The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-22
The Prize Ring In America.

The Prize Ring In America.
The prize ring in England, after patronage
by the nobility of the kingdom for over one
hundred years, has at length received its
quietus, and o few Of its disciples, find
ing their occupation gonc at home, have
sought refuge on our shores. These boxers
have come here in the hope that they may
carry on their trade without molestaton and
reap rewards by their profession, and It is
time that stringent laws were enacted in every
State, as in the mother country, to put an end
to this brutal practice. We do not desire
prize fighting in America. 1t never was
admired by the better classes of our citizens
and, although we have had prize fights time
and again in the land, they have always been
witnessed by the lowest and most depraved
classes of society. Fighting in the prize ring
was introduced into this country by English
men, who protested that a knowledge of the
art of boxing gave courage to those who
studied aud became proficient in its acquire
ments. This was f.llacy. Confidence 1t
may probably give to the coward, but courage
never.
Boxing was first taught in this country by a
man named Fuller, who had been unsuccess-
fGl in the English ring. He came to this city
about fifty years ago and cstablis' led himself
in the Shakespeare Hotel, then at the corner
of Fulton and Nassau streets, where he
was patronized by the young men Of the
first families of New York-among others
the Homes and the Livinssions. Some Of
these young men became very proficient in
the art, and one of the Homes saved his life
by hard hitting when being assailed by
gang of ruifians while returning from
party, when one of his associates was killed
and others badly beaten. On the trial Of
some Of the assailants of young Hone and his
friends the former testified in court that he
owed his life to Fuller for the instruction he
had received in the science of boxing. This
gave Fuller a worldwide fame and pupils
1ocked to his school in hundreds, and in
few years he retired from business wealthy
man. Fullers scholars, unfortunately, were
not all condiments sons. Some of them
were OF the rouyher element, who also
became boxers, and in q short time prize
fighting was inaugurated in the land, and
it has continued at Intervals ever since.
The first fight in the ring in this coun-
try was between George Keasett, an English
man, and Ned Hammond, an Irishman. This
led to fight between Sanford, an American,
and Hatfield, an Englishman, and fights were
frequent for short time; but they were con-
Quoted in a spirit of fairness, the best man
al. 90 ~~t
Of Yankee Sullivan that the villanous classes
were enlisted in the business. Since that
time, with few exceptions, all the prize fights
in this country have been gotten up by
gamblers and thieves for purposes of plumber.
Even the very last one is by no means free
from suspicion. The challenger had no inten-
ton of fighting when he made The match; on
the contrary there is cool reason to believe
he made it to raise money by various contri-
vances and at the same time give his followers
chance to gather up the stamps in still less
creditable fashion. He played the same game
three years ago, and he thought it was worth
another trial. He was again successful, and we
may look for repetitions 80 long as people will
be foolish enough to follow him or until enact
ments are made in our laws stringent enough to
consign 10 the penitenM Try tae first ruiian that
issues challenge for prize fight.
But the annoyance of being robbed is not
the only danger man has to meet with while
attending these brutal exhibitions. Excur
sions by rail and boat to distant parts of the
country are arranged, the better to "pluck the
pigeons" On the last excursion the lives of
five or six hundred individuals were at the
mercy of drunken captain on one of the
steamboats, on Lake Erie, who was lost for six
hours in the darkness of night, the boat being
driven with a full head of steam during al that
time. II was miracle that the boat and all
on board were not lost Yet during oil this
perous time the thieves were roaming abou.
the boat ro5bing every passenger that they
could lay hands on. 1t was fearful ord cal
for those respectable members of the press who
were compelled to attend the fight ard
few Of them will be anxious to witaess its re-
petition or ever forget the terrors OF the return
trip from Canada to Erie, Pa.
Another fight is announced to come OFF on
the oath of this month within one hundred
miles of this city, and we call upon the au-
thorities to nip the affair in the bud at once
by arresting the principals and placing them
under heavy bonds to keep the peace. 1t can
be done easily, as the training places Of both
the pugilists are well known 10 the police.
The RIGHT KIND OF AN ARMY.-The
Omaha (Neb.) Herald predicts that the grand
army Of actual settlers who will occupy and
till Nebraska soil in the next thirty-six months
will be "a hundred thousand strong" That
is better than an ''army with baaners' or an