Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-09-19
GBe Y&raIo,
WILLIAM M1LL1KAN, Editor
PRIZE FIGHTING.

l anu uAluHl GAflllGdllOll-
The Cleaveland Leader speak
our sentiments on this subject ex
actly, and no newspaper editor vii
fulfill his duty as an editor, as
Sonservator Of the public morals
and true friend and advocate 0
civilization, who does not come ou
and use the means in his possession
to put a stop to this growing evi
in our State and Nation. 1t is de
Imoralizing in its results, and de
serves the stern condemnation o.
every philanthropist, and Christian
man and woman in the country
The Leader says:
A DISGRACE TO THE STATE OF OHIO.
The eastern papers are comment
ing with some severity on the fac
that three prize fights have taken
place in the State Of Ohio within as
many months, and that no effort
has been made either by the State
or municipal authorities to prevent
them. The, history of prize-fght-
ing does not give either New York
or Philadelphia much advantage
over Cleveland and Cincinnati in
this respect. We do not intend,
however, to apologize for the neg
lect of our authorities in this re-
spect. In all three of the recent
cases-the Elliott Davis, the Sew
ard -Fogarty, and the Jones-McC Cool
fights-the authorities were, or
might have been if they had chosen,
fully cognizant of the circumstan=
ces, and might have prevented the
fights and arrested the brutal fight
ers. 1t is useless for them to plead
Ignorance. Every boy in the streets
knew the arrangements in regard to
both the prize-fghting expeditions
that sailed from this city, and if the
police did not fully understand the
entire programme they were the on
ly persons in the city whose igno-
rance was so profound. The same
may be said of the recent fight at
Cincinnati. That affair was wit
messed by two or three thousand
persons. Its preliminary arrange
ments were telegraphed over the
entire country, and no less than
sixty-one newspaper reporters came
from every quarter to chronicle its
events. The Cincinnati, Hamilton
and Dayton Railroad ran a special
train for the accommodation of the
crowd who attended the fight. There
was no effort for-there was not
even a pretense of-secresy, and the
whole affair was conducted in such
a way as to invite and almost com
pei the attention of the authorities.
But no interference was made
none was even attempted. The po-
lice authorities of Cincinnati, the
Sheriff of Hamilton county, the
Sheriff of Butler county, the Gov
ernor of the State, looked on with
complacent faces and folded hands,
while the law was outraged and pub
lie decency and morality trampled
lnder foot.
What is the cause of this extra
neglect and indifference on
he part of the authorities whose
luty it is to enforce the laws? 1t |
IAN be mainly found in the alarm
ng Generalization of public senti-
nent on the subject. Were prize
lighting condemned, as it ought to
,e, as only less criminal than muir
Ter and burglary, the curious apa-
hy of those whose duty it is to
preserve public order would be
into the greatest zeal
or the prevention of the crime
Unfortunately the state of public
is very different. A deep
nd general interest is felt in the
esults of each of these brutal and
contents. The editions
# the papers containing accounts
# them meet with vast sale. The
sunday Cincinnati Commercial,
obtaining a report of the Jones'
GcCoole brutality, reached a sale
# 17,400 copies. Prize-fghters
re regarded as demi-gods, and Gal
agher and Elliott were pointed out
q heroes wherever they went
Respectable gentlemen" - G o d
ave the mark LEND their patron
.ge to the "manly art give money
o the contestants, honor their ben
fits by their presence, and attend
n person the sickening scenes of
be fights. The Cincinnati CONNER
ial's report of the recent fight there
ays:
whatever element Of the roughs
r fancy was on board, it did not
nake itself obnoxious nor even
onspicuous. The proportion Of
espectability was in the majority.
would not have been easy to have
old from appearances what mission
be excursion party was on. 1t
Ooked as much like a big political
or genial stag picnic
,oy-+U 90 anvthiuO else