The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-02-20
PUGILISM AND COwARDICE
The Latter Almost Always a
Characteristic of Those Who
Practice the Former.

Dv puglllStic gentlemen. ana InOse
who seek notoriety as members ofspOrt-
ing society; concerning the moral effect
of prohibiting sparring exhibitions. 1t
is said that scientific boxing received
terrible. blow last Monday evening,
when the Madison square Garden was
closed BY the police authorities, and
Mr.. Jem Mace and his New Zealand
giant were prevented from display
ing themselves before host of enthu.
siastic admirers. The old-stock argu-
ment lie used that the 'manly art of
self-defense" should he taught every
where in free snd enlightened coun-
try. and the rising generation should
thus learn the use of firearms and
.ther deadly wea, o IS. & ortin gentle.
mel point to the pugilists of this
country and declare that the misur-
derstandings of such gentlemen are
always settled according to the rules
adopted for the government Of the
prize ring.
A reporter of The Times yeste rday
vi-ited retired pugilist, and asked
MIN whether he believed that sparriEg
exhibtio tend to decrease the sale of
pistols. knives and other deadly wear-
ons. The pugilist is one who was on
intimate terms with MIR. Tom liver,
Mr.. Yankee Sullivan, Mr. Tom Savers
Mr.. John G. HeenaD, Mr. John Nor
rissey, the Upton Siasher, Dublin
Tricks. Mr.. Dooney Harris, the Ho-
bokeu Chicken. Mr.. Ned U'Bald ain,
and Others of the ancients, and who
counts among his modern friends such
men as Mr.. Abe Greenfield, MIR. Tug
Wilson, Mr.. William Madden, Mr..
Joe Coburn. Mr.. John l.. sullivan.
Mr.. Jem Mace, Mr.. Herbert A
sla.le, Mr. William Edwards, MIR.
Nike Clesry. and many. others whose
names are proudly mentioned in sport
ing society.
DO those who learn to use their
hands in self-defense discard knives
and pistols ?" he asked of himself AS he
drummed table with his fingers.
Then he shook his head and answered:
Far from it, My experience among
pugilists is that they are the biggest
towards in the community in which
they are permitted to exist. In per-
sonal encounters outside of a 24-tOOt
ring they rarely use their fists. Few
of them are ever without pistols or
knives. With such weapons they al
tack others and defend themselves |
could give you instances that would
fill columns Of the Times to show that
IN nine cases out OF ten, men who
aoeve all others are supposed to know
cow to use their fists resort to knives
and pistols when suarreling with each
other. The oid-time pueilist was as
much of a coward as the modern one
SHOWS himself to be. Thousands are
familiar with the killing of Bill Poole.
Fists played no important part in the
rows Of his days,and the crop of pugil
ISIS YVES then unu ually large Knives,
pistols and bludgeons were the weap-
ons used bv them. Whoever heard
that John Morrissey undertook to de.
fend himself with bis fists in bar-rocm
brawls with Andy Sheehan and others?
! venture t, saw, witho 4: fear of cor
trad;ctisr that in all bis fights outside
the prize-rlng. clubs, whisky gases,
bottles and other choice weapons such
as are used by the ruffians of the pres
ent day, were trumps. When John
&. Heenan went to Syracuse demo
cratic convention to do work tor
which ne was hired, did he use his
fists in order to accomplish the pur-
pose of his employers? There are
many democratic statesmen yet living
who remember how Mr.. Heepan twist
cd table legs from their fastenings and
how effectively be used them Is war
clubs. He and his gang took posses
sion of Wieting's opera house. just as
Joe Coburn used to clean out bar
rsom in this city. Who ever heard
OF Joe using his fists in
mis- unnumbered broils? Pts
'ols. beer-glasses. bottles, or anything
that might do injury if hurled in a
certain direction were his weapons.
Ned O'Baldwin, the Irish giant, rev.
eled in the use of clubs. but once he
met his match when Larry O'Brien
with club knocked him from the
sidewalk, at Broadway and Houston
erect, into the basement of Mitchells
saloon. The records of the police
courts will show from lat time imme-
mortal pugilis:s have been arrested for
shooting and stabbing each other.
George Rockies attack upon johnnie
Stack is one ofthe most recent cases
of the kind. James Elliott has been
srenuantlv arrested and thoro Ia sc,roo