New-York tribune., 1884-10-05
AlLlrErR IND rRofEsSI0N.L GOWN

AVITETR IND PROFESSION.1L BONING.
Rather fine drawn md perpleXing are oltentmcs
the distinctions between Amateurs and profess
sionals. This is true of those men who delight IN
publicly bcaboring one another with fists cucascd
i'm gloves of varying degrees of hardness or soft
ness. This form of encounter was once called the
noble art of sci defence bat has dcgonera'ed
INTO the iCuollc art Of kuocking-out.' Pr0ics-
,ionas hammer each other for money. Amateurs
do 1t for medals and private wagcrs. In both eases
the contests are generally public aud an admission
fee l. charged. But in New York al least the prac-
tica distinction seems to amount to this: when
professionals hire hall 10 display their capacity
for giving and taking hard knocks, police captain
and number of policemen are in attendance To
restrain the contestants from hurting each other
too much and to preserve oder And the police
actually do interfere sometimes To save am over
matched FIGHTER from getting too large n share of
brai.os. At amateur exhibition, the comhatants
are allowed 10 fight without any fear of police in
reference. Tho consequence s that thoy often
indulge IN the most brutal aud disgusting slug
png'
lhcothcrnlph'. for instance, at an amatourcvhibi
tion a rarcpa Hall, two young men pumwcllod each
other with glovod h,ts until they wcro blrc ling
from a number Of cuts from the start all prctoncc
of "scicntiGc sparring" was east aside. They went
by frequent howls of delight from tine spectators,
until by sheer exhaustion they were rendered in
capable of innicting further damage one on the
other and rcclcd together like drunken men seeking
mutual support. Aud all tins was not at all dis
graceful. because, forsooth, they were amateurs!
No policemen were present.
A week earlier at Turn Hall, "Profcssor' Watson
and "Prolessorr Mcclellan fo lght for 5000 and
the gate receipts and Il spectacle the exhibition
they gave was far less brutal than that furnished
by the two amateur expOnentS of pugilstic culture
Had the professors" gone In for "slugging,' n
police captain and four stalwart policemen would
have speedily stopped the fight. Public amateur
contests should be placed under Just as strict police
supervision as proles +onal matches, and anything
approaching brutality should be nj once stopped.
II would be foolish to insist that young men should
be prohibited from boxing. Tom Hughes has well
given expression to the common-sense view of this
matter IN that most popular of boys books "lom
Browns School Days" &" Learn to box then, as you
learn TO play cricket and football. Not one of you
will be the worse, but very much the better, for
learning to box we'll. Should you never have to
use it in earnest there is no exercise like 1t i'll the
world for the temper, aud for the muscles OF the
back and legs
And 1t may be added that for the admirer of
athletic manhood it is line sight tosoe two strong
wcll-built young men, each skiful in the art,
engaged in generally friendly boxing encounter
when knocking out" Is not thought Of. The play
of the muscles the flashing eyes the lightning
like movement of the limbs for the purpose 0i
defence or attack form admirable pictures. Greek
art owes much to Grecian athletic games