The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-06

rent events at the Everyday church
yesterday afternoon Rev. George l..
Perrin took for his subject the Jeffries-
Sharkey pugillstic contest In the
course of his remarks, Mr.. Perrin said;
BRUTAL BUSINESS.
"one can hardly mention without
apology, even on the street, much less
In a church. the horrible brutal prize
fight which occurred In Concy Island,
y. Y. on Friday evening.
And yet a minister of the Gospel
were surely ei,her very Indifferent or
foolishly sensitive who could not. under
the head OF current events. find it in
his heart To marshal his invective to
the condemnation Of this ghastly and
dreadful picture OF brutality exhibited
I'm the name OF sport. More than once
] have lifted up my voice i'm defence
OF athletics. whether amateur OF pro-
fesslonal. whether in or out Of college.
! believe IN and appreciate nearly ev-
cry form of modern athletics. including
boxing. | have little sympat thy with
that indolent sort OF manhood which
is afraid of perspiring and that fiabby
sort of manhood which is afraid Of
right. therefore. to speak my full mind
in condemnation Of such disgusting
horribly debauchng, bruially debasng
scenes as that at COney Island. And
tell you frankly that I'm my judgment
every man concerned i'm IL. ought not
only To be held up to the execration
and detestatiOn Of all decent people.
-fur thdt wUUft uDt trouble them much,
but they ought also 10 serve each 1t
least one year in the penltentiary, or
long enough 30 tame their hestial in
stincts, and every newspaper which
spread out the filthy details for the
delectaton of the morbid and criminal
classes ought TO be boycottod for a
twelve month.
"IT WAS NOT SPORT"
There may be those who think /
am unfair 10 the sport. The very US
of the word sport as applied TO such
fiendish business as that OF the Co1ey
Island Athletic club makes me indig
nant. Read this single paragraph and
then tell me If any one could exagger-
ate its horrlbieness:
Twenty fourth round-Jeffries up
percut Jeffries tried TO put a right
across. He landed a stiff uppercut and
followed it with another He brought
the right across. but Il was q little
wild. SharkeY was 80 weak he could
hardly stand. Jeffries put the right
and left over the heart lie kept try
ing with the right and left, but could
not land Sharkey was badly hur,.
The gong alone saved Sharkey
And vet we have Boston newspapers
IN spread this out with nauseating de-
tail enough Ia cover a whole brCadside.
Here is yet another sample
Sharkey In his dressing room inn
medately after the baftlc presented a
most pitiabie appearance. He was cry
L. ls.er IL.
punishment. His left eye was closed
and badly puffed. His left ear was
swollen and bleeding. and the ght
side OF his face was out of shape. Two
ribs on his left side were broken. and
he was lying on a couch suffering great
pain
And all this for what? Why. for
gold. of course. Ten thousand people
went to see the fight, the smallest ad-
mission fee being So. This for the en-
Iichment of the beastly ighters and
the qualification of the morbid mob
who gloat over the bloody spectacle.
These half-human beasts have been
driven from Arkansas. from Louisiana.
from Texas. IN TACT. from all the South
only Ia be permi,ted TO find refuge in
New York. AZ II New York were not
already burdened with sins. As II II
were nCt enough To have Tammany
croker. Pratt. ct al. hanging about her
back like the dead body Of .yiant
But 20 mako her reputation still more
unSavnry. she must take on this h1r-
rible ConcV Island mad nanagerie OF
wild beasts and protec; them with her
precious SQUADS Of d'sreDutable police.
poor New York, Let us hope that there
are still a few decent people left I'm her.
enough perhaps. 10 make IL worth
while for the Lord To- send another
T,nab as 10 the NineVeh of old 4"