St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-02
CHAMPION CORbETT
Enlightens minnesota Legis-
Iators en- the Ethics Of the
Squared Circle.
STEND~UP VS.. KNOCK-D0NN.
Fatalities Accounted for on
Theory OF Natural De-
cay III Man.
PADDED RING AND GLOVES.
Corbett Gives His Ideas on
the Kind OF Laws That
Are Needed.

There were a dozen or more legislat-
ors in the party that gathered in Parior
c at the Ryan yesterday. Ii is there
James j . CUrbett Is located during his
stay in St. Paul, and the Sol0Es desired
TO hear The champion boxer express his
opinions On the best method Of pre-
venting brutality in prize fight
lng. The GLOBE reporter was
allowed in tile conference only on
the condition that no names should be
mentioned. AS the conference was not
official in any sense, and as Eo good
purpose could be served by publishing
theIG. names will be omitted.
A senator hailing from leading town
In the Sixth district stated the desires
of the delegation, ana Mt. Corbett
cheprfulIy assented to the request for
his views. He handed around perfectos
to those vino smoked and ordered sumo
lemonade and Kentucky wine for tie
party.
"Gentcmen." said Corbett, Il nave
come well defined ideas on prize fight
ing, so-calied, and l hope you will be-
Iieye ME when l say that the brutality
so freely alleged by people who have
never seen a prize fight or fair stand
up fight Of any kind, is almost entirely
Lacking. a rough and tumble fight
between schoolboys. even. will develop
more OF The quiescent Drutishness or
civilized man than q we'll ordered box
ing match possibly can. When the
ordinary barroom fight or drunken
street bIaWI is c0nsidered-Where men
throw each other down and kick, gouge,
scratch, and even bite-tlien such
meeting as l VIII engage in with FItz-
simmons becomes a mere test OF clever
ness ana quickuess."
"But why should men train so long
and arduOus!y for these matches if that
is tie case, Mr.. Corbet?" asked one.
My dear sir, you are a much older
man than |, and mach better versed,
probably. III literary methods. l will
partially answer your question, there
fore. DY asking another. Yankee fash
i0n: Why do men like Depew. BTeckin-
ridge, your own Davis and D0nnelly,
always want ample uotice if they are to
deliver an Grafton? Simply because
they must 20 into training. They must
read up, study, think ont the various
lines or branches OF their subject; in
short, prepare themselves to do
Justice to the occasion. their au-
dieuces and themselves. 1t is for the
same reason that a boxer must nut him
self under the often harsh and always
lab3ri0us tasks imposed by 4 conscien-
tiOus trainer. Wmle a fight may only
endure a few minutes, it is more likely
to continue several hours; and you will
easily recall instances where two clever
weu-trained men have boxed until even
the spectators were tired. 1t is matter
of plain duty that ]. or any other box er,
shOul become rs sound, alert, quick
md strong, as perfect physically as we
can. ANA training Of the head, restraint
of the passions, temperng Of the mind
and those very important organs, the
heart and lungs. are decidedly as i'm
poytant as the mere development of
muscle and hitting force"
How do you account for the fatalities
recently occurring in the prize ring?"
asked a member OF the delegation. who
is q physician and a close student OF
passing eYentS.
Easily enough. Stranger things hap+
pen every day III almost every c0mmun~
.ty. a uuan Is sitting quietly in a char
and lis life ends in an instant. Physi-
clans say il was heart disease, apopieXy,
oVer-eXerli0n. bursting of a blood YES
sci OIL tie brain. that caused DEATH
Whatever it was, the moment came
when lie thread OF lite could not
longer withstand the strain. ANY
of ip i4l "a
so with the pugIiist. Ninety nine
fights may occur and no person will be
hurt enough to keep him in bed an
hour. But one OF the participants in
the hundredth will BE fatally deficient
in some vital part even though apDaT-
ertly sOdEd rs you look at MIN. The
warmth and excitement, chance blow,
perhaps with a big glove, any one OF Il
score Uf CAUSES weakcns the man, the
nerve force leaves him, collapse fol
lows, and tEen the end.
In the Outline fights TOugnnGsS and
brute strength eXerJcd to the full sell
dom or never resulted in death. There
is even less chance of fatalities today.
And yet, understand ME, l am
not an advocate OF prize fight
ing, nor do l advise any one
to take up with the business.
am in it just as [ might be in any
business. To NE il is 4 field Of effort
where, 1 think, | can succeed with the
best OF them: otherwise | would not be
in II for L day. And, as 1t is mean 10
quit after the test with titZsimm0ns."
DO you not consider, Mi. COrbett,
that padded rings and large gloves
would do away With much that is re-
pugHant in boxing matches"
Most assuredly,' said the champion,
as lie rose TO emphasize The remark.
legislatures might we'll provide that
such safeguards snail be provided. AS
long as human nature Is what it is, as
long a. men are born full of animal
spirits, vim, energy, and inspired by a
desire 10 90 something out of the Ordi-
nary. 10 display superior strength and
cleYerneSs, Just SO long will athletic
pursuits, ike fencing, rowing. boxing
and even football playing, remain il
favor. OF course, even the best thing
can be abused; but / maintain tina
proper, ana even liberal, laws Will bet
Ter serve the public interest than strin.
gent or oppressive enactments that vii
have. in great many cases, the etfec
TO array public sentiment agains
them"
Several other questions we're asket
OF the big Californian, and they were a.
answered in manner that surprise
tie QueSuOuer5 and gave them som
new ideas regarding the boxing busi
ness. COrGett shows a grasp of til
question and an understanding Of il
various phases that proves him to tee
great deal OF i student and a thinker a
well as 2n athlete.
VI ben The conference was breaking
up, several Of the leading men of til
delegation expressed themselves as be
ing highly pleased with the answer