International Bare-Knuckles Fight Scheduled For Jacksonville

“IT MAKES CAGE FIGHTING APPEAR LAME,” fight organizer claims.

FLORIDA GOVERNOR PROMISES TO HALT FIGHT WITH MILITARY ACTION

The entire world is waiting to hear the results of the battle of titans, the first ever “Scientific Boxing Match”, and it is happening right here in our city. Jacksonville has secured a international event envied by all nations after completing the contractual agreement for the International Bare-Knuckles Prize Fight of James Corbett and Charles Mitchell, the two toughest men in the world. The fight organizer stated, “Bare-Knuckles fighting makes cage fighting seem lame.” Corbett and Mitchell will fight to determine who will hold the title of “The Greatest Fighter in the World.”

Our Mayor has made it clear that the police will stop any effort to hold the fight. The Mayor threatened, “I’ll have them arrested if they actually fight each other.” Florida’s Governor has promised to send in the military if the fight promoters continue in their “illegal ways.”

In 1894, United States boxing fans waited patiently and the entire business world came to a complete stop in order to receive word of the winner of the bare-knuckle fight of Corbett and Mitchell in Jacksonville, Florida. Few actually believed that the fight would actually take place. Religious leaders, Mayor Fletcher, the city council and even Florida’s Governor were against public displays of violence, especially tying this spectacle to the “tourist friendly” city of Jacksonville. Jacksonville’s image had been polished with success and any event which might damage the local and state economy was deemed too risky.

In 1882, England ruled in a case of bare-knuckle fighting that it was considered “an assault occasioning bodily harm” and determined it to be illegal. To fight with bare-knuckles required fighters to leave the country and to find a sympathetic venue. In 1894, when the fight was arraigned, large cities all over the world denied the pair a venue for the shear violence of such a match.

This opened an opportunity for several enterprising Jacksonville businessmen to ban together and speculate on the event. If they could somehow arrange for the fight in Jacksonville, the financial rewards might be tremendous. As a first step, they invited the fighters and their managers to Jacksonville, Florida, to discuss the details. When the fighters and their managers agreed on the arrangements the businessmen formed an organization to complete the details.

Led by local Jacksonville hotelier Henry (Harry) Mason and J.E.T. Bowden, The Duval Athletic Club, as the fight promoters organization was named, were willing to risk everything (including jail time) to hold the fight in our city. Mason owned both the Mason and the Everett Hotels, two of the city’s popular hotel establishments at that time. The other partners in this entrepreneurial adventure included Joseph H. Vendig, Lewis C. Silher, B.F. Blake, C.E. Smith and Charles W. Richardson.

The first of November, 1893, Mason and Bowden took a steamer to New York and met with the fighter’s managers Brady and Thompson. To show their sincerity in holding the fight in Jacksonville, Mason and Bowden presented the managers with half of the purse (in advance) in the form of a check for $10,000 and handed each boxer $2500 each to cover their expenses. On November 11, immediately following the signing of the fight contract, Mayor Duncan U. Fletcher of Jacksonville asked the city attorney Barrs if it were illegal to hold such a fight in Jacksonville. After researching the matter, he reported to the Mayor that it would be illegal. The promoters, upon hearing this, responded defiantly that they could and would hold the fight in Jacksonville.

The New York Times, realizing the fights newsworthiness, carried the story and reported every detail as it unfolded. This was in direct contrast with its position. As a newspaper with influence, the New York Times sided against this display of brutality which was the national sentiment of the time.

Throughout Jacksonville, signs and placards were erected stating “We don’t want Pugilists!” Pugilism is defined as the art and skill of fighting with fists. In these early days of boxing there were very few rules. In fact the three real rules were; you are not allowed to punch your opponent below the waist; you are not allowed to bite your opponent; you are not allowed to head-butt your opponent. Just two years before this scheduled fight in Jacksonville, boxing had moved from an all out blood sport which continued until someone was knocked out, to a more refined “art” with three minute rounds and an imposing referee.

On December 25, 1893, a New York Times reported stated that Florida Governor Mitchell’s personal secretary had issued a statement to “The Times” that said the Governor would “use all means in his power” to halt the fight. Bowden responded that the secretary used an old letter from the Governor to create the uproar and that the fight would go on. He added that most legal scholars in North Florida believed the fight would occur and that the Duval Athletic Club would prevail. The club continued its work on the fighting ring.

The fight date was set for January 25, 1894. When the fighters arrived with their managers on approximately December 27th, they were immediately arrested by Jacksonville Sheriff Broward. The city attorney wanted to test the legitimacy of a “Scientific Boxing Match” as it was promoted. After this action, the New York Times printed that it would expand coverage of the match. It included a report that Jacksonville’s three newspapers were not taking a hard enough stand against the fight adding that there was a “moral issue” to be concerned about. It reported that the citizens of Jacksonville did not realize the number of “blacklegs, pickpockets and thieves” that would arrive in the city to attempt to profit from the event. Jacksonville hoteliers reported “many strange faces” arriving in the city.

A “Blackleg” is defined as someone who cheats at cards.

The citizens of Jacksonville banded together and submitted the following petition to the Governor attempting to halt the fight:

Whereas, We, the undersigned, believe that the permitting of an international prize fight in this city, as proposed, would indelibly impress upon the minds of the people of all the world the idea that the people here are more depraved and public sentiment in Florida, and especially in Jacksonville, more debauched than elsewhere New-Orleans having refused to be further disgraced by such exhibitions of brutality exhibited for the sake of gold; and,

Whereas, We believe that the dissemination of such an impression would be a base slander upon our people, the great majority of who we know to be high-toned, moral, honorable, and humane, standing as high in the scale of civilization and morality as do the people of the best localities in the world, and would, for many years to come, do untold material injury to our people, our city, and our State, and would do more than could any other one event to demoralize our people, and especially our boys and young men;

Now, therefore, we most cordially tender to Governor Mitchell and Mayor Fletcher our thanks for the high and honorable stand they have taken in the matter, and we hereby pledge to them, and to Sheriff Broward, in whose faithfulness to official duty we have every confidence, our hearty co-operation in any and every effort necessary to prevent the contemplated disgrace.

The fighters were still behind bars on December 31st. The Governor attempted to have the State Attorney General Lamar enter the matter and issue a statement. To the surprise of the citizens of Jacksonville, Attorney General Lamar refused to get involved in the matter. The papers surmised that this was because Lamar’s supporters wanted the fight to proceed. This left the city of Jacksonville and specifically Judge Call to make a determination in the case. It was predicted that Judge Call, without State support, would fold his hand and release the two fighters.

The Duval Athletic Club turned the pressure up a notch by announcing that if Judge Call were to release the fighters and any official State or City were to interfere, they would bring suit for up to $200,000 for obstruction of its event. This inflamed both State and City officials. The Governor stopped in Jacksonville on January 1, 1894, and made a statement that he knew how to deal with this and would do so when “he got good and ready.” Augusta G. Hartridge, State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit, was disturbed by Attorney General Lamar’s comments and nearly got involved until cooler heads prevailed.

The next move by the Duval Athletic Club was cold and calculated. It arranged for a prize fight between two negro fighters. Perry Watkins, negro middleweight champion of Florida, agreed to meet Green Harris, negro middleweight champion of Tennessee in the ring for a $500 purse. The Club surmised that if the city and State officials did nothing to halt this fight that their scheduled Championship fight could precede without obstruction.

On January 11th, Governor Mitchell insisted that State Adjunct General, Patrick Huston, travel to Jacksonville to oversee the status of the fight. He was authorized to use the State Militia if necessary to interrupt it.

January 17th was the day that the Duval Athletic Club threw down the gauntlet. In an effort to assure the two fighters, they announced that the fight would take place “no matter what” on January 25th. Their report stated that if the military attempted to stop the fight, they had arranged for a circus tent to be erected in a secret location that would hold up to 6,000 spectators. The location would be kept in strictest confidence. Only those with a ticket would be given the exact fight location. In response, the Sheriffs’ of both Duval and St. John ’s County stated adamantly that no fight would occur in their counties. Henry Flagler of Standard Oil made his opinion known to the Governor writing that he did not believe the fight should take place and that he would use his power in St. John’s County to ensure the two men did not fight.

On January 24, 1894, Judge Call, against all public opinion and the Governor’s wishes, presented the Sheriff with a court injunction forbidding him to interrupt the fight. This meant that he could not halt the fight by the force of the militia.

Finally on January 25, 2500 fight fans paid $25 each to attend the fight at the shoddy, rainsoaked and recently completed Duval Athletic Club boxing ring built at Moncrief Park. The tremendous amount of anticipation and legal wrangling leading up to the fight would suggest that the fight would be a climatic “once in a lifetime event.” Instead, Corbett (taller by 4 inches, heavier and with much longer arms) came out and clobbered Mitchell in three short rounds. Papers reported that some attendees didn’t find their seat before the fight was concluded. Mitchell was knocked unconscious and other papers printed that Mitchell was punished by a madman. Corbett received the $20,000 purse plus had side bets on his winning the fight. Those side bets amounted to another $10,000 in his pocket.

New York’s Wallstreet area and Broadway neighborhood appeared empty during the fight. The men had found the nearest high-end hotel and waited next to its tickertape for each transmission of the fight.

Fight fans present in Jacksonville rushed the ring to remove some memento of the fight. Mitchell was taken to the Everett Hotel and Corbett to the St. James Hotel.

Approximately one hour later, both fighters were arrested on a charge “fighting by agreement” then released on bail pending a court appearance later in the year. Corbett returned to Jacksonville and appeared before the Judge. He was found innocent of the charges. Mitchell’s case was dropped since it involved similar charges.

The Duval Athletic Club was required to defend itself in court for years following the fight. Future Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward brought the action. He asked that the Florida Supreme Court overturn the lower court ruling granting the fight injunction. In June 1897, the court ruled that the injunction would stand thus ending the tremendous battle between the city, the state and religious leaders against the Duval Athletic Club. One club member stated that the Duval Athletic Club spent $80,000 defending themselves but retained valuable property and fight souvenirs.

Few individuals discuss and even fewer are aware that the Duval Athletic Club truly wanted no interruption of its fight. To oversee fairness and security they hired a nationally famous gunslinger by the name of Bat Masterson. He was present throughout the fight and found no need to demonstrate his tenacity and quick draw. He was assigned to oversee the fairness of the timing of each round. Each fighter’s assistant wore a six-gun during the match.

The referee of the Corbett-Mitchell fight was “Honest John” Kelly. His notoriety extended long after the Jacksonville fight. On February 22, 1885, it was announced that he would select the winner of 50 couples who were competing in a cake walk at Madison Square Gardens.

Harry Mason (the senior fight promoter) died November 5, 1919. His estate was disputed for a period of time longer than the fight with the Governor. Some might call the legal battle over his estate the real “bare-knuckles fight.” The will was still in dispute as late as 1927, eight years after his death.

Jacksonville Mayor Duncan U. Fletcher served as Jacksonville’s Mayor from 1893 until 1895 and again from 1901 until 1903. He was elected a Florida Senator serving 27 years in Congress. He died of a heart attack in Washington, D.C. on the way to a Congressional hearing at the age of 77. He fought diligently for the Cross Florida Barge Canal which his admirers suggested led to the stress that killed him.

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Joseph Miller is a life-long resident of Jacksonville, Florida, and an active member of the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville. As a historian, he recently completed his first book on the Founder of Rotary, Paul P. Harris, titled “That Paul Harris.”

Joseph can be reached at JaxHistory@gmail.com.