The Washington herald., 1913-06-29
Great Fighter Was Educated
for Ministry-Learned to
Fight to Repay Blow Given
When a Boy.

I take little risk of being criticised
when l say that no living boxer knows
| more about the fine points of the sport
than Bob Fitzsimmons 1t was Bob's
marvellous fighting brain as well as the
mighty left fist they use to call the
"freckled thunderbolt" that won him the
heavyweight championship of the world
when he faced Corbett at Carson a;
noon, March IL, 1881. ..
Bob Fitzsimmons was a genuine mid
dle-weight that day. He weighed exactly
i54 pounds stripped. Never since the box
ing glove was invented have so much
fighting force and skill been combined
with that slight weight. Corbett was
the cleverest of the big men OF his time,
and Fftzsimmons whipped him, wore him
down and knocked him out in fourteen
rounds because his fighting brain was
better than Corbett's and because clean
| living had given him endless stamina
and courage and self-confidence.
A-Frue Sport.
AND Fftzsimmons was as true a sports
man as ever lived. Almost a novice, he
met the great "Nonpariel," Jack Demp-
sey, for the middle-weight championship
of the world. In a few rounds he had
the mastery. Then, when Dempsey's de-
feat was sure, freckled Bob held back his
blows and pleaded with Dempsey to re-
sign the unequal contest. You'll have TO
knock me out; I'll never quit" said the
champion. And Fftzsimmons, after APP
pealing to Dempsey's seconds and the
referee. reluctantly forced the fight and
slipped over the finishing blow. Then,
picking Dempsey up in his arms, he car
ried Jack TO his corner, with tears
streaming down his face. For the mo-
ment Fitzsimmons forgot that he had
just won worlds championship title
and a fortune. He saw only the pathos
of the defeat that ended the career of a
famous champion and a game man.
The story of Bob Fitzsimmon's start
as a boxer has never been told. It is
generally known that he was a horse
sheer in Australia and that he came to
America an unknown and leaped almost
at once into worldwide fame as middle
weight champion.
But Fitzsimmons was twenty-seven
years old when he came here. He must
have had some history in Australia be-
fore coming to America. Worlds cham
pions aren't made in a few months. 1t
takes years Of fighting and hard work
to get where Fftzsimmons was when he
beat Dempsey, and later on Corbett ana
then Gardner, taking the middle-weight,
heavyweight and lightweight world
championships in succession. Yesterday
Bob sat down and told me the story of
his start and here it is:
Fighter Tells story.
MY mother began training me for the
ministry" said Bob. Until was eleven
years old / went to church and sang
in the choir twice a week. and to Bible
class twice on Sundays. But for a box
Of snuff and kicked football / would
have been a minister today.
I'VE were living in New Zealand
about 1900 miles across the sea from
Australia. One day my mother sent me
to buy box of snufr at a chemist shop
near our home. On the way 1 passed
an open field where two football teams
were playing. 1 walked slowly. watch
ing the game and wishing that i could
get a chance to kick the ball. L was
very curious to know how 1t would feel
kicked It over the fence and II rolled
right to my feet. So L kicked 1t back
again as hard as I could.
"A second later the captain of one of
the teams. a big fellow over six feet
tall. leaped the fence and ran straight
at me. Before / had any idea what he
meant to do he struck me a terrific
blow on the nose, smashing II and cut
ting a cash across the bridge that is the
only scar 1 carry today after hundreds
of ring battles. The blow knocked me
senseless 4 was unconscious for three
hours and a half. and the blood that ran
down my throat sfrangied me so that
came very near dying. At last they
brought me to. The coin l was carrying
had nown out Of my hand when I was