Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-18
THE DEATH KILL OF pUGILlSR.
SPORTS THINK BowEN's DEATH
WILL SURELY KILL 1T.
jack Dempsey Much Depressed by
the Trngedy What Diiiinrdist
Ives ThinIs-Many sporting Men
Pass Their Opinion.

end OF Andy Bowen IS stlll the theme
Of conversation and nearly all the
sports regard his death as the knoll
to the sport in this country.
None OF the visiting sporting men,
perhaps, feel as grieyed over the death
Of Bowen as Jack Dempsey, the cele-
brated "Nonpariel Of America, as he is
called in pugilistic circles. Dempsey
can hardly talk about the occurrence
without the tears coming TO his eyes.
He and Andy Bowen were the best OF
friends. AS Dempsey says. they were
known together as Bowen and
Dempsey" and az Dempsey and
Bowen" and that their names were
50 linked as the mention of the one
was the suggestion OF the other. Demp-
sey was found last night on Rampant
street, whore, he said, he was vainly
trying to drown his sorruw. His con-
yersauon was more or less lncoherent.
and he spoke repeatedly OF the accusa-
tons against prize lighters as to their
being brutal and ruflians.
Dempsey said he was no brute, but
had heart as big as any ones. and that
he could hardly bear to think Of
Bowen's death.
II had rather have lost 100 fights than
to have seen Bowen killed" he would
say every now and then. The money
part Of prize fighting. he said, was a
small consideration with him, He spoke
pf having a Christian heart and re-
GREETED that there were people in the
world who would say he and others
were bruteB because they were prize
fighters. He would come back to this
thought at short intervals. and was
30 affected when he spoke that he
graspcd the reporters hands, and tears
came 10 his eyes as he would look up
to heaven and say: II am not brute.
I've got a heart" Then he would praise
Andy and denounce the carpenters for
not putting padding under the can.ass
whore Bowen's head struck the floor.
The reporter was utterly unable TO get
Dempsey TO say anything about the
future prize iighting. His mind seemed
too much concentrated on the death Of
Bowen.
Dempsey said that he had heard Of
Ryan making the remark! ITS a good
thing for Dempsey the fight didn / come
on" He says he went to Ryan when he
heard what the latter had said, and de-
uounced him as cur, Dempsey dwet
on cowardicc. and said there was no
man living that could accuse him OF
being afraid Of any one. He stated that
he proposed TO Ryan TO get In car
riagc. each taking a friend, and go to
some remote spot and fight a out with
out gloves and without any one know
ing anything about Il. IL was then,
Dempsey states, he called him Il cur for
making such remark.
None or the puglllsts are apparently
80 much broken up over Bowen's death
as tho "Nonparcu"
Frank c. Ives, the champion billiard
LIST, said he very much regretted the
death Of Bowen, mainly for tho reason
that he was killed In a fair fight put
up by 10th men. He saw the mill and
gave close attention to every blow
passed between the contestants. 1T
was fair fight from start 70 finish"
he said, land l am sure no one more
regrets the death OF Bowen than the
man that killed hlu Until the last it
looked like a friend Y contest for fun,
and oven then there was no especial
smuggling. Bowen was weakened from
having the worst Of the fight. hut
would never have died II his head had
not struck the floor with go much force
In my opinion 1t was conclusion OF
the brain that caused his DEATH The
door was hard and unnadded whore
F9wen fell, It Is unfortunate that he
fell In the manner In which he did, for
had his head not struck the floor with
such force the fan could not have killed
him"
"Don't you think Bowen's death
sounds the kuell Of the prize fighting
Eyes, | believe the sport viii not only
cease TO be p1tronized but will no LON
ger be countenancod, The death OF
Bowen couvlnces ne that ns a snort n
Is too brutal and should not be allowed
any more. Heretofore, men who hive
been killed We're done up under clrcum-
stances not altogether natural to the
prize ring. They have either been
drinking or otherwise IN n bad condl-
ton, enabling successive blows from an
opponent TO knock them out, or causing
lheln 10 expose weak spots TO the
onsloughts OF the opposition, But now
since the death of Rlordan and OF
Bowen, IL convinces me that the snort
~ brutal, and fatal too often 10 be
longer countenanced. ] am convinced
there should be no more prize fights"
Mr., Ives said he came to Louisiana
for an outing, His happening hero AT
the time OF the carnival was a colnci-
dene0 more than anything else, as ho
did not come to see the fights. But
hc discussed the death OF Bowen with
out hesitanoy
Captain a, C. Arson. Of the Chicago
baseball club, agreed with Mr. Ives, as
the two We're together when found nv
the reporter Mr., a. j. Levy, the we'll
known sporting man, also Endorsed the
above, Captain Arson said he hoped
there would be no more fighting. as he
was satisfied that Il was too brutal 10
be tolerated lie spoke feelluglv OF
Bowen ana praised the good qualities |
OF the dead fighter unsparlngly. He !
said he never saw a falrcr fight in his
NE and he was sorry for Lavlgpe.
whom he knew to deeply regret and
sincerely dcplore the death OF Bowen.
sam Fitzpatrick, one or the seconds |
IN the unfortunate contest, when seen
by a reporter at the Grunewald. was |
somewhat downoast In countenance
He was all alone In the corridor ana
had little TO say 20 any one about him |
Whcn approached for his opinion of the |
auniri he said he was too blue TO talk
much about Il, but regretted exceeding |
" the sad ending OF Bowen and the |
plaek eye his death gave 20 the sport.
Bowen, besides, was good, whole |
souled fellow" said Fitzpatrick, "and an |
mn friends ny every part OF the country |
VIII regret his death, I don't think |
lavigne intended 10 hurt Bowen mi |
felt that In knocking him out he was |
dong tho proper and correct thlnu |
MS all pvgllisis have always endeavnred |
20 haoce out their opponents. to make |
sure OF their victory The death OF |
head striking the tloor. There was NOT
SUFFICIENT paduluE Wdet tnt r....I.s !
or the conclusion could not have mar. /