The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-03
Bill Passed by both Houses I'm Three
Hours Making Prixe-Ffxhtfng =
Penifentiary OGense.
THE LAW NOW IN EFFECT
ONLY SIX NEGATIVE VOTES IN ALL
c.sv AGAINST THE MEASURE.
CuIber~on Congratulated ON His Vie
tory-English Champion vaIentine
Bested by McKeever.

a eN., Ocl. -.-tntfts Will DC NO
prize fight at Dallas Oct 81 between Cor
bett and Fitzsimmons. This fact was set
tied this afternoon by the Texas I<egisla-
ture in exactly three hours by the
watch. The two committees, one in the
Senate and the other in the House. gave
audience to Dallas attorneys all the morn
ing TO ascertain their objections and pro-
tests 10 the passage OF the law After
hearing them Until noon the two commit-
tees adjourned. This afternoon when the
two houses met, at 5 O'Clock. both COM
mittees were ready 10 report, and the SEN
ate bill was very promptly considered.
From the time the bill was placed before
the Senate until il had finally passed was
exactly fifty five minutes During this
time Senator Dean offered the bill and
Senator Lasker spoke in its favor These
were the only two gentlemen who spoke
on the bill the others satisfying them
selves by voting The vote on the final
passage OF the bill was twenty-seven yeas
and one nay, Dean being the negative
vote. The bill Immediately sent over
to the House, and at o'clock that body
began discussing it. substituting the Sen
ate bill for the House bin. After several
members had spoken on the bill and the
emergency feature pro and con. a final
vote was reached at 6 o'clock precisely,
and the bill passed the House by vote OF
10 to 8. Thus, within three hours, did the
Texas Legislature forever put an end TO
prize lighting in Texas.
This time yesterday 1t would have been
impossible to have passed this bill with
an emergency clause. There were only
ninety-two members present yesterday.
and of that number fifteen were opposed
s.lurt Z
sary TO have eighty-six votes to carry
the emergency clause. The administration
forces readily saw that the minority would
do them" II the matter came to vote.
so they Immediately wired all their friends
to come here Immediately. and then sat
about killing time until their forces could
arrive. They had eighty-two only last
night but the absentees came iocking in
on to-dav's trains. Each additional ar
rival added to the administration forces,
ami when everything was arranged the
rush for the vote was made. The fight
managers were confused at the way the
solons swarmed in this morning and prac-
ticaliy gave up the fight by O'Clock this
afternoon. 1t was almost a certainty this
morning that the Popuiists would be called
over to the Dallas side OF the question.
but a cog was slipped. and this evening
they voted with the administration forces.
which. cinched the matter.
Governor Culberson's friends consider IL
a great victory for him and lost no op-
,crtunity tonight 10 congratulate his Ex-
cellency on the outcome of one OF the
hottest and. IL might be safely termed. one
OF the bitterest as well as shortest polit-
icai fights ever brought up in the Lone Star
State on any one single man. The bill that
will prohibit prize fighting In Texas in
future. as passed to-day. reads as follows;
Section /. Be 1t enacted by the Legisla-
ture OF the State of Texas. That any per-
son who shall voluntarily engage In =
pueilistic encounter between man ana man
or a fight between man and a bull or
any other animal. for money or other thing
of value or for any championship, or
uron the result Of which any money or
anything of value is bet or wseehsn; "a chsr..S a
either directly or Indirectly. shall b
deemed guilty of a felony and upon con-
viction shall De pumsned oy % som ,,l,s
in the penitentary not less than TWO nor
sSection ?. BY the term 'pugilistic en
count er,' as used In this act rs mean. any
blows Of the fists. or otherwise. wnether
with or without gloves, between two men
op o1r for %os any championship, or for any Other
thing of value. or upon the result OF wntcn
any money or anything OF value IL bet
section g. That all laws and parts of
laws in conflict herewith be and the same
are hereby repealed. -
aSectfon 4 The fact that there IL now
No adeouate penalty against prize hG0tfng
or pueiiism, or against Nights between man
and beast. creates an imperative pupnc
necessity and emergency requiring the Bu1~
pension of the constitutional rule requiring
bills 10 be read on three several days ane
that this law should take effect and Dc ~
force from and after its passage. and IL -
hereby so enacted. - "A.
cussion in the House yesterday Represente-
tive Evans of Hunt. offered an amendment
70 strike out the clause with reference 20
a fight between man and a bull. claiming
that its presence i'm the bill made u un-
| constitutional As there was some discus
sion on the matter last night in the iop-
| bjes a reporter hunted Mr. Evans up. anu
| in reply to a question. that gentleman SAID:
| THE Senate bill. which passed the House.
| contains two subjects. and Is In v1oietion
| Of Article g. Section - OF the Constitution
| of the state OF Texas. which provides th4t
| no law sfau contain more than one SUD
| tect which shall be expressed in ITS utie-
| A plain and simple law against prize nfnt-
| ing was the occasion for the assembling
| of the Twenty-fourth Legislature. ana AZ
REPRESENTATIVES. shc1tid not nave en-
| dangered the law by attempting TO pro
hibit a brutal practice that occurs only ~
| foreign country