Ruhlin's Condition After being KOed by Fitzsimmons

I posted this all before, but I decided it was a bit of a waste in that it was just a slightly off topic post in another thread.

Anyway much has been said about the condition of Ruhlin after he fought Fitzsimmons, but several of the reports suggest his condition was nowhere near as bad as often made out. To be clear there were other reports at the time stating his condition were worse, however the following reports suggest these were largely sensationalist.

I might post some more in a bit

The Brooklyn Citizen- 11 Aug 1900 (page 1)
RUHLIN IS CHIPPER TO-DAY.
Story that the Pugilist Died of His Injuries Is False.
SPENT THE NIGHT AT BATHS.
This Morning He Went to Madden's Home—The Crowd of Newsboys and Others Gave Him an Ovation at the Other End of the Bridge—Believed to Have Been Over-trained.
Gus Ruhlin, the Akron Giant, who was defeated by Robert Fitzsimmon at Madison Square Garden last night, and for several hours after the fight was at times unconscious, and in great distress, is to-day out of danger. After he got to his dressing room last night he collapsed again, and became as unconscious as he was when the Cornishman put him to sleep in the ring.
His manager, Billy Madden, and one of his trainers, Charley Goff, put him into a carriage and took him to Everard's Baths in West Twenty-sixth street. After his arrival there he again became unconscious and as he did not revive with the application of the simple restoration at hand, Dr Guy D. Lombard was called in.
The physician remained with him until 4 o'clock, by which time he had permantly recovered consciousnes. The physician made an examination of Ruhlin and said he was in no danger but that he had better remain and rest until daylight. He said he was satisfied there were no internal injuries. The pugilist, he said, was merely suffering from shock as the result not only of the many blows he received in the solar plexus but also when his head struck the floor the last time he was knocked down.
Ruhlin and Madden left the baths at 6:30 o'clock this morning, saying they were going to Madden's home in Seventy-sixth street, Brooklyn.
A paper in Manhattan printer a story to the effect that Gus Ruhlin had died as the result of the injuries he sustained at the hands of Bob Fitzsimmon last night. Another paper published a otry of the Akron giant having left Billy Madden's houe on Seventy-seventh street for Philadelphia.
Instead of being a corpse, however, Gus Ruhlin was very much alive this morning. After he arose from bed, which was about 8 o'clock, he sat down to an exceedingly substantial meal consisting of a porterhouse steak and potatoes. He complained of no illness, and in fact did not seem to be disturbed in the least by the distressing ordeal he had just passed through.
At 9:30 o'clock Ruhlin, accompanied by Billy Madden, was seen at the corner of Seventy-seventh street and Third avenue. When a car bounded along marked New York, Ruhlin jumped on the step very spryly. He seemed as strong as ever.
At about 11 o'clock Ruhlin boarded Third avenue car going in the direction of Harlem. A number of newsboys at the corner end of the bridge recognised him and set up for a cry that Ruhlin was around and in a few minutes hords of these youngsters, as well as many other people followed the car and gave him an ovation. The defeated fighter spoke to several of his friends who noticed him and to them he said he felt in good condition considering the curcumstances.
Ruhlin's collapse, which is attributed by his attending physician to the severe beating he received, is looked upon by experienced handlers as a proof that he was either over, or undertrained. Ther former idea is the more believed, as it is said the strongest of men will give way after powerful exertion if they are over-trained. But Ruhlin is not the sort of man who worries over a defeat or a trouncing. He takes such events as a matter of course and then dismisses them from his mind. His most ardent friended who are in a position to know say that he was over-trained.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle- 11 Aug 1900 (page 18)
RUHLIN ONLY BRUISED.
Loser Up and About To-day—Fitz Got $15,750 as His Share.
All rumors that Ruhlin was in bad hape as a result of his terrible beating at the hands of Fitzsimmons last night were set at rest by the appearance of the loser both in South Brooklyn and in Manhattan to-day. After leaving the Turkish bath in Manhattan Ruhlin went to his manager's home, in Bay Ridge, this morning, at 5:30 o'clock. He was around the house awhile and then he and his manager, Billy Madden, went to the other side of the river again to deposit their receipts on this fight. Ruhlin was badly bruised in many places and his face looked as if he had been sliding downstairs on it. His profuse bleeding during the battle worried his friends, but his manager declared that he did not have a hemmorrhage, as reported.

The World- 11 Aug 1900 (page 2) [extremely hard to read]
Dictated to an Evening World Reporter
BY GUS RUHLIN
I see I am dead or dying from the result of my fight with Fitz last night.
Well, I am not. I am [unreadable] all right, for Fitz gave me lots of fight and I think he can punch the hardest blow that ever landed on me.
I lost as you know. I did my best under the circumstances, but I was not in anything like the shape that I was in when I met Sharkey. I went sstale and the hard body blows I got in the second round took the steam out of me.
. . .
HOW A KNOCKOUT FEELS.
I didn't feel the knockout blow really, I couldn't even tell where it landed. The bright light disappeared and a dazzling flash seemed to replace it. My mind was clear and I could hear the shouting but I couldn't move.
The next thing I knew I was in the dressing-room. I did not fully regain my faciltied until I had come from the Turkish bath.
Now I realize my mistake in giving myself too much work I have paid the penalty which is defeat.
But I will meet any of the big fellows as soon as I have had a month's rest and will have $5,00 backing.
If Fitz will give me another chance I should be glad to meet him. If I do, I think there will be another story of the fight.


The Buffalo Review- 13 Aug 1900 (page 2)
NOT BADLY HURT.
Stories of Ruhlin's Condition Were Greatly Exaggerated.
NEW YORK. Aug 12.—Gus Ruhlin is not in a bad way, notwithstanding the report os sensational newspapers, and in two or three days he will be in as good condition as he had ever been.
In order effectually to dispel all misunderstanding on the part of the public caused by the printed misstatements yesterday, a reported visiter the hom of William Madden, 318 Seventy-sixth Street. Brooklyn and interviewed the manager of the fighter on Ruhlin's condition.
"I cannot understand how any paper could have printed any such fakes about Ruhlin," said Madden with emphasis.
"While Ruhlin was exhausted and tired as the result of hi punishment , the heat and his overtraining, still he was never at any time in danger of collapse, either temporary or permanent, at any stage of the game. After he was taken to the Everhard baths and had rested there a while after the fight, he was taken to my home and had a long and refreshing sleep.
"When he got up he went for a walk, then drank a couple glasses of beer and got a pencil and paper and figured out his share of the receipts of the fight. The he returned to my house and rested for the remainder of the day. He went to bed by 9:30 o'clock in the evening and was sound asleep in a few minutes. You can say to the New York public that in a day or two Ruhlin will be in as good condition as ever. There was absolutely no foundation to the sensational reports that have been published."

 

The Brooklyn Citizen- 14 Aug 1900 (page 9)
MET BY CHANCE
Bob Fitzsimmons and Gus Ruhlin in a Saloon Last Night.
During the shower last night "Gus" Ruhlin and his manager, "Billy" Brady, rushed into the hotel at the corner of Fulton and Middagh streets, now kept by James Dreyfus and fromerly owned by Charlie Johnson. They had been in there but a few minutes when "Bob" Fitzsimmons and Percey Williams also rushed in.
When the fighters saw each other there was a plesant greeting and a smile was indulged in in which everybody was invited to join. The fighters and their backers talked cheerfully together for over an hour, and in the meantime they had become the cynosure of all eyes, much to the profit of the hotel and the depletion of their own coin of the realm. When the shower was over they parted, wishing each other all sorts of good luck