Evening star., 1933-02-19
HERO OF GAY 9)S
LED NEW RING ERA
Heart AiIment Ends Notable
Career-Sports World to
Pay Homage Monday.
BY ALAN GOULD,
DA ALAN OOCLD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.
yEW YORK February IA

Associated Press Sports Editor.
n yEW YORK, February ia
M pale, courageous shadow
l Y OF the. once-magnificent
, "Pompadour Jim" of the
gay nineties and the man who
rocked the pugilistic world by
knocking out John L. Sullivan
over 40 years ago, James J. Corbett
died in his sleep today at his
suburban home in Bayside, Long
Island.
Death was due to a complication of
diseases which had sapped the former
heavyweight champions strength for
the last year and developed a fatal
heart ailment three weeks ago. He was
66 years old
Wistfully, a few hours before he died,
his dark eyes opened and slowly search
ed the room where he has received the
homage of the sporting world since
the day he was stricken.
You're there, dear, aren't you?"
Corbett asked, with a smile, as he
looked for the wife who has been his
constant nurse and companion.
"Of course, Jim,' she replied.
kiss me, darling"
He groped for her with one arm. She
leaned over. AS she kissed him Corbett
sank back into another period of un-
consciousness from which he never
emerged. The doctors last visit had
been to administer a sedatiye and he
did not arrive again until after Jim
was dead.
TORBETT died at about lao pm,
~ with small group of close friends
at the bedside, his wife's arm about
him. After repeated rallies during an
illness which had taken away his linger-
ing reserve strength and reduced the
Once-great pride of the ring from 1870
to a mere 140 pounds, he began to sink
for the last time early this morning.
Among the old friends with him at
the end were John and Denny Kelleher
of Boston. A devout Catholic, Corbett
had received his last communion several
days ago and his parrish priest was
there to administer the last rites Of the
church,
Although it had been expected for
weeks, the news of Corbett's death
brought spontaneous tribute throughout
the sporting world, from San Francisco,
where he was born and first rose to
fighting fame, to New York, where
'Pompadour Jim," first and perhaps
greatest of all the heavyweight boxing
kings, enjoyed social and theatrical
success long after he retired from the
ring in 1908
Not far from the Broadway he loved
so well himself and that knew him for
80 years as one of its most striking
figures, final homage will be paid to
Corbett's memory at the funeral serv-
ices Monday at IL am. at st. Malachy'S
between Broadway and Eighth avenue,
a block from the new Madison Square
Garden.
HORBETTS death closed a remark
~ able career and removed another
link connecting the highly de-
veloped sports sphere with the color
full exciting days when pugilism was
emerging from its fugitive habits. A
dashing figure, famous for his wit,
his showmanship and as an exponent
of physical culture and scientific box
ing he remained conspicuous in sport
ing life until well into his sixties.
They often pointed to Gentleman
Jim as model of physical perfection,
of what boxing could do for man who
knew when to quit and how to take
care of himself. Tall striking and
deep-voiced, at 81 he looked fully Is
years younger and prided himself in
his ability to continue robust, full
existence
About a year ago, for the first time,
he had his first warning of a break
in his rare health. While riding in
subway a terrific pain shot through
his chest, partially paralyZing his left
side. He gasped for breath and leaned
against a wall-"waiting for death,
he told friends later.
Crowds hurried past him, with Scant
notice paid to the tall man, who seemed
a bit tired. He did not ask for any
assistance.
II Just didn't want anybody to know
that Jim Corbett couldn't take care OF
himself" he said afterward. A half
hour later he had mustered enough
strength to walk to cab and tell the
driver to take him home.
Corbett survived by more than Is
years the men against whom he fought
his winning and losing championship
battles. Sullivan, who was knocked
out by Corbctt in New orleans in Sep
tember, 1892, died in February, 1918.
Robert L. (Ruby Bob Fitzsimmons,
whose famous solar plexus" punch
dropped Corbett and cost him the
heavyweight crown in March. 1897, at
Carson City, New, died in October 1917.
At one time wealthy enough to count
his moneyed possessions in six figures,
Corbett was comfortably fixed finan
cially in spite of heavy losses in the
stock market crash, his friends said to-
day. He invested considerably in real
estate near his home and wisely pro-
vided for his and his Wife's old age
with his theatrical earnings. He was
+,,,in ht1t had children
Vera Taylor Corbett, with whom he
spent so many years here, was his sec
ond wife.
Corbett was the biggest money
fighter" of his day. He fought Sullivan
at New Orleans for a purse OF $4,000
and a side bet of $4,000. out of which
he at once telegraphed $ll 1000 to pay
off the mortgage on his fathers prop
erty in San Francisco, but these
amounts paled beside the huge sums
that later went to Jack Dempsey and
Gene Tunney in the big boom Corbett
and Jeffries were at the ringside, die
tating their stories of the fight, when
Dempsey and Tunney battled before a
S2,500,000 crowd in Chicago in 1927.
CORBETTS career furnished the in
~ spiration for many an ambitious
youngSter interested in the fight
game Among them was young James
Joseph Gene Tunney. In Tunney,
Corbett saw more of his own style Of
action than in that of any other sub
sequent champion of the heavyweights.
Gentleman Jim's" interest in boxing
never waned, but he was often disdain-
full of modern methods and modern
fighters.
''They toss most of them into the ring
now before they are properly trained
and experienced" he once remarked.
Most of these boys do not know any
thing more than the rudiments of ring
science. I worked for hours when /
was young just to perfect a single move
ment in the ring. I used to get up at
6 O'Clock in the morning and work on
the wrist machines while the rest of my