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Show " " ' 1 Former Prize Fight Champion of World Succumbs in N. Y. "Gentleman Jim," Famed as Vanquisher of John L. Sullivan, Breathes Last Breath in Wife's Arms (Br ai.owpl-e, fnw) NEW YORK, Feb. 18 James J. Corbett, former heavyweight heavy-weight champion of the world, died today of a heart ailment. ail-ment. He waa In his sixty-seventh Tear. Corbett died In his wife's arms. Th last words Corbett a poke were I couple of hours before bis death, when he said to Mrs. Corbett to whom he had been married ST years, "Kiss me. Dsrling." She kissed him and he collapsed In her arms. She sat holding his head until he died. Just before he died he made an attempt at-tempt agam to speak to Mrs. Corbett, but was too weak and waa merely able to give her a last smile. Corbett hsd been suffering from a bad heart for several years and was taken with a severe setbsck January il. He had been confined to his bed sine. Several time during th last two weeks he had been on the verge of death, attended by his priest and his physician, but until today always had rallied to appear stronger than before. WASTED TO SHADOW He was wasted away to only a shadow of th man who knocked out John L. Sullivan at New Orleans In 1892, weighing only about 140 pounds and so weak that much ot the time he could hardly raise bis hand in greeting. During his lsst illness Corbett was attended only by his wif and two old triends of many years, John and Denny Den-ny Kelleher, ot Boston. He refused to hav a nurse. Friends of stage and ring hav deluged del-uged his suburbsn home, where he had lived for many years and where he died, by telephone, messenger and in person since it was reported three weeks Bio that ha had not Ion to live. As many as 7ft and 0 telephone tele-phone calls a day were made. Only a few friends were allowed in to see him during his last days, his physician fearing any shock might cause his death. corbett hsd rsllied frequently upon receiving visits from old friends snd insisted upon keeping up with the trend of events on the outside He surprised hi household by getUng out of bed for a time last Thursday. MAWTAmiD IPIBrTS Corbett, visitors said, maintained his good spirits throughout his fatal illness, even at times when it was an effort for him to open hit eyes and extend a hand. Corbett was a devout Catholic all his lit and his parish priest, with whom he had worshiped for meny years, wss with him at the end to administer the last rites of the church. John Kelleher, who had acted as the buffer between Mrs. Corbett and friends, could hardly spssk becsuse of his grief as he announced the death of his old friend, but his voice strengthened as he spoke of th last moments. "Jim died as h often exnreaaed a wish to" Kelleher said. "In his wife's arms. H hsd known for years that his days wer numbered and shortened short-ened by his week heart and h and Mrs. Corbett hsd talked ot that day. " 'When it comes my turn. Darling, he often ssid, 'I will dl happy If you are there to hold me.' "There was absolutely no pain at th end. H merely went to sleep and never awoke'' LAST OF BIO THREE Corbett was the last to die of the three greet chsmpions who dominsted th heavyweight division in th "nineties." "nine-ties." John L. Sullivan, the first champion cham-pion under the Marquis ot Queens-berry Queens-berry rules, and Robert L. Fitzsim-mons, Fitzsim-mons, th third, both died in 191 1. The man who knocked out Sullivan and was known throughout the sports world as "Pompadour Jim," quit th ring nearly 90 years ago, after failure In two attempts to regain the heavyweight heavy-weight title from Jim Jeffries, the conqueror of Fituimmona. The stage subsequently claimed lOemtnus On rase Teal ( |
