THE AUSTRALIAN RING.

NZ Truth, Issue 464, 9 May 1914, Page 6

THE AUSTRALIAN RING.

«, , REMINISCENCES_AND RECORDS. (By "Boxer Major.") Copyright ; All Rights Reserved by the Author. (CHAPTER XLH.)

After being counted out, Corbett rose to his feet, but still could not get a full breath, holding his hands across his middle like a man with the gripes. . Fitzsimmons seized two little American flags handed to him by his wife and waved them gleefully over his head, while Martin Julian madly waved a towel and leaped m the air with delight. Corbett straightened up, and the sight of 'the jubilation m the enemy's camp apparently sent him mad. He rushed over towards Bob, and though his brother, Joe Corbett, caught hold of him, and other people, rushing into tho ring, impeded him, he tore free, and, reaching the all unsuspecting Bob, who had his head turned speaking to his madly-elated wife, he dealt him savage blows, that knocked him down under the ropes. It was as cowardly as it was black- t guardly and unprecedented, at least m championship fights; and James J. Corbett must feel hot shame whenever nc thinks, even to this day, OF HIS RUFFIANLY CONDUCT under honorable defeat. It could not be put down to momentary madness, a sudden brain-storm, either; for, after Corbett had been literally dragged to his own corner and remonstrated with by Delaney. who hung around his neck and tried to force him to a seat, he made a fresh, furious effort to get at Fitzsimmons. Somebody should have hit him over tho head with a hammer. His disgraceful conduct deserved it. When the ridiculously unnecessary announcement, "Fitzsimmons wins," was made, Oorbctt burst into tears and raved about his readiness to con- | tlnue there and then, or start all ovor \ afresh that same afternoon. He talked of "a tough deal," and alluded to tho wallop that settled his hash as "a sneaking little punch" that got him j when he was "winning all tho way." Altogether he showed himself to bo a poor sport and a bad loser. However, when the police had cleared the ring, Kltz and ho wore brought together, and the former magnanimously overlooked insults and the shameful assault, and gave Corbett his hand. Jim asked, almost becseechlngly, If Bob would fight him again. Bob's reply was. "I shall never light again." ' .THB PATTI OF THK RING ! No doubt he meant It then m till sincerity: but he has lived to make manyabsolutely farewell appearances, and even now. m his 62nd year, haa. within tho last few woeks. knocked out a. fellow who aspired to make v record for himself by having on his record a victory ovor the mighty Bob Fttzslmmons; while the Muorilander has just \ February, 1914 ) made a strong effort to get back into tho game m New York, but has been turned down by the Boxing Commission as too old. When Robert nuulo that solemn nwievoratlon, Corpctt forgot his manners again, and barked. "You will have to, or I'll »?o at you In the streot." "Don't you." said Bob, grimly, "for if you do, I'll kill you." And on those pleasant ternm the two great boxers parted. W. A. Brady, still In the ring, put up v line bluff by shouting to tho moving 'crowd that Corbett would tight Fitzsimmons aguin for ten thousand dollars (£2000), bul nobody took any notice. When he sot to hi» dressing-room. Corbett broke down again and wept and raved Ike a scorned woman, till brother Joe turned sour and told him to act the man. and not disgrace, Ultu«elf and his family. To thlH day. Pompadour Jim (ho used to wear hJ« hair brushed up m j front, a la Madame, Pompadour, a I fiiflhlon much affected by the young ] buck* of Sun Francisco, ut thut time, ami many yours after, m Imitation of tho great boxer and | "FINK FIOUKK OF A MAN" : I for that Jatucti J. certainly was ami Ih i to thlH day) talkM and writes of FiUKimmonH'H win over him n« a wort of Jtri acrldrjnt. and inuJnliiiiiM that ho I hiniMOtf hit t)i" lumlor ujnl bo.v*uj tho j IhHUt; but was ruMKht impplnK be» \ chubi- h" wuh all Uk« tlm*> watchnic f<>«* a ahart rluhl Jolt to tho point, which he hiifl l"'fn I<^l to cxp«'ct: and n«*. Kl«'ct*Ml to oiwrvi? and deft-nd hitiutclf ußairiHt the left. Tulk»»K nfl« r\Nurl>i. Ur -n\A' "I wuit to uny for t'tltitlmmoiui tbrtt. !•*• I* Infcrnutly «-l«v<<r. ll« In decidedly tbts- bait ; man- 1 evcr-fouguU"

The presence of Fitzsimmons's wife, within five feet of him as he sat "m his chair, doubtless had a great Influence for good upon him. When Bob was down m the sixth, and during the remainder of that, to him, disastrous , round, she fairly screamed encouragement to him, shrieking, "Kill the — — , Bob! Kill him, I say!" When, after the twelfth, which was a gruelling round for both men, Bob went back to his chair, Mrs. Fltzslmmons leaned over and cried merrily: "Remember, Bob, the thirteenth is your lucky round. Don't let him whip you." ' Bob owned afterwards that tho words and the cheery attitude of the woman ho fondly loved had cheered him, and urged him to hunt Corbett as he did throughout tho thirteenth; and. sad he: "I wus positive he had gone nls limit — had done tho best ho could and was at my mercy THE FIRST BAD BREAK he made." (Bad break— A ngl ice mistake, blunder.) "When the thirteenth closed, I had the satisfaction of knowing that I had knocked out one of his geld teeth, and perhaps two. I went to my corner more thoroughly convinced than ever that it was all up with him, and that the next round would close the issue. "In the beginning of tho fourteenth round, Corbett was fighting a little wild and made v swing which Insidestepped. In a (lash 1 saw an opening and came m with a left-hander m the wind. Then, without changing tho position of my feet, I shot the same hand against his jaw, thus giving him the identical blows which 1 had administered to Sharkoy m San Francisco. There was no way for him to get up within ton seconds. I was sure I had done the trick, and although he made a hard struggle to get back on lib feet, he was counted out, and the championship honors which I had won onco before were aguin mine, m one of tho fairest tights ever fought m a ring." He added a reiteration of his statement that he would fight no more, saying, "I have promised that tho battle with Corbett should bo my last." It transpired that, m compliance with his wlfo'B earnest entreaty, he had pledged his word to her to j that effect. And he kept his promise for two and a-quurtor years, during most of which he wns travelling with a theatrical company, making horseshoes m a village amithy, and knocking out THB VILLAIN* OF THB PLAT seven nights a week «nd at sundry matinees., Corbett sued m vain for a return mutch, and may bo Jim didn't lo.se any sleep over Bob's coyness, for he was "stacking them on their tx)K«*s" In »«• swell xaloon buslnesß m New York City, and thinking out, or "Retting down.' 1 as tho cult theatrical hits It. v [ vuudevlllo stunt that wa» to make* him famous m his own country us well an \ m Kuropo, as one of tho boat of mono* lofTUtt entertainers. Meanwhile, Jim Jeffrie*, tho Imlry. Blxtcon-stonc giant boMermaker of j [ Ixw Angeles, thirteen years Mob's Junj lor, over four stone heavier, and two | Inches tuller, hurt betm pluwdnj? ht« I way to the front, and m IS3S had beaten two prominent Australians In j Joo Cioddurd (four rounds) and Pet or j Juckxou (throw rounds), and It wsjh j I

probably resentment at his countrymen's defeat by this rough 'un that induced Fitzslrnmons, when Jefit went! east under Brady's* management and failed m his first undertaking— which was to stop the tall negro, Bob Armstrong, m ten rounds — that induced Fitzsimmona to listen to tho voice of the charmer and give the grizaly bear from Southern California a caanco to win tho world's championship. Thoy met at Coney Island, on June 9, 1899, and, after a terrific battle, m j which tho giant's faco was very badly cut up, the enormous handicap m weight, strength and youth, proved too mucu for tho BRAVE AND TERRIBLE NEW ZEAIiANDER, and he was knocked clean out m the' eleventh round. The champion bad looked' upon Jeffries as a big. lumbering joke, and his training had been almost farcical; his principal "work" being wrestling with his piebald pony. But, irrespective of that, imagine the advantages Jeffries had over him whon it came to bumping, shouldering, and wrestling clinches, of which Jim took all sorts of caro there should; bo plenty. Jeffries was probably tho strongest man iii tho world at that time; a hirsute Orson who could not bo put off his feot, Fitz got him on tho jaws, and eyes, and throat wjth punches that would have felled and outed any other man m the game; but they barely staggered the gorilla-man. Ho was too strong on his tree-like logs, and too heavy to shift. That even that severe defeat did not break Bob's splendid spirit, or seriously inpalr his powers, was proved when ho met Jeff Thorn, at Chicago, on October 2S of tho same year, and knocked him out m the first round. In 1900 ho knocked out Jim Daly m the first round, at Philadelphia; and Ed. Dunkhorst, "Tho Human Freight Car," so called because of his enormous size, m the second round, "at Brooklyn, N.Y. Gus Buhlin, a magnificent stamp of 'a man, known as "Tho Akron Giant," had fought a twenty-round draw with Jeffries In San Francisco, on July 17, 1897, and ho felt himself Qualified for another fight with tho now champion^ To prove his right thereto, he challenged FJtzslmmons. and. on August 10, J9OO, they met In Now York. Ruhlin, who had every physical advantage over Bob, put up a hard light: but the Timaru man knocked him out m the sixth round. In November of the following year, Ruhlin got his desire for A FIGHT WITH JEFFRIES, m Skui Francisco, and was knocked out m the fifth round. About two years ago this magnificent man, apparently as sound as a bell, a careful citizen, who was doing well iv busl- ■ ness m Now York, left a. game of dol mi noes m hia saloon, to run unatufrs I for something. At the top he staggered and fell — dead* Heart failure, and totally unsuspected. Makes you careful, don't It? I Just two weeks after putting Ruhlin [ to sleepy Hob Fltsutlmmons met tho..formidable"- Irishman, Tom Sluirkey, at t Coney Island, New York, and knocked him out m the second round. And JdTrlon couldn't do it iv -5 rounds, a year . previously! W« saw tho pieturt's of that tight, 'at the Stadium, a while back, antl, to all appearance*, Sharkcy should have got the decision. Vet this was the mun FiUglinmoriH plopped In five minuted! 1. find I nhall have to Iwivo the balance of the ruddy wonder's career for another chapter. Memo.— lt gives mo much pleasure to acknowledge, with nin<*er»> tlmnk*. the receipt of xplcmitd photographs of Jem Aluci' and lilh protege, Herbert Albert Slu<l»\ "Tho Maori." wrestler nmt boxer, vent to n>« by tho veteran t'irctiH proprietor, Mr. Tom King, "m ; n'rofpittioit of the pUni*ur» 1 get from j reading your rojnuiiß«;enee«, and hopes thai they will « om« In. useful for publication m your book," Mr, , King la now *v«ll over tho four wore mark, ant) i» atlll going strong, l.ong inny ho wave. (To be Continued.)