Connecticut western news., 1876-11-17
THE PRIZE RING.
Tie Conviction of tho Prize Fighters Jn New Jersey-The Result.

New Jersey-The Result.
 The five professional pugili ts on trial for the killing of Walker, in New Jersey, have been found guilty of manslaughter, and thus Weeden, who was principal in the fight, Sam Collyer and Richard Goodwin, who were seconds, and Clark and Neary, who so far as appeared from the evidence were merely spectators, were all adiudged equally guilty. This may look at first sight like injustice, but it appears to be good law. The judge held that all who were present at prize fight, aiding and abetting in it, were as guilty as the principals, and that in 8 fight where death occurred all who were present aiding and abetting were guilty of manslaughter. He did not adopt the English ruling that everybody present was guilty of manslaughter, but con- fined the responsibility to those who participated in getting up the fight, &C., campanied the excursion, had tickets of admission and looked on, enjoying the contest. The judge, however, by dis eliminating in his sentences in favor of Clark and Weary, showed that he recog- nized 8 difference in criminality among the prisoners. As 8 matter of fact, the seconds and packers in fatal prize fights are generally to blame for the death of one of the principals, rather than the men themselves. The principals are engaged in a desperate struggle for money, reputation, and above all tri- umph. Each one is weary, suffering, and on the watch to defend himself and punish his antagonist both are trained to sustain injury, and neither has any ol, &<@ s~,a
 jury. Each knows that the one who up when badly punished, and that his him when he is severely beaten. It is only rarely that a prize fighter can afford to spare his antagonist, for it is so completely in his own hands that he can initiate Tom Savers, who said in his fight with Bob Brettle that he was afraid to hit him for fear of doing him serious damage, and Tom's good nature was not sufficient to prevent him from knocking his opponents shoulder out of joint. Man is an animal of some sort of discretion, says the World, even when he is pugilist by profession, and he will not stand up to be beaten to death to no purpose. It is only through the encouragement of packers and sec- I onds, the fear of reproach, and desire to save his friends money, that he will stagger up to the scratch so blind that he cannot see his antagonist and is SC weak that he cannot strike him. In such state he is half senseless and moi responsible for his own acts. It is the mon who sponge the blood from his face, cheer him, tell him he is all right and set him on his legs to be knocked
 down again, who are to be blamed fol
 his death. They are fully as bad as the
 brute who beats him. They have the
 power to withdraw him at any moment
 and are intrusted with that power t,
 save brave man from the humiliation
 of crying enough and to prevent fgh
 from degenerating into useless and one
 sided cruelty. The instant es in whicl
 men have been killed in the prize rin,
 are not frequent out in nearly ever, ) case of the kind sporting men hay } set the responsibility for the fatal re suit upon the seconds of the beate man. The most celebrated prize rim } homicide that has occurred in this cour try was that of Sandy Mccoy, who wa l killed by Chris Lilly years ago; an l Yankee Sullivan, who had many sin : and some crimes to answer for, was a
 ways considered especially blamabl
 among sporting people because he ha
 urged Mccoy to continue in the rin
 long after all chance for him was los Perhaps the most celebrated homicid 3 in the history of the English ring wa that of Simon Byrne, who was killed b 3 Deaf Burke, and the friends of tn former always held his second, Je, 7 Warde, responsible for his death. TIL theory and practice of the Jersey jude in holding others besides Weeden guilt 5 of the homicide of Walker are therefor based on common sense as well as con mon law. We trust that the result ( this trial will serve to discourage prt , fessional pugilists, and confirm th , community in it's disgust for the priz ring. If so, Walkers death will hay , served a good purpose.