Kansas City journal., 1898-01-25
"PARsON" DAVIES TELLS WHY Box.
ING RULES SHOULD BE CHANGED.
BASEBALL MAGNATES MEET.
WESTERN AND EASTERN I,E4GUE
REPRESENTATIVES, IN BUFFALO.
Chinese COxswain for CornclI-More
Foreign Bicycle Riders Coming
-Fieischmnnns Refuse to
Release Jockey sloane
Sporting Notes.

None of the boxing contests that have
taken place in America has been under
the Marquis of QuecnsbeIry rules was
the surprising statement ''Parson' Davies
made TO a Chicago newspaper man. when
John l.. Sullivan boxed Tug Wilson at
Madison Square garden the contest was
advertised to be under Queensberry rules.
but II was not. and the events that have
followed that contest have been no nearer
Queensherry contests than the Sullivan
Wilson match. The Marquis of Queensberry
framed the rules bearing his name for anna
teurS only. The so-called Quecnsberry
rules that govern boxing contests in this
country are a set OF endurance rules framed
by George W. Atkinson. OF London Sport
ing Life.
How do / know? Well. in July. 1851
John l.. Sullivan knocked out Captain
James Dalton, and i had a controversy re-
garding the rules governing the contest
with BILLY Emmett, then manager of the
Academy of Music, TO settle which | wrote
10 Atkinson, He mailed to me a sporting
manual issued by his paper, an authority
in England. On one page WAS the Mar
quis of Queensberry rules for amateurs
and on an opposite page set of rules by
Atkinson. Written on the margin of the
latter set of rules was this by Mr.. Atkn-
son himself, These are not Queensberry
rules, but rules framed by myself for con-
tests of endurance
These are the very same rules under
which boxing contests in America are now
conducted, and which are here called Mar
quis of Queensbcrry rules
More than that, Ed Plummer, a New
YORK sporting writer at the time, and re-
Gently connected with the bicycle riders,
Informed me that he assisted Mr. Atkinson
IN framing the rules for contests of en-
durance, and that they were not the rules
OF Inc marquis for amateur contests.
The so-called Queensberry rules need re-
vision. Why don't / do it? l willing
TO DO my part to assist in the work. The
hnF rhHr .,l,1
test questions about the construction of
the rules. and previous agreement is neces-
sary between the referee and the men rel
atlVe TO hitting and going down. shows
that the rules are not explicit and are sub
1ect 10 several constructions. That Il evil
dence enough that they are ambiguous. As
they now stand the rules leave a man open
to go down without a blow. If one man
falls the rules say the other man is to re-
tire to his corner Suppose the fallen man
is in the corner of the one on his feet. |
should think the referee might step in be-
tween the fallen man and his antagonist.
Then the articles say If fallen man
falls 10 respond in ten seconds il is in the
power of the referee to give his award in
favor of the other. This should be made
imperative. Rule says man hanging
TO the ropes with his toes off the ground
shall be considered down. This should be
stricken out, for "A man may be leaning
with his arms and back against the ropes,
his heels on the platform and his toes up.
When Frank Glover and Tom Chandler
met some years ago in Battery ID Glover
was knocked down and senseless in Just
Two minutes and fifty-two seconds, eight
seconds from the expiration of the three
minutes of the round. Glover would have
been counted out. but | insisted that he
was entitled TO his minute rest He was re-
suscitated and. going in. beat Chandler |
The rules should give a man his minute |
rest when he cannot be counted out with
In the three minutes of the round. Rule 6 |
says no second or other person is to be al |
lowed IN the ring during rounds. II should |
De changed TO none other than the prnci- |
pals ana the referee. for the referee is al |
ways IN the ring, yet he should not under |
the rules strictly construed. A man on |
one Knee Is considered down. according to |
rule TO- and is entitled to the Stakes Why |
not the decision? Rule II. about boots or |
shoes with springs. which really means |
'sprigs a nail without a head. is sIIper- |
fluous.
And. finally, rule IL. which says that in
all other respects the contest shall be GOV
erned by revised London prize ring rules.
should be changed TO read that ali ones,
tons not provided for in the rules shall bo
determined by the referee
1t Is not In the province of the referee
10 push man back when he is lowering
over fallen antagonist. But. to settle ali
these matters. my idea would be TO have
Ihe boxing clubs of New York Boston
Philadelphia. Chicago. ST. Louis New Or
eans and San Francisco send representa-
IlNes TO meeting to revise the rules of |
boxing. Why not get up a boxing league
or the protection OF the boxer and The NH
ic? Yes. the public: ii needs protection
" ny. the way the latter day boxers in
ict themselves upon the public would show
hat the people need prOfecrion |