Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-27
PURSUING THE PUGS.
Burgess Reed, of Millvale, Wants to
Borrow Pittsburg Police to
HELP HIN STOP A PRIZE FIGHT.
Managers Of the Match Had Returned From
BraddOck, Where
THEY WERE THREATENED WITH ARREST

j. c. Reed, the Burgess OF Millvale,
wanted to borrow posse of Pittsburg po-
lice last night to stop a prize fight, which
he understood was scheduled for o'clock
this morning. In the frst place the Bur-
CESS thought it would offend the peace and
dignity of his bailiwick to have a prize
fight within its limits, and he was also
afraid it would result in a riot. He was in
formed that the Pittsburg police has no au-
thority to go outside the boundaries of the
city, and was referred to the Sheriff.
Burgess Reed has had considerable
trouble with the pugilists. For some time
weekly 'athleticS exhibitions, preceded by
light variety performance, have been given
in the Millvale Opera House. The athletic
exhibition consisted mainly of gentlemen
who faced each other in pairs, their hands
guarded from injury by gloves weighing
four or five ounces, and endeavored to knock
each other out in an artistic manner. The
citizess objected to this class of performance,
asserting that it was brutal and degrading,
and spoke urkindly of the artists who
volunteered their brain and Drawn for the
entertainment of the public, even going SO
far as to allege that they were sluggers.
Turned Out of Two Towns.
Finally Burgess Reed determined to stop
these entertainments. He dropped down on
the Opera House one night and notified the
managers of the show to cease. The owners
of the theater assisted the good work by raising
the rent from SIS to $50 night. The e1ponents
of the gentle arts of self-defense and the
Gayety skirt dance said the people of Millyale
did not know good thing when they saw it,
and they would seek refuge in a more public
spirited community. They went to Braddock.
Last Saturday night, just as the last ecIoes
of Annie Rooney were seeking refuge from
the infuriated audience in the Opera House,
and two gentlemen clad IN heshings and
pair OF boxing gloves had strolled on to the
stage, preparatory to humping each other in a
friendly way for the advancement of science,
the Burgess of Braddock walked back anu said
the show had to stop, and stop right :here. The
management denied the power of the Burgess,
but the latter intimated that he would have the
lookup jamfull of boxers and the ballet
dancers if the performance wasn't stopped at
once. The curtain was rung down and the au-
dience got its money back, but the manage
ment was not satisfied with the decision of the
Burgess, and insisted that the matter be
brought to the attention of C4uucils. whose de-
clsion should be final. That august body met
on Monday night, and determined that scIen-
tffic slugging was lost art which it would be
poor policy tn revive, and that the man who
thumped another, whether for fun. lucre, glory
or revenge, would be held strictly to account.
Bound to Have Fight.
Once more were cast adrift the professors of
anatomy who speak familiarly Of human gore
as "claret," and refer lightly to important Or
gans the "breadbasket," the 'smeller" and
the "kisser." In their eagerness to develop
the science which enables one man to knock
another cold, these gentlemen determined to
return to Millvale, even if they should become
martyrs to their endeavors to promote art.
Since the people of Millvale showed no appre-
citation of their efforts, and were low-spirited
enough to cross a street rather than be kicked
by a mule. the exponents of the doctrine of
self-defense decided TO hold one more exposi-
tion, at which Ed Smith, of Beaver Falls, and
Gladiator Gillespie of CHARTERS. would en-
deayor to do each other up IN the fewest possi-
BILE number of rounds. The date was fixed for
A. NJ, March a. in Millvale. the exact location
being secret.
Burgess Recd heard of it yesterday. and being
a modest man VINO ruled but small kingdom,
sought advice from II. T. Gourley, the Execu-
tive of the Principality of Pittsburg. The lat
ter was balancing on the ragged confines of the
grip. and had to postpone conference until he
could fortify his system with quinine. AS the
case now stands the Burgess will have to call
for volunteers amoYg his subjects or let the
fight go on.