The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-04
IN BEHALF OF SLUGG|NG.
The Recent Decisions of the Cali
fornia Athletic Club Have
That Tendency.
Scientific Boxing and the Manly
Art Set at IJaught by
That Club.
Corbett and jackson Both Wrathy at
Their Treatment-The Club Kept
Ealf the Money.

New York, juno 3.-Macon writes to the
Continent as follows: The California Ath-
letio club, though Of worldwide notoriety,
is purely a local institution, dependant for
existence upon the patronage of San Fran
cisco. Much OF its notcriety is due to the
fact that ii offered exceptionally large
purses for hstic contests, but now that it
has twice shown, In the caae OF Danny
Needham-P Patsy Kerrigan and Jim Corbett-
Peter jackson, that it does not offer its
prizes in fee simple, as it were, but retains
a irst mortgage o II them, which it never
fails to forsclosc, if possible, itself making
the opportunity.
1t has lost caste, and hereafter it will
have difficulty in persusding champions
of established reputation to battle within
ito ring.
/ am glad to see that Jim Corbett, who is
now the bright particular star of the Amsr-
lean ring, is tina first to discrsdit it's shabby
method by refusing to fight again under it's
auspices. A good many peopls And fault
with Corbett for having nccspted the s., 800
it offered him as hia share of thu prize
monsy, but l am net of the number. He
IL Jackson foolishlv signed tia articles of
agreement provided by the CLUB and they
contained a proviso that the contsst must
be satisfactory to the directors. Having
done SO they we're at the mercy OF the afere-
said directors. The purse money could not
be recovered by n quit at law snd Coz bett
did the sensible thing-took what he could
get, which in this was the half loaf, and
then declined to have any further dealing
with the 80 por ~ceaters.
jackson kicked like a steer, l am told. nd
the retention of half his money, but was
willing to fight again for the new pufss
offered. l do not question Pater's courage.
He has demonstrated it time and again, but
his offer only proves to those who ars fam
liar with those 1istic Affairs in California
thai: he WA really tho worSted man and
that he WAS willing to take u desperate
chance to fegsin his lost honors. He had
the sympathy of tbs bulk of the ofi!csrs of
the club. He has the huowledgs that their
money was bet on him at big odds, the
most convincing proof of their confidence
in him and Of their deniie that he should
win. At the end of four hours and three
minutes his sympntkizers saw that there
WIS not Il chance OH earth Tor him to win,
Both he and Corbstt were practically hors
de oombat. They wsro like a pair Of racers
who had run "A dead heat with this exoep.
ton. 10 far as known, neither had asked
that the contest DO atoppod.
II Hiram Naos had stepped in the ring
and said: "Gsntlamen, You hive aesu to.
night two OF the 0roateBt boxers living CON
test tor four hourr and .hree minutes. Yen
have sccn exceptional nki!l and plenty of
hard work. You kavs henid me warn these
men in thu past half honr that they must
fight harder. sm satisfied now that they
have arrived Et such = point Of physical In
capacity that even il a result was to lie ar
rived Mt In the next two hours, it would be
due more TO accident than TO merits, there
fore. in tho interest OF humanity, in the