Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-01


by inficting pain. The day of ill treating
pigeons before trapping them is past as far
big cities are concerned. 1t may be found
in country places, and that is the only real
cruelty, because if wounding bird when
on the wing is cruel then every man who
goes hunting and is good enough shot to
hit live bird can be charged with the
crime of cruelty to animals, if there is any
logic in the question at all.
Regarding the definition of cruelty to
pigeons Judge Parsons opinion is on
record. Depend upon it if our philan-
| thropic societies would look little more
beneath the surface for cases instead Of
making noise about very small and fimsy
| matters that are public, there would be
many vicious evils remedied and much
| good done. A good turn done in obscurity
is more creditable than one done i'll public.
Those very trivial matters in public seem
to command much more of the time OF our
reformers than the very great and serious
| matters in obscurity. Is it desire tor
notoriety more than the desire to do good
THAT prompts this?
Hall and Fitzslmmons Onos More.
Probably no two pugilists of recent years
have had more to say about each other than
| have James Hall and Robert Fitzsimmons
They have blackguarded each other almost
as much as 1t is possible for two men to do,
but whether Or not this has been for effect
don't know. assume that both men are in
earnest, and on this assumption We will
have littls talk about the latest phase Of
the efforts to get the two men together.
Just when we alt thought that contest
between them was sure Hall calls halt-at
least, he and his manager do. Here we
have another illustration of this scheming
method of managing" boxers and pugilists.
Hall, for we must use his name and not that
of his manager, declines to fight at the time
demanded BY the club putting up the purse
and agreed to by Fitzsimmons, viz, next
September. In this Hall is entirely to
blame, and his action will lead many people
to believe that he does not want to fight
Fitzsimmons at all. and only wants to talk
according to the promptings of that shrewd
man, Parson Davies.
1t is easy to see the unreasonable and
scheming policy of Davies in this matter
Here is club offering a purse of no less
than 81, 900 for two men, one of whom may
be rank cur. He has not been tried at all
since he landed in this country, but, like
Maher, has been doomed to the most ex-
travagant extent, only to get the public
dollars at shows. Despite this very i'm
por.ant fact this untried man will not con-
sent to a contest at a time when profit is
certain for those who offer the purse. On
the contrary, Hall not only declines to fight
when the Olympic wants him, but insists on
going to England before the contest to trade
on the fact of his going to fight Fitz
for such big purse as is offered. This is
the entire matter in a nutshell, and it says
very little for Mr.. Davies, particularly
after the noise he has made about the COM
parative merits of Hall and Fitzsimmons.
If the present efforts to arrange a match
between these men fail it is hard to tell
when they will ever meet That they have
not met in the ring before now is no fault
of Fitzsimmons, for firmly believe that he
is courageous enough to meet anybody
Halls record on this point is not so good.
He kicked and squirmed for weeks about
weight, and now that Fitzsimmons has con-
ceded him everything and the remarkable
purse of S12, 1000 has been offered, Hall
raises another objection. Surely the public
ought to get tired OF q lot of these boxers.
Tho Lightweight Champions.
Last week I said something to the effect
that McAuliffe and Myer would not meet
again. No sooner had I said that than the
newscomes that they had agreed to fight
during the week of the Sullivan-Corbett
fight There were good reasons for saying
what did say, and although they have
agreed to fight there may still never be e
contest.
But all admirers and patrons of the ring
will be glad if a contest does take place be-
tween these two famous lightweights, al
though it would have been much better if
they had fought year or so ago. Interest
in the proposed battle greatly depends
on the condition Of McAuliffe. If
he can get into as good
he met Austin Gibbons he will surprise me-
If he is not his chances will not be very
good.
Even at this date, SO far from the proposed
battle, it may safely be said that the battle
will not be short one. We have seen that
Myer can wait and wait with effect He
made draw with McAuliffe the last time
they met, and he waited long enough
against Jimmy Carroll to defeat him. He
is sure to wait against McAuliffe, and the
latter will not be as likely to stay next
September as he has been in past contests
thing like definite conclusion as to the
outcome of the contest.
johnson and Dixon.
After all we are going to have a battle
between Fred johnson, the English cham
pion bantam weight, and George Dixon, the
colored youth and champion of the world
johnson is on his journey to this country
now, and arrangements have been made to
have the battle take place in the East
Without something very unexpected takes
place the two little champions will fight
before long, and their contest is sure to be
an interesting one.
/ trust that partisans will not be offended
if express the hope that johnson will get
better fair play in the East than did the
other English champion who fought there.
viz, Jem Carney. That he was robbed of
do, b but there is every indication that the
psrtIes who are promoting the battle will
see that the stranger has fair play. 1t is
natural to expect that Dixon will be
the favorite, but johnson will have quite a
number of friends.
twill be seen that the styles of the two
champions are very dissimilar. in many re-
spects. As far as science is concerned John
son, in nv estimation, will show up much
better than Dixon, but the latter has other
advantages that may counterbalance this
One thing l feel pretty confident of, and
that is that Dixon will find johnson a yery
difficult customer to hit, but the colored
man may have much the better of it SO far
as strength is concerned.
Pugilists in General.
There really has been little going on dur
ing the week among the 'tactive" pugilists.
Little Van Heest has again demonstrated
the fact that he is a good man in his class,
Long ago came to the conclusion that he
was of the right material. and the way in
which he polished off George Siddons the
other day stamps him as one among the best.
Tommy Hogan, a Pittsburger, bv the way,
= l. out trC