The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-16

ticies which Mr.. Corbett is writing
concerning his battle with Charlie
I Mitchell in Jacksonville. TIA, Jam
! uary %. 1894. The next installment
win appear tomorrow.)
Soon after the articles were signed.
Charlie Mitchell and went into train
ing for our fight The battle originally
was scheduled to take place during
the summer Of 1898. But the authort-
ties refused TO permit the staging OF
the contest in Coney Island and when
their ruling was made, Mitchell and
let DOWN in strenuous training wait
! ing FOR the naming OF a new battle
ground before resuming the hard
! grind,
| We didn't have long to wait. A
representative of the Duval club, OF
Jacksonville, Fla, came to us. and
onered the $4,000 purse which the
other organization had promised.
/ Mitchell and accepted we didn't
know much about that club-nor did
/ anyone else, because II was new one
and had been organized. / was told,
only for the purpose OF putting on the
| it@hen~Corhett bout 1t included
many New York sportsmen, and had
many men OF wealth behind II.
| Mitchell and I both were delighted
+, when the new proposition was sub
! mttted to us. When the bout was
I called of as far as Coney Island was
! concerned, II didn't please either OF
rs Mitchell wanted more than any
| thing else in the world to get crack
/ at me. He felt he was a better man
than ] and a contest with me meant
that he was to get a chance TO avenge
himself upon me for the fancied
wrongs over the theatrical engage
ment IN 1891, as we'll rs the chance
to win the hesv yweight championship
of tina world.
And ] wanted To meet Charlie be
cause II would give TO me n chance
10 square things for that verbal lac
ing Charlie gave me three years be-
fore
Almost Immediately after the sign
ing Of the second set of articles, Nit
chell and I esta hlshed camps in
4 Florida and resumed training. I To-
Gated at Mayport Fla, while Charles
quarters were about ten miller farther
j down the beach. In my camp IA spar
ring partners were Dan Creedon, Con
McNey and Tom Tracey.
For nearly three months | had
trained hard and faithfully in Asbury
figured the fight wa to be in Corey
Island. THAT work put me in excel
4 lent shape, Many fighters might have
been content to take things easv dur
ing the Florida training. But,
| wasn't taking any chances with Char
lie Mitchell I outweighed him mr.
teen pounds and was some inches tai
Ter than the Pritish champion. But
khe wasn't ~ type of fighter that
iaxN = 4s1y. -,
Mitchell could hit Don't let any
one tell you otherwise He was fast
wonderfully SO. And he knew the art
~ boxing from beginning to end.
/ Realizing MI these things, knew.
too, that had to he il perfect condi-
i, ton to whip the man whom many ac-
claim to this dav as England great
| est ring warrior"
| As the day neared for our fight. a
very strong movement to halt the
a.Hair gained way The governor of
Florida. barking to the clamors or
his constituents, announced publicly
hat the heht could not take Mace.
7 The promoters reeorted hv declaring
i that the bout would he STAGED on
schedule timc-~3 +. NJ. on January
{! rs. lSaa When the governor became
! convinced that the hackers of the fight
/ weren't aoina 10 back down he
I threatened 70 call out the militia. And
that Is exactlY what he dia on the day
Of the contest.
Mitchell and | woke UP on the
morning of the Aeht day to frd Jack
sonvi1le was welt peopied with state
soldiers who had orders to go out TO
the arena and halt the fight II any ef-
fort was made to put Il on a hasty
conference WAS held with the promot-
e-s. who decided TO go >trouzh with
their program "apd lot the soldiers do
az thev released"
When Mitchell and ! got out to the
battle-ground the soldiers were lust
arriving, They fled into the big arena
as went went 10 our dressing rooms
and all the whln I Yves aND0inR into
my ring toys I was Wondering lust
what those soldiers with tNeir load-
ed r'6es and their orders. 'dan't let
the fight go on" were going to do.
crowd numbering s 900 iammed
its way into the 9rena and IL. too, look
cd al the soldiers and then at tho rifles
and commenced 10 do a lot OF think |
ing. But. strange s8 IL may seem. the
mfiitlamsn, whose orders were to halt |
proceedings, did nothing OF the sort. |
Instead of brining about q cessation |
Of hostiiities they apparently forgot |
ehe!r orders and Joined In the opening |