The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-01-24
A QUARTZ CRUsHER.

| press prize HgnIlIg III MOntana,' ls
IN the language of the ring, "a quarl,
crusher." The first section provides
that any person who shall engage il
a prize fight shall, on conviction, be
imprisoned in the penitentiary and
kept at hard labor not less than one
year nor more than ten years and pay
the costs of prosecution.
The second section provides that
any person who shall attend such
prize fight as hacker, trainer, second,
umpire, assistant or reporter, shall,
on convictiont be tiaed In any sum not
less than fifty dollars nor more than
five hundred. dollars aud lie impris-
oned in the county jail: not less than
ten days nor more than three months
and pay the costs Of prosecution.
The bill also empowers the sheriff
or copstables Of any couaty to arrest
all violators of the above sections and
to bring them before the probate
Judge or justice OF. the peace Of the
county in which the ofense shall be
committed. They are furthermore
empowered to summon a force of citi-
zens, sufficient for the purpose to
suppress such fights and to arrest all
persons thereat, found violating q
Of the provisions of the act:
As we nave said, the bill, If it be-
come a law, will KNOCK out". prize
fighter in the first round. 1t also
deals some heavy right-handers to
every person interested in the result
of the "scrap," including reporters
for newspapers. Now, with due def
erence to Governor Potts, for we be-
lieve he is actuated by the best ana
purest of motives, we think he is
striking the faber pushers below the
belt. This innocent, %inoffensive class
of people attend prize fights for the
same reason the cturch-going old
maids attend a circus - to frown
the thing down, and to tell the pub
lie what took place at the show. The
Governor ought to strike off report
ers from the list of tabooed persons.
But if the people cannot be brought
fully under the genial influences Of
without hustling report
ers to Jail and mulcting them out of q
years salary for noting the rounds of
a "mill," let them suffer. In the
event this be considered nee ssary,
We would suggest that all telegraph
operators in the Territory who re.
ceive and furnish the press or pri-
vate individuals with accounts of
prize fights which take place IN the
States or other Territories, and all
publishers of newspapers publish that
such accounts, shall be fined in such
sum, and Imprisoned for such time.
IS are imposed upon reporters. This
provision in the bill, provided it be-
come a law, would serve to purify
The moral atmosphere of the Terri
'ory and bring telegraph operators,
newspaper publishers and news
satherers generally to a realizing
'ense of their obligations to q suffer-
ng public.
And as a final "knock outn of
everything connected with the un-
Iodly practice of prize fighting, an
amendment may be tackled to the
I'LL, providing that reporters shall be
!ned, first, for locking at a price
lighter; second, for speaking to him
bird, for shaking hands with him.
nd fourth, for ''smlling" with him,
ne fines to he graduated according
0 the ehormity of the offense, cui
ainating in capital Punishment for
he fourth. The amendment would
. entirely consistent with the pro-
islon Of the bill objected TO.
III A. N.y 49, ., 1