.
onds Yes. FitZ thought that sixth round
was. some joke.
When he was down his wife. at this
rinsside. kept imploring him TO get up
sic. evidently thought il was joke too
FitS chung TO me around the legs and
finally struggled up.
.Eas. the agSrcssor throughout the
: Always the Same