New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06
GLOVE-FIGHTS ILLEGAL.

pOratiOn, yesterday sent written opinion 10 tne
Mayor declaring that the intended glove-hghe
between Sullivan and Wilson IS
prize-fght within the meaning Of the
law The opinion called forth By the letter OF
Henry Bergb, president of the Society for tic Pre-
vention OF Cruelty to Animals. addressed 10 Mayor
Grace and transmitted by him To Nr. Whitney,
Counsel 70 the Corporation In Mr. Wnitney's abb
sence Mr. Andrews wrote the opinion. In il he sets
forth at great length the grounds upon which hs
bases his conclusion. He begins With statement,
and proof by citations from English and American
81 80. - s1e-
m0RiJ NH0WD a pTlaTNEh'7 ''s
COMMON aW aAd Independently OF any s'''"'e pro
hl0itng them and that each OF the actual lighters
,-s,-->S s--a-> ~~~~s~ss~ ~ ~
other lie then continues IN substance followss
II being clear therefore, taat even IN the Absence Of
prohiOitOry statlte puze-rghts are iegh al COMMON
law question H. does the TACT that the hgters wear
ri YES change character Of the contest ana render 10
lawful onct lhis prcci-e question vas pas7e bF, ia
the recent case OF en AZ s ,bi 49, Ynb Coiiis
"lCg" "lsou-aud others ~ tlIa cur Sv-ePn Dyl.As
and thirteen others ,red before the General Guar
ter sessions ~ the Peace for the county u Leicester.
held on October ID, ISIS, Tor assembling 'ogeher Ior
tne purpo-o OF urile-asnt Ihe IAd.otHlens
coH,afnet six other eouuts-'hree o. them IoE
as,aultilg ponce cohs.dDo'.s IN s VIC sIsois.
ton Oh taer duty, and three others Tor common Asssas
on the same constitutes IL "'s gwen III ,oo ,
the defendants. WIN Others 20 the hnmbtrp' IOV shd
upward, assembled 10 room ia vacant bAblh4i tnaS
me "a
tnen me door We '%'Ii't..e- ~ pr y, 80 ~, a 80 a.
police any O,hcr person that Two or the lenu hs.
0rou and burrows, were she comuGiants aud mat eAea
stripped 20 the WASH space royce ~ iot 'a
each c0ulDatant was attended % MS stcpIu, vt
whose knee he sat IN the intervals dunlg tho
fight and Wa spOngcd aud fanued by hlnl, after
the usual custom IN prL tights. me poucr aiter
great r, sIstanCe, during Whlch they were FOfltp
assaulted forced entrance INTO the room through
the windows, and those present Attempted 70 csfayr III
baiauts a. the other twelve decudants were, however,
arrested proved by an eyewitness t-at Tie men
with crDcIiyu the words OF TIE witness,
"a tbat the figbt wac Tor money TIE counsel Tor tao
defence coIto nGed tnat this Was sparIiag mach,
fought gloves lcc0rdins 10 "erAhO" file- ana On
the authority the case II gina against Young was 10
oieuor al law. The judge lr ce1 tue jury that THIS
Wa cJircc, definition vi Tie Law Il wee mere *
hbtiou 81 sl. Ia sp4rrng; bn mat II tie parties met
Intending 10 iut gave IA from exhaustion or M
ury received. breach OF tue Law anI pzc hPr,
left this question The jury: vs. tnis pairing
match Il priz, hghtW Inc jury had iae svNe' usru
figh DrOr, tneLi and touhu thll u We PitIo
ngnt ano that the PRISONERS we're guilty. AnN5 $50
! found that The defendants, Tug wilson all .Mo
ton OF er luty The counsel of tne Defendants con-
tended that Judge vTOue IL leaNns 4e question:
tue men lou IN gloves the judge should have directed
tie jury thercIoIc, mere sparns maich,
ani 10 offence. re de suspendel sentence
! aud g titled The question ID TIE ht c III,
| Wus tuls prS-dsnt or notP was rlsAly le1s
10 he jury, was TIE acJ ina me hgAt "1r bisa
offence" lie appeal AeaId before ms JaG,,s lie
decisions upon such appesi we're AZ follows, hsl, -
r. The Question lnis Il whether tue pr rOnerS
were gully oI the offence OF uniAgfuLy assembling
together Tor tue purpose u PsAe,henuHs ~ J'[J
coOat4nts gloves, but tHat did nos prevent them
frnn severely nuns uiug eaca other There De
douDt that upon Iacts lie conviction Oaght 10 D.
afiiIIued' D,nAan d., sad ." am of tue same opin-
on To juy examined gloves III their private rooui,
and nav ~ Tue Let proved cOmbtllnts yereiy
n,ued ach other, they round rightly that thus was .
pfizensLt. The question w-n enrey one 20 the jury
LIHdel, MaHlsty md Hawkins, u c0heuIiea. 4,
nave not found any case decided IN TINS country IN
which the ques loH vic hei ns1I WIN soles We %
be regarded przehAt hAs Deen panseu upon OK Goa.
by court or jury, but thak he4e "el-cOndered
oeclsOEs ~ the Judges and JIrles VI Ie guess
OF England LIS DC feSir-sd a. u.tis'e %
tae question submitted by you 70 tue Ia" De ..snt.
Oh cU1fse nethef these decisions nor 1lo'e % lie
OF other states are absolutely binding as al'hotlSs
upou o. this STATE, but the decisions OF tho
inquest English courts IKE courtsn other states,
! are entitled 10 the highest resp-et = ""ftscs
e4Po'ine Christianity u" referred to a1d relied
By the courts OF this state ia passing upon the sss
brought before them and have Not the slightest doubt
that the courts OF this state would concur In the de-
csions abve cited and under their directions JuIcs
Wond dud tt contests Of the description forth In
your lcter even though the fighters wore gloves ana
wneGheT VI not tHose gloves "cie hAin OF s"i "oo DO
iAsd non te authorities above referred TO- do nos
anyone scan soccessu.iy MAINTAIN that eose-
hnt as Gs ly carried Is not 70 ali ntents and pur-
pose przs CHIT 10 certainly has every up,t mt car-
acgerislc priLe-nht II generally axes pl e IA puD-
hc In tho pre.cnce OF every person who VIII pay an
admir- siou the fighters and their oacAers
large amounts upon the result, ane eu..
| sders make heavy bets when are decided D. me
of hght the lighters themselves are dresHed
IN the regulation prizes Atls costumes .e 5 , a.e
conducted according IL the rules ami regulations WHICH
tent thereto Jnere are seconds "lo PsiIvrm nc l'ai
duties Of seconds prize nts and there 10 aso ref
cree drciAes whether lGe ngnLln Is IAif Va IOul;
the gloy,ngner. attack another with great ieroc
ity .aa cson delivers powerful blows upon tiie
49, rpn-Si1r me other to di.abe ana conquer hiia
blood II often drawn, faces dlsngred lmDs oroAI
violence night goes until one OF the other or
the n.ntcs injuries received or from e1Aauson,
Tae difference ofweeu these savage aud brutal 0vo-
ngnJs aid ordinary sp-rring aud ss'cslied "re'dn
nj ilI- iar
a battle between two regiments u sol-ier. IN
real baules and g0Ve-ugnts contend with lntels 80
uerceneas aud Win the aVOwed object VI doug eaca
other INJURY possible and the ushi lr Aeps W
unul Que side, OF ngh,er as the case may be- ID
beaten. In battles aud spaTTiug ana wrestling
mascAes properly cOuducIed, The nerceness Is al 40
snIed serious injury Is INTENDED Dy e1Hef s'e' sH
| the .eAlllInate OBJECT 10 anIlIsrincnt merely a.
The 4yoSed object IA come OF tnese gioysnghts Is 70.
each man " myie ana eAhaust tne 0tne. &c NJ 49,
~ be can IN The shortest possible tiDe. IN TIC
recent nght at the Madison square Garden, IL TINS
city, Mr.. sullivan undertook TO knock hr Tug W.
son our m four rounds, winch understand 10 mean
Win sc fore aud Violence that Wilson would be pro-
vented Dy MS injuries by exhaustion from e0a1nulnS
s a i rn t aoa,ess Is t oyedghs dese6e in
YOUR let er az slch ngnts are usually condncted ae
utterly un.n.Die, repugnant % common senoe. ana ~
as above stated IN direct conflict WITH me NeL-coL,
sidcrea decisions u tne highest courts Ia EueN~ A
o. the finding " EngIsh JdIlns.
Mr. Andrews then reviews the provisions Of the
statutes Of this State the subject Of prze-hght-
ing and concludes his opinion as follows
In view the decisions above cted have no doubt
that giove-hght, described Ia your letter and y
usually conducted prIZengnt within the meaning Ok
bOta OF these statutes ngnt WIN gloves "oulu %
none the ngnt with nsts within Lie meahih VI 10
acI of 1856 part OF that tatute n su IN OroS-
The word nsts however. l. OMITTED IA Tue act ~ los
which refers merely 20 " ring OF P zs ~ .-.s "'s =,
rlovefgit is ring pfzelstt "lthn INC lle1h1g .,
TINS statute whether the actual ghte can DS lAcsse
,r 1880 ~ ntes for the assaults committed Dy each
mon the otner IN the course OF ngbt Is OF no con 80
such assaults they can %
acied under IL; II not they certainly mdicta0ie fOf
the nOI-aW offence OF assault A. To other pfsons
IL Is entirely under the act Of 1913 every per
son who foot instg2es. promotes, AIDS, aDcts
encoura does any toward the iurtnerance OF
priZe-ng glOvengl IN hin state l. guilty VI ms