Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-06
PUGILIsTs SHAKE HANDS,
But Their Subsequent. Actions Seem to Ind
cate Insincerity.

But Their Subsequent. Actions Seem to Indi-
cate Insincerity.
| From the New York Sun.
Ordinarily the handshake is regarded as an
evidence Of friendliness on the part of those
who perform the operation, but whom two
pugilists, prepared for q desperate contest,
clasp each other by the hand the action loses
all its friendly significance and becomes moth
ing more than a hollow mockery.
| Two men have signed articles to fight to q
finish, which means until one or the other has
been pummeled SO hard as to be unable to
| continue Each 10 determined to infict as
much physical injury on his opponen. as is
| possible, with due regard for the rules under
| which they battle. and yet before they begin
the work Of battering each other they shake
hands with a great show of apparent friendh-
| ness.
The spectators are OF course aware that the
| fighters are simply going through q FORM and
| that the subsequent battle will lose none OF its
| fercehess because Of the show OF temporary
| good feeling
| While the preliminary handshake is some
| what farclcal the ceremony performed at the
| close of the contest is the most pronounced
| burlesque. When the last round is over the
| exhausted combatants are dragged to their
| corners by their seconds, and the work of
sponging and rubbing the fighters goes on
| vigorously
| Meanwhile the referee, with kuotted brow,
| is pacing about the ring endeavoring to decide
| which had the best of the encounter, and where
| fight has been close this is no easy task.
| Having decided, the referee whispers to the an
nouncer, and the latter holds up his hand as
signal for quiet, and when the buzz Of talk has
ceased the announcer says: 1.-The referee de-
| cides that Bangs has won the fight"
Thereupon there is a loud yell from the per-
| sons who bet their money on Bangs. while those
| who wagered cash on the other fellow express
| 1ISanprOVal hos
| become used to that sort of thing. and he merely
smiles at the misses. 1t is when the announcer
has spoken the name of the victor that the
| pugilists become objects of exceeding interest.
While waiting for the decision the contest
ants, if not too badly injured sit with their
| necks craned forward in an effort to catch the
| first word. When the successful man hears
| his name spoken he springs from his chair,
| and. with look of extreme pleasure on his
| bruised and bleeding face, rushes across the
| ring to the corner where his opponent sits.
seizes the hand of the latter, and wrings it with
| an air Of the greatest cordially.
The defeated pugilist sits sullen and disap-
pointed. He feels that he has been robbed by
the referee and he permits the other fellow to
| do all the handwriting. As q matter of fact
| the winner does not shake hands because of a
| friendly feeling for his defeated opponent, his
action being more in the nature Of sponta-
neous outburst of exultation over his own VIC
| tory.
! contestants Is
/ completely knocked out the victor simply shakes
the nerveless hand of his victim and climbs out
| of the ring.
| The few minutes between the time that the
contestants enter the ring and the beginning of
! the fight are full Of interest The pugilists sit
| in their corners, and before each stands a sec
ond, who flaps towel in a lazy sort of way in
| front OF the lighters face.
The principals have coats thrown over their
bare shoulders, in order that they NAV not be-
! come chilled before hostilities commence
Then the work of putting on the gloves begins
The seconds first push the hair away from
the back OF the glove, just over the knuckes.
after which they pull it on the hand and tie it
at the wrist, SO there is no possibility of Slip
Then the announcer says the spectators will
| have to stop smoking or the fight will not go
on. With general growl cigars are smudged,
upon which the referee looks at the men and
asks if they are ready. A nod in the affirma-
tive. and he remarks with emphasis, Shake
hands"
The men rise from their chairs, their cover
inSs are snatched off by seconds, and the pugil-
lists meet in the center of the ring and shake
| hands, according to the instructions Of the ref
cree. Then they turn and start toward their
corners.
Before they have taken three steps a gong
gives out one sharp, harsh stroke which is the
signal for the beginning of the fight. The men
wheel about, put up their gloved hands, walk
around each other wariiy, all the time watching
| each other like a cat does a mouse
The floor OF ring is always sprinkled with
| powdered rosin, and at the close of round the
| spectators who sit close to the ringside and
! near the corners receive unpleasant sur
prise.
! Tanning the pugilist begins as soon as he
/ sinks into his seat and is ontinued until the
next round is called. The tanning is usually
| done with "A large towel, and this fills the air
with the rooin dust, which settles on the clothes
| OF the oniookers
Another unpleasant feature is the practice
! some seconds follow of taking a mou;hful of
water and squirting it at the pugilist in the
form of spray. The spectators frequently re-
ceive more Of the spray than the pugilist. There
are many interesting features of pugilsm that
do not appear in the reports OF the contests.