Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-14
PUGILISl'IC KNIGHTS.I
HOW THEY SOMETIMES FIGHT OUT
SIDE THE RING.

Mike DUnovan.s Defense Of Lady-A
Safe Rule-Jack Denpsey's Control Of
| TeEnper-The sIan Who knew Biny
Edwards-The Truckman.
There could be no more interesting story
than that told by Thacsery, that veracious
and delightful cnronicler, of how the homely
Dobbins unexpectedly licked the gilt edged
| Reginald Cuff, the bully of DR.. Swishtail's
school, rescued little Osborne from his ty-
ranny and established a new order Of things
| among the boys. And no reader Of Bulwer's
books has failed to follow with absorbing in
| terest the scientific fashion in which kenelm
| Chilhngly disposed OF the hulking swaggerer
| OF the village and relieved the surrounding
country from a reign OF terror under which
it had been living. And there are stories Of
today in real life where the man handy with
his lists appearing on the scene has straight
ened matters out as they should be straight
ened, as was amply demonstrated by Demp-
sey recently at Rockaway beach when q
gang OF toushs and roughs got into hotel
down there and began to run things to suit
themselves
Dempsey, Mike Donovan and Billy Ed
wards have written some of their experiences
where they have come in on time like the
hero in the melodrana, and we print them
here.
MIKE DoNOvANS EXPERIENCE.
Whether man is a pugilst or preacher
be has lots OF opportunity to use bis fists.
Wrongs are often righted. this way and III
justice prevented. The consciousness that a
man is master of the art Of self defense is ap.
to inspire tho possessor With nerve and as
sertfon that frequently prevent actual fisti-
cuffs A case Of this kind occurred to me the
other day in going up town In Sixth avenue
elevated train. While VIC were getting
aboard at down town station big over
dressed fellow attempted to push past a little,
pale faced lady and force his way into the car
ahead Of her. prevented his doing SO. He
got very angry all at once and gave me a
push. l confess it angered me, and when he
followed 1t up inside the car with al unpleas-
ant epithet l took hold Of him and slammed
him into corner seat in q manner meant 20
be Enthusiastically emphatic. He began to
buster and 4 crowd of his friends didn't help
matters any by egging him on. ! addressed
myself to the whole crowd and said: "Gen-
tlernen, want you to understand that I'm a
peaceful man, but i. it's necessary in order
to secure peace to have fight you can count
me in every time Your friend was rude to
a lady and interfered to protect her, just IS
ANY other gentleman would
I would have doubtless had to fight the
whole crowd right there if a man who was
personally unknown to me hadn't jumped up
and said: "Mr. Donovan, If there's going to
be q fight I'm with YOU" Two or three other
gentlemen ct once followed his lead and the
bully subsidized
It can be laid down as safe rule that IN
ninety -nine cases out Of a hundred in what
are known as street fights the aggressor is a
larger man physically than his opponent. II
this is not plain enough proof that the ag-
gressor is coward don't know what it is.
1t is very seldom you see small man walk
up to big one and strike him In the face.
STORIES BY JACK DEMPSEY.
Fighting in tine ring is business with me,
but fighting outside Of 1t Is not II occa-
sionally am forced into little unpleasant
inside the truth when say the fault is not
mine. l do it either for the purpose OF
assisting the weak, who are being imposed
upon, or to defend myself
was once sitting in my place in Front
street discussing the question as to whether
or not pugilists are easily provoked into
fighting, when man came up and insulSed
me in the most fragrant way. If ever a man
deserved thrashing he did. There is
scarcely business man in New York who
would have submitted to what did without
resenting it. l simply got up and walked
away. No better answer TO the questions my
friend had been asking me could possibly
have been made
The fact is that before he will be drawn
into a free fight a professional pugilist will
take about everything in the way Of an in
suit save slap In the face. When he strikes
q person, even under the greatest provoca-
ton, he is viewed rs bully and coward, pre-
Stunning on his strength and superior skill to
abuse his physical interiors When l refer
to pugilists I mean those Of reputation and
admitted ability, and not to the Bowery
toughs, who make it part Of their business
to swagger around, insulting inoffensive
people and generally making themselves as
disagreeable as they know how. In what i
known as a free fight q pugilist has nothing
to gain and everything to lose. Apart from
every other consideration, the question OF
policy alone is enough to make HIM peace
lover. If pugilist were to kill a man not a
professional fighter, even under strong pro
vocation or in self defense, there is not jury
that could be got together that wouldn't be
strongly prejudiced against him, even after
the facts were brought out
WHAT BILLY EDWARDS TELLS.
One day several years ago I was crossing
from Booklyn to New York, by the Hamil-
ton ferry, and as / disliked smoking, bad
gone, as was my cu1tonl, into the ladies'
cabin on tho boat q burly Irishman, who
evidently had been drinking, came up to me
and said: Amt you Billy EdwardsT'
quietly told him that ho was mistaken and
that my name was Williams and walked for
ward on the deck to avoid him. He followed,
grew abusive and finally started in with his
fists. So attacked, responded with blow
that nearly knocked the fellow overheard.
He got up as meek IS lamb, looked at me
for q moment and said with an air OF pro
found conviction, Il knew you nero Bully
Edwards" and walked oil.
One day not long ago l was about crossing
Broadway and Chambers street when burly
t-uckran who was driving down, seeing a
lady crossing Immediately in front Of me,