The Arizona copper camp., 1917-11-10
BOB FITZsIMMoNs GOT
START IN SMITHY

cago, the sporting world was given a
shock, as Fitz always kept himself in
fine physical condition and was very
proud of the fact. Fitzsimmons, like
great many others, earned big money
in the ring, but did not save much
of it.
Way down in Timaru, New Zealand,
on the main street of the town, there
is little blacksmith shop bearing the
sign Bob Fitzsimmons, Blacksmith" !"
The proprietor, an old Irishman, has
for years conducted the place and will
not remove the sign which Fitz put up
when he started in business in that
very same spot. Timaru is the place
where Fitz got broke into the boxing
game. Jem Mace, the departed, who
was formerly champion of England,
put Fitzsimmons on while the Mace
fistic combination was showing in the
town. He whipped all his opponents,
and from that night he proved himself
fighter with knockout punch. He
was amateur middleweight champion
of Australia back in the early eighties.
According to the best information
obtainable, Fitz started on his profess
sionable career in 1889. His first VIC
time was Dick Ellis, whom he knocked
out in Sydney in three rounds. The
next year he fought Jim Hall and was
stopped in four rounds. Fitz calimed
that he was jobbed.
Lanky Bob arrived in San Francisco
on the steamer Zealandia on May 10,
1890. He got his first tryout at the
California Athletic club with Frank
Allen. Fitz and Allen boxed in pri-
vate and Bob spoiled the whole show
by hitting Allen so hard on the wrist
that Allen could not hold up his hand.
Later it was found that Fitz had
broken Aliens wrist, so powerful was
the blow
Billy Mccarthy, a native of Aus
tralia, was the first man to tackle Fitz
in real contest. Bob put him away in
nine rounds. This bout took place at
San Francisco, May 20, 1890. Fitz next
appeared in New Orleans, where he
defeated Arthur Upham in five rounds,
June %, 1890. The great Fitzsim-
mons-Dempsey match took place at
the Olympic club, New Orleans, jan
uary IA, 1891. Fitz weighed $50
pounds, while Dempsey tipped the
scales at 1471a. Mike Conley, the
Ithaca Giant, formerly of Cincinnati,
trained Dempsey for the battle. F'itz-
simmons knocked Dempsey out in the
thirteenth round, after Dempsey's sec
onds had repeatedly asked him to
throw up the sponge, so terrific was
the beating Bob was handing out to
him.
No more interesting battle was ever
fought than Fitz's meeting with Peter
Maher He stopped Maher in the
twelfth round at New Orleans on
March 2, 1892. Jim Hall, another Aus
tralian, was beaten by Bob in four
rounds at New Orleans, March 8, 1893.
After fighting Joe Choynski at Boston,
bout which was called draw, Fitz-
simmons was matched with Dan Cree
don at New Orleans. Creedon went
down and out in the second round.
On November 10, 1891, Con Riordan,
Fitz' sparring partner, died after a
bout with him at Syracuse, N. Y.
On February 81, 1896, Fitzsimmons
again stopped Peter Maher. This time
in one round, at Langtry, Texas. At
San Francisco, in December of the
same year, Fitz lost on an alleged foul
to Tom Sharkey, in eight rounds. wy
att carp was referee. On st. Patrick's
day, 1897, Fitzsimmons defeated Jas.
J. Corbett in the fourteenth round at
Carson City, New. Jim Jefferies de-
feated Fitz for the heavyweight title
at Coney Island, N. Y, June 9, 1899,
in eleven rounds. They met again at
San Francisco on July 25, 1902, and
Jeff knocked out Bob in the eighth
round. Fitz was knocked out by Jack
Johnson at Philadelphia, Pa, July IL,
1907. in two rounds. He quit fighting
after battle with Knockout Sweeney
at Williamsport, Pa, in 1914, a six
round no-decision bout. Among the
great men Fitz has faced in the ring
are Jack O'Brien, Ed Dunkhorst, Tony
Ross, Gus Rubin, Joe Godfrey and Bill
Lang Fitzsimmons was knocked out
by Lang at Sydney Australia, on De-
cember 27, 1909. Lang was at one
time champion heavyweight of Aus
tralia.
There has always been some doubt
about Fitz' age. "Parson" Charles E.
Davies went to England to look up
Fitz birth record at Helston, Corn
wall, England, and found that he was
son of a village policeman and wife
who were highly respected in the
town. The birth record showed that
Fitz first saw the light of day on May
26, 1863. The record book gives Fitz
birthday at June 4, 1862.
In his fight with Jack O'Brien at
San Francisco, Cal, December 20
1905, Fitz had to give up in the thir
teenth round, being completely ex
hausted. This was. really his last
great effort, as no club manager would