Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-09
No PRIZE fights SINCE
THE DAYS Of sullivan.
BILLY MADDEN GIVES EXPERT IN
FORMATION ON THE SCIENCE
OF BOXING.
coRBETT NEVER IN A FIGHT.
YESTERDAYS DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE CINCINNATI INJUNCTION
CASE.

CINCINNATI, O., February 8.-With
the exception of w. A. Brady, who
did not arrive from New York until
tonight, all witnesses have been heard
on the application for an injunction
against the Jeffries-Ruhlin contest
planned for next Friday night.
Counsel for the Saengerfest A. c. are
not sure tonight that Brady will be
called. In any event, counsel on both
sides have agreed to limit their argu-
ments so that the case will be closed
tomorrow night. Judge HOLSTER Is
not expected to reserve his decision
longer than next Monday.
Even if an injunction shall be is
sued against a prize fight, so-called,
it is stated that the promoters will
claim the right to pull off a boxing
contest here next Friday night and
keep within the bounds of a sparring
match in both the ten-round bout be-
tween Childs and Martin and the
twenty-round contest between Jeffries
and Rubin.
The defendants deny the jurisdic-
ton of the court to restrain such a
boxing contest as is allowed under
the Ohio statutes, and they insist that
they do not intend that there shall be
a violation of the law at any stage
of the contest. The defendants, on
these grounds, expect to appeal the
case to a higher court if Judge Hollis
ter shall grant the injunction, and
they feel confident that with absolute
assurances of a boxing contest only
they will be able to carry out their
programme.
The star witness to-day was Billy
Madden, who was on the stand most of
the forenoon and all of the afternoon.
His account of the manly art was most
skilful. He insisted that it was in the
interest of health as well as skill. He
referred to the skill of the eye in
watching opponents, of the arm in ad-
ministering blows and in defense and
of the limbs and feet in side-steps and
all other motions. He said their train
ing was simply an exercise for the per-
lection of health so that they would be
in such conuILion as to be immune
from injury. He testified that the sci
ence of boxing required more practice
and time than to acquire any of the
trades or professions.
Madden insisted that there had been
no prize lights by champions in recent
years, and that Jeffries, Rubin, Childs
and Martin belong to later school of
scientific boxers and that none of them
had ever engaged in a prize fight
When questioned closely as to when
prize fights were superseded by scien-
tific boxing contests he insisted that
there had been no prize fights since the
retirement of John L. Sullivan He
considered Corbett scientific boxer
who had never engaged in prize fight,
and when Sullivan met Corbett at New
Orleans he lost out in a boxing con-
test.
But Madden insisted that as a prize
fighter John L. Sullivan was still the
champion of the world, and he re-
viewed the prize fight in Mississippi
between Sullivan and Kilrain for sew
enty-five rounds, without limit as to
the time of the rounds or anything
else, and compared that event with
the boxing contests that have taken
place since Corbett was champion.
Madden said that the rules were be-
ing changed more and more in the in
terests of science and against smuggling
so that. there is much improvement
now over the rules of the past two or
three years.
AS the main issue before the court
is on the question whether the event
of next Friday night is to be boxing
contest or a prize fight, Madden was
considered an exceptionally good wit
ness for the defendants. He was re-
luctant about answering directly some
questions, and the court for this reason
gave him peremptory orders.