The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-12

mons. Few men knew Fit2 as Cor
bctt knew him and so these stories re
veal some incidents in the life of FitE-
simnons that never before have been
Z printed. The next chapter will appear
tomorrow.
Bob F'ftzsimmons is dead--but he
viii live In memory as long as pugi-
. lism lasts. For his weight and inches,
he was the greatest fighter that ever
wore a glove, ring marvel whose like
: never may be known again.
The life story OF Fitz Is one OF the
romances OF the sporting world;
tale of an obscure beginning. OF
game. logged battle for recognition
against tremendous odds; Of climb
step-hy-step toward the top: of sue
cess at last beyond the widest dreams
of those who loved and admired Fitz
the most.
Fits pathway and mine--after he
came to the United States--crossed and
rscrossed each others for years. Only
rare few persons know il, but II
was / who showed Bob FitzslmrNons
the way 10 fame and fortune: made il
possible FOR him 10 get the fight that
really gained for him nation wide re-
cogu.tion and won fer him the chance
TO battle with Jack Dempsey. Fitz
. grasped the opportunity and eventu
ally battered his way through to three
worlds champ ionships, bowling me
out OF his pathway in his last tremend-
oas effort to reach the absolute crest
of the pugiiistic world
And so / am going to write my
story of Bob Fitzsimmuns' life. in
GLIDING In 1t some chapters that ue"er
before have been written, recitals that
may vary with those of others who
have tried TO tell of Fits life. But
what shall relate is the true story OF
FIFTY. not with the sole idea Of eulo-
giving the great warrior, but of telling
the story OF his life as / know It.
And it is my fortune to know it as few
men do.
In this story of Fitz / must quote
him in the pure American dialect
one that was not his. fHitz had quaint
cockney accent that many men tried
TO inlitate--hut none ever really sue
ceeded. Fitz had language peculi-
arfy his own. / shall not try tile i'm
possible task of trying to quote him
literally.
No story IL a real story unless II
begins at the beginning And Bob's
began In New Zealand My acquatnt-
anceship with him dates only from his
arrival in the United States But GER
tain sporting records furnish brief
sketch of itzsiIn mons life In the An
tipod.s and these are holstered up by
what Bob told me when he used to
talk about his early lighting days,
Bob was born in Elston, Cornwall,
England. but while little more than an
infant the family moved 10 Timura,
New Zealand. Historians have IL that
Bob was born June 4. 1852. They are
wrong. The exact date of Fjtzsim-
mons birth was Nav 6. 1883. / know
this to be true because years ago
saw a certified copy OF Bob's birth re-
cord which f9arson Davies, Of San
Francisco. had secured from Eng.
land
while little mere. than a boy. Bob
became q lacksmith'.. helper III
T.nura and soon graduated into ii
iirst-ciass "smithy."
It WAS at the forge that muscles
were dey elopeo which some day were
to win undying fame for him. Bob
during the early days had no real
thought OF becoming pugilist- "a
be good blacksmith was his rea|
ambition. But along In 1Ssh Jem
Lace staged an amateur boxing
tournament In Tmura. y Il, and some
OF Bob's friends suggested that he take
part In it,
But I'm no fighter" protested
Bob.
you dot,'t meet to be" retorted his
walk out and hit the fellows they send
up toward YOU hit 'en. that's all"
Bob. although only seventeen then
already had cuuI cd a great reputa-
ton for strength in his own neigh
borhood And he knew he had hit
ting power because he had tried II out
several times on "bulles' But Bot
didn't care to go into the ring. He
stobd ont for long time against max
iva f,{ fri 49, IL,
sisfent pleading caused him To capltu-
late
Well Bob Knocked out the first four
men that faced him In that touruey
and itnme6 lately Was acclaimed the
amateur mifdleweight champion OF
New Zealand, although at the time he
was nothing more than q welterweight.
And ! could lave made 1873 If |
had wanted 10 train a little" Bob de-
ciared
In 1881 another tournament was
held ard Bob was called upon TO defend
his title. Five men were pushed in
TO the same ring on tie same night
against Boh--and Bob sent everv one
down and 0ut for the complete count
Dcntt get the idca that all we're duhs
Herbert S.de, n famous ngh ar in
that perio6 and Maori the Great Sc
aNather href class performer, were in
cludeo ar e@g 'iob's live victims hat
night Bob dropped them lust as
easily as he had foored the others
Bob's almost miraculous trick in
Fnocki~c oat five forrl,dab bile foes in
ore night caused mir fame {, sprea I
beyond The confines Of his own district.
Soon offers came from promoters in
other parts o. New Zealand The
rg-ses weren't big but thoy we're slc-
Acient!y s.zeabie to tempt Bob SO
sh@r; fne later he laid down his
hammer hung up his biacksmith's
apron ard embarked on the career
fA"t t"- ~ he~nTea Ou~ Of the most
remarkable that the pugillstic world
nae as-ss4Ht-.
Boo te~t ~ foes rs fast as they
rame--rut after a tir1e thfV didn't
come very fast. After Bah lad 4t=44.,.z-
ed out h8H dozen war. icrs in quick
succession, the ciauol Of let ne at
him" died down TO "a whisper Those
fellow had come suddenly 80 realize
that the best way TO blight their own
future was to try conclusions with
the BIZ ksrnth warrior
So . went no Australia and began
"picksas' on the fighters there he
soon cared the ranks Of zeal foes
4 amaag the second raterS From 1886
d to isfs ftsz had Only few fights he