Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-20
vReINIA's SPORTING CLUB.
Another Alleged View OF It from New
XnrL
New York World

New York World
The liberty of the Virginia Legislatures
in the matter of charters is proverbial. but
in Granting the charter Of the Virginia
Gnorting and Athletic Club the statesmen
a. gichmond outdid themselves. The
,,,sasure passed the House by the paradox
cal method of reaching its third readingn
,r;thont having been read mt all.
Colonel John NJ. Bailey, Of Norfolk, who
ia president of the club, is now in this city,
and World reporter yesterday had long
talk with him. Hugh Coyle. who will be
manager of the clubs affairs. was also pres
emf. He was advance agent for John l..
Sullivan when the champion made his first
trim across the continent under Al Smiths
management, Colonel Bailey said he was
in New York to interest capitalists in the
enterprise.
I'VE will have grounds" said he, ION
the Chesapeake bay shore, eight miles out
side Norfolk and opposite Fortress Monroe,
where Yachting. iishing, rowing, bathing
all sorts of athletic games, horse-racing
boxing, and pigeon-shooting can be in
dulped in. We can, of course. have prize
fights if we please, and we may at some
time or other have boxlng-matches with
gloves to finish between champions. We
NAV have tournament for the champion
y
WEIGHT and the tourney may last a week,
but that is a detail to be considered"
The Colonel then read the charter which
has caused such excitement in sporting cir
cles and among religious people South.
The important clauses are:
"AIl persons are prohibited and forbid
den TO enter upon any of its lands so in
closed or posted belonging to or leased by
the said company for any purpose or In
any capacity whatsoever without the con-
sent of the president or manager OF SAID
company. Any person entering or
who being thereon by virtue OF any per-
mission or consent, shall interfere in any
way with any athletic game, race, or con-
test. or with any person or persons en-
paqed or about to engage therein,
or managing any such game, match, or
contest between individuals, clubs, leagues,
or associations, or any race between horses.
sporting dogs. or other animals. shall be
deemed guilty of an unlawful and mali
cious trespass."
The sections of the charter quoted make
il an offence for even the soldlery or the
Governor of theState or High Sheriff to in
terfere with any proceedings on the CLUB 5
grounds. A prize-fght may not be stopped,
prize-fghters in training cannot be inter-
fered with, dOg-fghting, cock-hghtlng,
bull-baiting, even purring matches-the
most brutal and degrading of sports So
called-are legalized. Furthermore, the
charter makes it obligatory on the part of
county judges to appoint as policemen or,
as the bill calls them, conservators OF the
peace" any person and all persons nomi-
mated by the manager OF the club. But
read section 8: -,
All acts or parts of acts in conflict with
this charter are hereby repealed, so far
as they may in any way relate to or restrict
the rights, powers, and privileges or the
said company as herein granted
This means that all laws against prize
fighting, dog-fghting. bull batting, badger
drawing. purring, cooking, and even duel
ling. are repealed so far as the Virginia
Sporting and Athletic Club is concerned.
1t also means that if the club considered It
one of its privileges to have John A. Morris
move his Louisiana Lottery Company on
TO its grounds the laws against lotteries
would become a dead letter so far as that
particular lottery company and the club
are concerned. In this connection the re-
porter SAID to Colonel Bailey
"Well, you can get Sl20J0,00 from the
Louisiana Lottery Company If you try"
and the Colonel smilingly said: Il have
considered that"
AT Virginia Beach," continued Colonel
BAILEY. "we will have the most remark
able place in the world. 1t will eclipse
Monte Carlo and Will be similar to that
principality. only, rs the boy said, more
so.' We will have hotels, pic-nlc-grounds,
shooting-grounds, mile track for race
horses, and a smaller path for athletic
competitions. base; ball fields. and all sorts
of games. We will have everything man
NAV desire. If you live in New York and
want to 60 to the grounds for any purpose
you have the choice OF eight routes, each
and all direct. and can reach there by an
overnight ride"
But asked the reporter, don't the
people down there object TO the clubs
charter" The Colonel laughed heartily
and said;
"Well, yes. they do just now, and the
papers are raising row; but they don't un-
derstand the situation. They will change
their tone when they find that the club
Will bring to them hundreds OF thousands
of dollars annually they would not get
otherwise. This club is to be run on q
liberal principle. We will be, when well
started the only rivals of the California
Athletic Club, but we will eclipse them.
We will be more liberal. If we want any
competition we Will offer the highest price
for it and get it. Had the Sulliyan-kilrain
battle taken place on our grounds we would
have had 100, 900 people present. Ana
then, mind you, we would nave no AFTER
claps, such rs trials by juries.
Eve will have four classes OF member
ship and possibly five. There Will oe
stockholders, life-members, annual-mem-
bers, and members for a given term. At
present the directors are myself, George
III. Blood, John l.. Wellington, G. W. Bart
lett. and s. L. French. We are none of us
sporting men. / am lawyer and am in
terested in railroad building, but l like
sport and having the opportunity to get
this bill passed did so, and here am.
There has been some talk about repeal
ing our charter. but that is rot. The Lesis-
lature does not meet again for two years,
and even if it did hold special meeting 1t
could not repeal the act once we have our
grounds and vested rights. A charter is a
contract. We have.n mot as yet done thing
in the sporting line; we have not taken
advantage of any privilege granted US and
cannot have committed an offence. But
even if we had had O sporting event We
would not have been guilty OF any offence.
We cannot commit any offence. We are a
power INTO ourselves, and we want the
help and money of all people, sporting and
otherwise"