New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-11
TO REPEAL HORTON LAW
AsSEMBLYMAN LEWIS WILL MAKE A y
OTHER EFFORT.
SUPPORT ENLISTED-HOW
FORMER BILL WAS KILLED-AN
ISSUE OF CAMPAIGN IN
ROCHESTER,

ROCHESTER.
Albany, Nov. 10 (speciaD. e. Lewis. OF
Rochester. who represents the Ist Assembly Dis
trict OF Monroe County In the Assembly, IN wnich
he was once elected an Assemblymah OH
Tuesday last was here to-day and stated that as
soon az the Legislature met he would introduce
bill for the repeal Of the Horton law permitting
sparring exhibitions with gloves OF not less imam
Ave ounces each IN weight" 1t was uhder 'his
law that recently the Jeffries-Sharkey nght' WHICH
had all the brutal features OF a prize fight took
place.
Previous to announcing his intention OF intro
ducing his bill Mr.. Lewis had a conference with
Governor Roosevelt. IL Is well UNDERSTOOD 'ha'
Governor Roosevelt looks with disfaVor upon 'he
Horton law, and therefore there is no reason 10
doubt that Mr.. Lewis will have all the aiu tne
Governor can properly give to him.
In January last Mr. Lewis presented to the AS
sembly a bill repeating the Horton law, but II met
with a furious resistance from Senator limothy ~
Sullivan and Assemblyman 7. 2. sullivan, oi Ne"
York First the Suivans fought the Dill Deio'o
the Assembly Committee on Codes, ana the" 'e'o'e
the Assembly, when 1t was reported iaVoia''' "
that body on March Is. 1t may properly De staten
hora that Mr. Lewis congratulated himself upon
hs success In getting the bill before the Asseo',
md out Of the hands OF the committee i"e o'''
"A submitted to the Assembly, however W '"e
Committee on Codes could not nave oeen sa''
factory 10 him. since 1t had been amehoeu III VIC
committee go as TO permit public sparrins
oatcb. and also instead Of going into effect Inn
,ed,aelv was not to go into effect till September
/ 1899 The bill as introduced by Assemoiyihan
Lewis on January % read as follows
MR.. LEWIS'S AMENDMENT
soc,,on Section AS Of the Penal Code Is hereby
amended so a. 10 read az follows ,,ht,,ons
Section 45s Przefghsng ano ubo Within this
State engages in, instigates AIDS en- AMI With
out ont Weapons between two more persons or "a
t commonly called sns or or gP 1hoe engages ga
public or private sparrng exhibition; with or VIII
out gloves within the state at which r an nr i'm
directly or who sends publishes challenge; OF
acceptance OF challenge for srcd devers such
challenge or acceptance. or trains or assists any
Person training r or Is Eay OF
provided however. that sparring exhibitions VIII
S Syei be Of h eSf S Ss' 'H%%
Association in building leased by 1t for athletic
owned and occupied by such association"
This act shall take effect Immediately.
The part In brackets OF the above copy of the bill
indicates that which is stricken out OF the horton
law. As presented by the Committee on Codes the
bill reads as follows:
Section !. Section ass OF the Penal Code is hereoy
section ass Prizehghting and sparrng exhioi'iohs,
State engages in nstigates. aids, ENCOURAGES or
does any act to further o n Sr OF person or
fight commonly called ring or prize nght ei u
within or without the STATE w Or 0r
within the State at which an admission Zee Is
who sends or publishes challenge or accSPtance
Of challenge for such contention. exhibitlon or
o or preparing FOR such contention exhibition or
ever that sparring exhibitions with gloves of not
less than Aye ounces each in weight may be held
building leased by for ath hSp purposes only
Occupied oSs a tff BY s" %i Assoc sssociat!on ~
1893"
The members Of the Committee Codes were
Hill. Of Erie: Delaney Of Onondaga; Paris Of
washington Bedell, Of Orange; Lewis of Monroe;
Davis, Of New-York; Sands OF Cortland Collier.
OF Kings; Redington. OF New-York: Collins. OF
New-York; Dillen. OF New-York; Brunn. of Rock
land. and sharkey, OF New-York
sULLIvANs SCHEME FO1LED.
The bill not however. out Of peril. As
semblyman Sullivan sought supporters against It
and actually managed TO amend 1t when the
Assembly sought to act upon IT. This amendment
OF n deadly nature. II permitted sparring
exhibitions with five ounce gloves in New-York
City. but not In the rest Of the State-that Is. it
continued the Horton law In New-York. but not
in the rest OF the State. This would give
monopoly of prize fights to the managers OF the
athletic associations in New-York
Mr.. Lewis would not accept such a bill and, to
the establishment OF the opposition. moved that It's
enacting clause should be stricken out. An Assem-
blyman rarely makes motion to kill his own bill.
but he has right TO do So and before Assembly
man Sullivan saw Mr. Lewiss object the bill was
dead. the Assembly having adopted the motion.
Mr. Lewis thus at least prevented New-York City
athletic associations from having monopoly OF
the prizehghtng exhibitions Mr.. Lewis said
to-day:
ANOTHER EFFORT TO BE MADE
I shall Introduce my bill to repeal the Horton
act because think 1t disgrace to the State.
understand that the Legislature passed the act
originally under belief that II would restrict
duced Prize lighting in this state. The Jeffreys-
Sharkey contest was actually prize fight; In
number OF these prize fights has increased. The
five ounce glove IL as hard rock man
might better be struck with a naked fist than with
The men who are making money by these recent
prize fights came up to Monroe County and sought
trict Is composed Of three wards OF Rochester and
then OF several towns OF Monroe County. Money
told my constituents the nature Of the attack and
why l was attacked, and that 1t was my Intention
act. and they rallied my support and eIectea
me Ny only regret n relation to this Horton
sT tn ala b nj ts 5n' ~, r, ,tDss
member in 1903. and while out OF the IersIatura
my convictions were strengthened as to the need
Is disgrace to the State and believe that tbs s
coming year shall see Governor Roosevelt sign
ns @ e If be OF
Of the bill but with the large Republican ma iorIfv
In the Assembly II seems to me II will certainly be
ANOTHER STROKE OF ILL LUCK.
II THERE Is NO PRIzEFIGHTING WHAT BE-
GOMEZ or THE or N TONDON sryrrr,