Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-06-16
NEW YORK CHEF OF POLICE ON
THE STAND AGAIN.
He UPH0kDS PRIZE FIGHTING
EvAsIVE IN REGARD TO FITZsIM.
MONs-JEFFRIEs FIGHT.
Refuses to Say Whether or Not Fitz
Was knocked Out-DecIares Such
Contests Are Authorized by
the Horton Law-Usual .
WranSle Occurs.

NEW YORK, June 15.-The sittings of the
| Mazet investigating committee to-day
proved interesting. and in at least one in
| stance exciting. and after a squabble with
| the minority members over the matter of
| adjournment, the sessions were adjourned
until August /.
Chief of Police Devery was called upon
| by Mr.. Moss to explain why he first threat
| ened to stop the Observation-Disclosures prize
| fight, and then went TO the ringside and
| allowed it to go on to a knockout finish.
| Chief Devery admitted that he took an
| interest in prize fights. and upheld prize
fighting and the Horton law. Devery said
| the recent fight complied with the law,
| and was in all respects cean-cut con-
test.
He fenced great deal regarding wheth-
er Fitzsimmons was knocked out, and
ended up by saying he thought the Cor
nishman had had enough
Mr.. Moss then questioned Devery as to
| whether he had made any attempt to close
poolrooms since he was last on the stand
Devery said he had not. A wrangle en-
sued between the two, and unpleasant per-
sonalities were passing between the two
when Mazet ordered Devery to leave the
room. AS he made no move, Mr.. Mazet
called the sergeant-at-arms. Devery then
stepped down from the stand and went
from the sitting.
Testimony was given to the effect that
policemen were guilty of blackmailing
disorderly women. This was testified to by
an lS-year-old girl, who had attempted to
kill herself in a Bowery music hall. She
said the policemen had a regular schedule
of prices for protection to the women of
the lower East side, which the women had
to pay, under pain of arrest.
Chief of Police Devery was catechized par
ticularly as to what he knew about boxing
matches as they are conducted in New
York. Devery said he had attended num-
Der of performances, but had seen no vio-
lation of the law. He did not know, he
said, that money was. charged for admis-
SION to the Jeffries- -Fitzsimmons exhibition.
He did not see any money pass for tickets
of admission.
Under the Horton law, boxing exhibitions
may be given only before club members,
the contestants being also members, and
no fee may be charged.
He explained the difference between
Marquis of Queensbury and London prize
ring rules. He would interfere in tight
under the London prize ring rules, but
there was, he said, no brutality in bouts
according to the Marquis of Queensbury
rules. He had wanted to prevent the jeff
ries- Fftzsimmons bout, but deferred to the
wishes of the people, who took the opposite
view.
did you see anv heavy blows struck"
was asked Chief Devery. =.
,..They Jared a little. 1t. was a clean.
planned that he was struck heavily"
Was there Knockout blow?"
THAT can't say. The man went down.
can't say if he was knocked out"
You saw him knocked unconscious and
carried from the ring?'
Il did not l saw him put in a chair
rec, recover Immediately and shake hands with
his antagonist"
Mr.. Moss quoted at length from newspa-
per clippings regarding. the fight, but the
law, the police had no right to interfere
in glove contest like that of Jeffries and
Fitzsimmons. Asked how Jeffries comes
fight for the championship of the world
the chief said: "Under the law, he is the
Horton champion"
The chief denied that he let the Fitz-
simmons-Jeffries contest go on because he
was warned that If he stopped the fight
he would have to stop all others and might
thereby hurt the business of his friend,
WAS Fitzsimmons knocked down by JEFF
fries?" -
him while he was side-stepping"
blow?" -
lie might nave. My personal opinion
was that he did. My official opinion was
that the law was not violated
Mr.. Moss, still reading, referred to "two
blows in the face that were like the kick
of a mule"
Did you see those two blows?"
II saw those two scientific taps"
Chief Devery averred that he saw moth
Ing In the law to prevent such fights in
the future.
Chief Devery and Mr.. Moss then got into
a fierce wrangie regarding a friend Of the
chiefs and his connection with poolrooms
and the chairman ordered the chief of po-
lice from the committee room, threatening
at the same time to have him elected by
tho sergeant-at-arms. Chief Devery left
The remainder of the testimony during
the day was devoted to probing into the
dives on the East side and poolrooms. The
committee then adjourned to August l.
Committeeman Hoffman, on behalf of the
minority, submitted a statement in which
he declared that the committee had so far
accomplished nothing: that many witnesses
essential to the inquiry. including Senator
Thomas c. Platt, his sons, and Elihu Root
and BENJAMIN B. Odell, had not been called
and he asked in behalf of the minority
that the inquiry be adjourned without
date.