The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-11
BOXING CONTESTS IN A CHURCH.
A Trenton. n. j., Clergyman Proposes to
Make Prize Fighting Respectable.

Make Prize Fighting Respectable.
There is now in progress at Trenton, N.
j.. a crusade against pr~izefighting and
ring exhibitions of the sensational kind.
ing In its effect. Ii will attract attention
from sporting men and legislators and
civic reformers all over the state.
The propositions that are involved In
the present crusade are TO find out the
legal status of prizefighting and boxing
exhibits; secondly. to make boxing re-
spectacle and worthy the attention of
moral and Christian men. with the pos
sibility of the church giving a support to
boxing and athletic sports in general by
the establishment of an athletic club.
Tn apostle is Rev. A. w. Wishart, pas
I'tor OF the Central Baptist church. who Is
fond of athletic sports. Since his advent
In this city he has been more or less sur
prised at the drift to brutal sports and
during his pastorate there have been es-
tablished a number of boxing clubs and
the town has become the favorite loung-
ing place of all kinds of scrappers.
Trenton enjoys the reputation of being
a place where everything goes" In the
boxing and prizeighting line. The prin-
cipal amusement of the citizens, and
many of them respectable citizens and
church members, was attending scraps
at 81 apiece. Everything became so
'scrappy' and tough around Trenton
that DIR. Wishart invested 81 and attend
ed a big event and was convinced that
they were not athletic contests. but bru-
tai fights. and that too many Christian
young men attended them to be spirit
ua.ly healthy.
He checked any adverse criticism that
might have been made on account of his
going to "the mill by preaching against
those who participated and allowed such
brutal exhibitions. He threw down the
gauntlet to the p~rizenghters and their
hackers. hut they gave the dominic the
laugh and that warmed him up to
greater business. The police declared they
were physical exhibitions and they were
not brutal and they could not act. 1t was
impossible to get an opinion as to the
status OF boxing exhibitions that were
run on for prizes.
The responsibility of giving an opinion
was shifted from one official to the other
until the whole thing took a farcical turn.
and the laugh was on the dominic.
He called the attention OF the Supreme
Court Justice Gummere and Prosecutor
Stockton to the fact that Trenton was
having more than its share of these
knockout shows. and he requested an
Investigation by the grand jury.
The grand jury was a representative
one. but a trifie sporty and fond of good
bouts. They heard Newspaper and sporting
men for several days and brought In a
n~on-committal. whitewashed return to
the effect that sufficient evidence had not
been produced before them to disclose any
violation OF the laws of this state at such
exhibitions.
After this report OF the grand jury
three boxing clubs ran shows in Trenton
every week or two until the fatal bout at
the Palace sporting club on March %. In
whiach Henry Braun met his death In a
contest with Jack Smith. This sad acci-
dent caused the second invest'Pa"~- VT
when the grand jury reported no bill of
Indictment was found against Smith or
any OF the other parties who would have
been liable had the law been violated
However. though no Indictment was
found, the May grand jury put itself on
record as against boxing contests.
DR.. Wishart took a vacation during the
summer and he is now back. with the par
ticular mission To make boxing respecta-
bic. He has made some liberal criticism
from the pulpit. charging hat the former
action OF the court was ~farcical and pub
lie opinion demanded a more consistent
and intelligent investigation. In the mean
while the Trenton sports are having night
~ bouts. giving Trenton a very sporty
reputation abroad.
The October grand Jury Is now In ses-
sion and considerable evidence has been
submitted to them for review. The object
OF the investigation now Is to md out In
what particular the law is weak. so that
II can be remcdied at the next session of
the legislature. IL must he a general state
law and will apply TO Camden, Paterson
and Newark. where lively contests are
very much on the increase.
To show hat he has no malice. nor Is
he a crank on the subject. DIR. Wishart
has offered to raise several hundred dol
lars for the establishment of a club TO
be run on Christian and moral principles,
where clean athletics can he enjoyed. in
Guiding boxing as a scientific encounter.
He has I'm mind a club very much like
that established I'm connection with the
Shoreditch Trinity church of London.
where part OF the church is given over to
n club for men Of the neighborhood. In
which there Is a boxing ring for bouts and
contests and where euchre playing Is al
lowed. This is the only church In the
world that has a boxing ring.