The herald., 1897-05-17
THE PUGILISTS

To those who have not followed the
game closely the statement that during
the first four months of 1897 more men
have died from the effects of fist blows
that were ever before killed in the ring
IN year, will come in the nature of
surprise. But such is the case, and
further, more than half Of the fatalities
have occurred since the Corbett-Fitz-
simmons fight, due to a great extent
to limitations of the blow with which
Fitzsimmons won that battle. Never
before was pugilism as prosperous as
ii is now, and this being the case, pro-
moters and managers of coming fights
should at once start in to devise some
means of lessening the danger of fistic
contests. In discussing this phase of
the situation, Sporting Life says:
So far. the powers that be in authority
have been wonderfully lenlent with the
survivore of the fatal bouts, but that is
no reason for Indifference on the part Of
officials of the clubs. Unless, they do,
some night there will be a fatality, and
those who aided and abetted in bringing
off the contest will find themselves COM
PEELED to stand trial for manslaughter.
In the first place, no man should be al
lowed to contest In a boxing bout who Is
not In good health and properly trained.
Every club should employ competent
physician, who should make at least four
examinations Of contestants while they
are training. He should pay especial at
tention to the condition Of the heart Of
each intending contestant. No man
should be permitted to box whose heart
is not in good condition. 1t is said that
Frank Erne has heart trouble. If this is
true, he should never be permitted to
fight again. There are others who have
cardiac affections. That they are not
"faint-hearted," in the sense of being
curs, but their hearts are not sound in a
physical sense. Such men are unfit for
ring contest.
Having aslcertained that the contest
ants are physically sound, the managers
of clubs should see that the floors of thei,
rings are properly carpeted with rubber
felt or other suitable material, which
will prevent shocks sufficient to cause
conclusion of the brain, should the head
of either contestant collide with it sharp
iy. The stakes, should also be padded. 1t
is seldom. indeed, that blow from fist,
properly incased in duly padded glove,
is sharp enough to cause concuseion of
the brain, but blow can knock groggy
man down with such suddenness that his
head will strike with terrific force on a
floor. If the floor is properly rubbered,
felted or padded, such a blow may put it's
recipient temporarily to sleep, but not
one in ten thousand times will it kill him.
The rings of the best clubs are thus prop
erly cared for, but there are plenty
throughout the country that are not.
Two-thirds Of the ring fatalities Of the
year have been due to heart and stomach
blows. They are by far the most danger
Gus blows that can be inflicted in ring,
because they are not "foul'' and they at
tack mans vitals. At present there is no
way of guarding against them or their
effects, except by the stiffness or skill Of
the man they are aimed at. The cleverest
men in the ring have their "off" mo-
ments, when such blows can be landed.
A pneumatic belt or pad can be made
which will greatly lessen the force Of
euch blows, or at least their shocking
power. Such belt or pad properly
made would minimize all danger of men
being killed by heart blows in the pit
Of the stomach.
"A correspondent asked Macon the
following question: 'In cases where
fighters have contested a second time,
what is the percentage Of cases in which
the defeated man in the first fight has
reversed the verdict in the second en-
counter" The reply was as follows:
This is question which am unable to
answer accurately. From memory, how
ever, will say that as rule the win
ner of a first fight generally vanquishes
his opponent in a second encounter.
This is tantamOunt to saying that in all
f1stic encounters the best man generally
wins. Tom Cribb beat Molyneux twice
and Tom Spring twice defeated Jack
Randall, twice defeated Martin the ba-
ker, and in the American ring Billy Ed
wards repeatedly defeated Sam Collyer;
Fitzeimmons has thrice defeated Peter
Maher, who, in turn, has three times
vanquished Steve O'Donnell. George
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