The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-28
HOLDING THE MONEY.
Question of the Wrestling Match
Receipts Still in the Air.

Receipts Still in the Air.
The management Of the st. Paul Ath-
letic club still refuses to divide the re-
ceipts of Tuesday nights wrestling match
with the contestants, Mcleod and Burns,
but notwithstanding the position of the
club 1t is generally conceded that the
wrestlers are entitled to the money.
Referee Whitmore positively and unmis-
takably decided the match q draw.
IF the question goes to the court" said
a sporting authority yesterday, "the
club will have TO pay the money over
Sixty-six per cent of the receipts belong
to the wrestlers or to the public. There
is no possible way for it to be paid back
to the public, even If 1t were concluded
that that should be done. If the referee
had called it no contest then all bets
would have been off and the principals
would not have been entitled to anything
But 1t was declared a draw in which
case they are certainly entitled to their
share Of the receipts.
''The men could quit at midnight, and
the rules, while meaning that they should
continue the next day. may be con-
suued as you wish, and If they wanted
to agree to draw next day they could
do so. If they could agree to a draw
next day they could agree to a draw af-
ter midnight.
"The Smith-Kilrain fight was to have
been continued when the men quit on ac-
count of darkness, but next day they got
together and called it a draw.
"The fact that the articles in this
wrestling match called for a certain date
cuts no figure. Events have been inter
rGpted for one reason or another, but a
difference in date never made any diff
ference with any match in this country,
except a fight at Omaha between Ryan
and Wilkes. They fought Saturday night,
and at II o'clock Wilkes hacker took adj
vantage of the fact that it was then Sun
day and they did not want to fight on
Sunday. 1t went, but that is the only
case / have heard of.
''The Corbett-Jackson figlt in San
Francisco was declared no contest. and
the club refuse to give the men any of
the receipts. although they had fought
over sixty rounds. Neither did it pay back
the admissions. That act killed fighting
in California"
According to Dan Mcleod the an
nouncement that the match was for a
purse Of $500 was unfounded. He says
Burns and he were to split their portion
of the receipts, Is per cent to the winner
and 25 per cent to the loser. There was,
according to his statement, no guarantee
whatever by the Athletic club. and If
there had been but fifty people in the
auditorium he and Burns would have got
ten only the agreed-upon proportions Of
the admissions for this number of spec
tators. In fact Mcleod says Burns and
he were the only ones to give a guaran-
tee.
He says an agreement was made with
the club whereby, If the match fell
through for any cause, the club was to
be reimbursed for whatever expense 1t
had gone to out of the stake money de-
posted.
This talk on the part of the club about
the articles of agreement being a con-
tract and that Burns and / failed to full
fill its terms" said Mcleod last even
ing, 'is nonsense. The articles Of agree
ment are between myself and Burns, not
with the club. It is true it is stated in
the articles that the st. Paul Athletic
club is to manage the match but what has
this to do with contract. AS q matter
Of fact the club was merely acting as
our agent. There is another agreement
which is contract, and that is to the
effect that the club gets a third Of the
receipts for bringing Burns and myself
together under it's auspices. That is as
far as the club goes. In effect we paid
them so much to manage the match. 1t
is not right that the club should try to
withhold the money. In draw the
money is always divided and should be
III eiiio SeAoO' IL VIC nave " 81 LO COuIl 10
get the coin we will do so. Burns has
left town, but his interests are being
looked after"
President Egan and Secretary Grath-
vol, of the club, do not agree with Nc
Leod's analysis Of the situation. They
both announced last evening that they be-
Heved the wrestlers had not used the
club nor the audience fairly, had brought
eff a throw down. in fact, and that
they would not give up any part Of the
proceeds of the match unless legally COM
PEELED to do so.
1--WE have sent for copy of Police
Gazette rules" said President Egan last
evening, "te determine whether or not
the men had a right under the provisions
to quit as they did, but no matter what
the rules specify, we wanted an honest
contest. We have had legal advice on
the subject and l desire to say that neith-
er Mcleod nor Burns will receive one pen
ny unless by a decision of the courts The
club holds that the articles of agreement
govern the match. These articles called
for a catch-as-catch-can contest Of three
falls, winner to take two falls Burns
and Mcleod did not wrestle three falls.
They failed to live up to the agreement
Whether or not the agreement takes pre-
cedence over the rule or not or whether
it is a contract or not Is question which
will have to be settled by the courts
uvyNn INTDaRTANH NJ ATr,uEC