The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-29
CONTESTANTS ARE PlNCHED.
TIE SHERIFF IND POSSE DROP IN
ON THE GLOTE CONTEST


Mailing the Principals and Seconds.
In olden times it is said that
all roads led to Rome, but in the
modern time many of our local
sports think they lead to and
from Crockett's Opera House,
and that many roads led from
this place was amply demonstra.
ted on Friday evening last as
the familiar face of Sheriff
Butchart, accompanied by sew.
eral deputies, dropped in upon
a ten round exhibition ia the
manly art and nailed the pr,nci-
pals and seconds in the midst of
the third round.
This act was the result of q
telegram received by the Sheriff
from Gov. Clough, advising him
that he had been informed that a
''prize fight" was to be pulled off
here on that evening and in
structing him to see to it that
the affair was stopped. Accord :
ingly, Sheriff Butchart, instead
of wiring his deputy at this point
to stop the alleged or reported
mill, at a probable cost of so cts,
chartered special train on the
D. M. & NJ, and with four dep
uties and a gunny-sack filed
official bracelets, arrived in the
city at about 10 o'clock.
1t was still too early for active
operations, but instead Of show
ing up the party secluded them
selves in the dark recesses of our
back streets and alleys, sending
a spotter up to buy a ticket and
take in the situation, and as the
two contestants Of the evening
appeared and the referee made
the opening announcement that
it would be a ten round sparring
exhibition for points, the confre.
res on the outside were notified
that the time for making a rec
ord had arrived, with the result
that in the swoop that followed
the principals and four support
ers were taken as triumphant
trophies to the county bastile.
At the hearing of the sextette
on Monday they were fined 500
and SIS respectively, o: 80 and
IS days in the county Jail,
This is the first moral wave
that has ever struck Virginia to
our knowledge, and in the esti
nation Of many was q fight
against an imaginary. mountain
which was much rearer a mole
hill than are many things which
have always been passed unno-
ticed. In the past there have
been fights for blood, cock fights
to the death and dog-fghts ga
lore which have 0een passed up
awaiting the time when under a
new administration blow might
be struck.
The Enterprise is not a stick
ler for manly contests-unless
they be with bare knuckles-and
is not at all disappointed to see
such things stopped. But we
do not believe in people keeping
one eye closed and passing up
all other violations of law and
order, winKing at houses of i'll.
fame and dens of iniquity. If
this start has been made in a
spirit of honesty of purpose, let
the work go on; but let it be
so conducted that at least T. trace
of the virtue of consistency may
be discernable. It is known
fact, not only to our local author
tiles but to the county authori-
ties as we'll, to the instigators of
this Alpha of morality as we'll as
to the element who make no pro-
fession of righteousness, that we
live in a community where can
be found daily and hourly viola
tions of perhaps as harmful a
nature. the existence of which
have been co-existent with the
town, against which seldom a
syllable is heard and against
which meyer a hand has yet been
raised, and if the instigators of
that moral wave which swept
the prize-ring from the city
would show an honesty and con-
sistency of purpose, it now be-
comes incumbent upon them to
play the string through, without
fear or favor,
| Where Is The City Recorder.