Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23

| and importance of gymnas1ums as means to
| good health are rapidly becoming recognized
| bv almost everybody, and the systems Of exer-
else in these places are becoming more and
more adapted TO the requirements of people
when The these exercises were so Sc.
| we're that more harm than good was
| done. They were something like the old
| time methods of training athletes. Now there
are exercises to suit everybody, and this is
borne out by the fact that there is member
| ship of about 800 at the East End gymnasium,
with 80 or 40 applicants for membership 1t is
expected that the membership Will be run up
to about 500 before long, as the Initiation fee has
been suspended tor time The object is to
have strong membership and @ hold big field
will succeed, and it deserves to do SO.
KiIrain and Corbert.
There has been much to talk about during
the week as far as pugilism and boxing are con-
| cerned. We have had two notable encounters;
notable because of the prominence of
some of the principals The first OF the
week was between Kilrain and James ].
Corbett, and the second between Jack Dempsey
and Mccarthy, the Australian middle-weight
champion. The latter was battle and the for
mer boxing contest The battle was a good
one and the boxing contest pne OF the misera-
Bile kind But we must deal with one at once, so
we will start with the contest between Kilrain
and Corbett 1t is a fact that since the contest
between these two men thousands of people
who few days ago had not the least idea of
his existence at all. When man Jumps so sud-
denly into prominence 1t sometimes is worth
while to inquire as to the stability Of the causes
for that prominence. There have been many
men-aye. very many-who have been heroes
for day only, and they were. indeed. lucky to
have even that day of greatness. Now, am
not going to say that Corbett is one
OF these men; 1 am not even going to
say that he is not a good pugilist, but
l am going to say that he has yet to prove that
alVtlinp flrSt-claSS. II
all of us who are interested in boxing read rhe
very long accounts of the contest between Kill
rain and Corbett and 1 ask if those accounts
did not show that Kilrain was making Corbett
run all around the ring. what did they show3
However, let us deal with the contest thor
oughly. believing that Corbett outboxed Kill
rain. The contest was one of those by which
many of the Veriest scrubs have come into
prominence; it was for what are called points.
kilrain weighed 2O5 pounds, and think of that
ali We who know anything about the worth of
condition; he was sick and weary with his un-
fortunate journey through Texas. These are
facts and not excuses. Corbett young man
of "a years, was 6 feet IL inches high and
weighed in the neighborhood of 1T5
pounds. Well, the contest started, and it was
for points, don't let us forget that. Had it been
for anything else, that is under anything other
conditions, we might have known as much
about Corbett as we ever did. Now, what did
Corbett do to defeat Kilrain? Why, he simply
played at touch and get away, and this is in ac-
cordance with the later-day system of boxing
Tor points; system that was tolerated in the |
Dempsey-McCatfrey contest. orbett's ambition |
was to land his glove in any kind of way light |
or heavy, on any part of Kilrain's body know |
ing that each little tap would constitute point
He made little touch, and, like the man who |
wrote mo Popery" on the street corner, ran |
away. Hence we find, according to accounts, |
Kilrain invariably was combating with Cor |
bett on the latter's own corner. Winded |
and out of shape as Kilrain was firmly be- |
lieve that if the contest had continued for four |
hours that the young man from California /
would never have been able to stagger KilraiE.
has too much of the youthful professor STYLE
about him to be fighter. His method of box
ing is labeled professor all around. don't |
say this disparagingly. only want to say that
there has invariably been wide difference be-
tween the boxing taught at schools and that
practlced by frst-class men in ring.
About Those Points.
1t may not be uninteresting to say few words
here about the system of fighting for points.
There never was an unfairer method of deter
mining the boxing abilities of two men, that is,
assuming that the contests between McCaffrey
and Dempsey and KilraIn and CorDett were le
specimens of what that system is acknowledged
to be. Let us take Corbett as an example He,
on one occasion, landed his glove lightly on
Kilrain's shoulder, merely touched it and
sprung back. He repeated this, and then Kill
rain hit him desperately in the stomach. Now,
according to this "pointp system, Corbett |
would score two and Kilrain one. Is that fair?
Is it reasonable? Why it is ridiculous, 1t
simply means that if Corbett could in any kind
of fashion, touch Kilrain be would score one |
and Kilrain could do no more were he to nearly
knock Corbett's head of. But the one-man-
judge Of this 'for points" system is another
weak, very weak, spot in it. 1 would like to
meet man who could stand and watch six
rounds for points and tell me
everything that was done in it correctly. 1
would like to see a man who could in a |
contest of the KIND tell me at the finish how |
nany blows were struck by each person.
nave never seen one yet, and 1
venture the opinion that every referee IN such
contests must approximate. This being so, |
have always contended that at least three men
should Judge contest for points. 1t would be
fairer to everybody. Boxing for points has, ,un-
doubtedly, been Corbett's forte. He may prove |
that he is real game and clever fellow and one |
who will squarely face good man. But |
should he and Kilrain meet in a battle to a |
nnlsh, most aSsuredly shall expect to see Kill |
rain the victor, although. as l have many
times stated. my opinion of Kilrain is not a |
high one. Corbett's part has been one of boxing
q limited number OF rounds There is record |
to the effect that when he was Is years old he
boxed eight rounds with Jack Burke and made .
q draw. If this was SO he has made miserable |
Improvement during the last six years. assum- |
Then he downed Mike Brennan in three |
rounds and for points" Dested such stock-iu-
another professor named Miller. He had a |
twO-Ounce glove fight to finish with some |
body named Joe Chonisky, and if reports are |
true Corbett really showed up as phenomenon
in this affair. He told reporter at New Or
leans that the battle was stopped by policemen,
and when it was resumed he entirely disabled | !
his right hand at the start and IN
The third round disIocated two of the {
knuckles of his left. However, he fought
"A rounds and won the fight 1t would be in
teresting to know what he used in knocking
that unfortunate Chonisky out However tits
likely that we will have Corbett before us ,
again, and as have said, he may demonstrate
clearly that he is good enough to be ranked
among the best men who have Joined the ranks
ot professional boxers and pugilists. OF course
f Kilrain means to retire from the ring Corbett
will soon find another opponent. Kilrain may
Ind may not retire.
Dempsey and Mccarthy.
Readers of these reviews would not be disap- s
pointed to learn that Dempsey defeated NC J
1arthy. In our surmises last week we were
light on that point, and also regarding the ,,
act that Dempsey would take time IN settling !
lis man. The battle between Dempsey and :
he plucky Australian was good one, though 1
'ne-sided. Dempsey was in excellent form I
md he at once had the measure of his man. / {
This is point that Dempsey labors to learn at +
he very offset, and as soon as he finds it out he
,oes at his work with a system that is as UNIQUE
IS it is tricky. There is not much comment
leeded on the battle, because the Brooklyn
champion simply took his time and finished
he Australian in his own way. Dempsey's
boxing abilities simply mystified Mccarthy
The latter could not get near his opponent i
Whenever he tried be got a very hot blow for {
lis audacity. Dempsey just kept up his de-
livery of well aimed, though not powerful c
lows until the life was almost knocked ont of
he Australian. Then the latter. was easily ]
Knocked down. Mccarthy like many old-timers ]
efused to leave the ring as long as he could
Use from the ground. He was in a helpless {
tate and, Dempsey at this stage displayed his {
manhood by dealing with him gently. There b
ave been occasions, though, where men have
ost battles by being too sympathetic Nc
,art defeat fbn vi |