The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-22
Corbett's Daily Letter
 On Great Sport Topics
px LANES J. CoRBETT

Hall ranked as one of the cleverest, shift
 lest and brainiest boxers that ever
 stepped into the ring, and had a reputa-
 ton for being heavy hitter.
 When Halls manager asked me to meet Jim in an exhibition match I told 1 him had no objection, but wanted to
 know the details. He replied:
 Well. Hall has used up about all of his money in training for the Fitzsim- mons fight, and needs some money at 1 once. It would be a great help to Hall l to be able to box four rounds in an ex- hibition bout with you. It will be just a 1 little sparring match"
 I agreed, the condition being that it was tc be nothing more than an exhibi- ton affair.
 That's just our idea of it," said Halls manager. The public just wants to see you two fellows together"
 Halls manager suggested that Jim and meet the next day at certain gym nasium and talk over just how we would conduct ourselves toward each other in the ring. I agreed. I had seen Hall box but once before, although he had seen me in my fight with Jackson and in num-
 Der of my exhibition workouts. The next day when Hall and I got together in the gymna sum, Hall said to me: Now, Jim, you show me what you've got and I'll let out and show you what I've got and then we will map out some sort of a programme as to what we will
 do in this little exhibition match" So. unsuspecting. I opened up and dis- played something of my boxing ability to Hall. I showed him several of my
 tricks and then 1t was Halls turn to show me what he had. But as he was going through them, trying to illustrate what he would and would not do, 1t sud- denly occurred to me that Jim Hall wasn't opening up-that he was keeping his real form under cover. Right then and there I suspected trick. figured and rightly--that it was Halls plan to draw me out, to find out everything I had and then to give me nice little sur prise beating on the night that we were to meet in the exhibition match. Hall, as have said, was newcomer in the United States. He was world fa- nous and he certainly could have gained a little more prestige by beating a man who had held Peter Jackson for st rounds. When this thought occurred to me changed my plans immediately and refused to show Hall any more of my real boxing skill.
 | It had been arranged that Hall and I
 were to meet each day at the gymnasium during the rest of the week. But never showed up after that. The next time saw Hall was on the night of the match when he climbed through the ropes In exhibition bouts fighter usually Is not
 attended by managers. seconds or anyone else I had no one accompanying me to the ringside, but when Hall Jumped through the ropes I saw that he had his
 manager with him. And his manager, who should have been out in the box &s-z. IA. remained in Halls corner. That con- virced me that Hall was out to get me- Halls plan, probably, was to open up immediately with a surprise attack and floor me if he could, after which he would say to me:
 "Oh. I'm awfully sorry. Jim, that hit you so hard and beg your pardon But had made up my mind that noth- ing like this was going to happen; that the surprise attack would come from me, and if any pardon was to be begged. I would do the begging.
 So, when time was called for the first round, I rushed out from my corner like a wild man, met Hall near his own cor ner and opened up with a bomba rdment 1 of rights and lefts such as Hall never before had faced. hit Hall with every l thing l had and my vicious attack so surprised him that he was like a man 1 bewildered. He had figured on tricking
 me and had outtricked him. The round hadn't gone half minute before Hall dropped to the mat under the rain of blows and stayed there for a considerable | period.
 1 Of course, it being only an exhibition match, there was no referee and no time- keeper. and, therefore, TO counting out. l waited until Hall got to his feet and l then we resumed operations But it was a dazed Hall who faced me. He was groggy-and naturally should have been. 1 He had gone into the fight with the idea l of slipping over something on me, and 1 had beaten him to it.. Had I so willed, l could have gone out after Hall imme- diately after he got to his feet after the
 kEockdown and finished him. He cer- i.tainly was in semihelpless condition. But I let up on him. I had taught him
 the lesson that aimed to teach him--and
 tkat was enough. I no longer rushed
 him and just took things easy. played
 the game so that when the four rounds
 were over there was absolutely no ques- tions as to who was the winner. l Hall had planned as have said, to 1 slir something over on me, so as to add
 t, his own prestige. But Jim Hall was
 outtricked as a result of which, the fight i fans left the scene of our encounter l fhipkinr- he yva less rJevers ina, ha realIv