The Topeka state journal., 1901-02-07
PRIZE FIGHT HEARING.
Evidence Tends to Show That Only 3
Boxing Match Is Intended

Cincinnati, Feb. 7-The third day OF
the hearing on the application for a
permanent Injunction against the JEFF
fries Rubin contest on February 10 at
tracted the usual crowd. most of whom
were unable to gain admlLtance 70 Ils eisS
court room. Delaney and Cook, for Jeh-
fries and Madden for Ruhilns were tne
most prominent ones present from thS
training quarters. After supnAltlne
comics of various contracts ana petA-
tions and other documents including the
MARQUIS of Oueensberry rules, the pldlH-
tiffs rested and the defendants caled
w. N. Hobart as their nrst wines,
Hobart is a diStiller and interested II
many industries in the city, formerly
president of the chamber of commerce
and president of the cincinnati MuSlcal
Festival association Tor many yeaIs s--l-S 1le
was asked about his public spirited work
as we'll as his business, in order to snow
the high standing of the promoters OF
the Jeffries-Ruhli contest as HoDarl
is a director in the Saengerfest Atnletlc
association, as well as In the old Saen.
gerfest Jubilee association He teatlneo
to tie work of the Saengerfest Doaru
which was building a hall for $S5,oOV N
1899 and after the Saengerfest Doafu
which was building hall Tor $5oOOO II
collapsed the board spent $l0OOO0 on the
building and thus incurred DEBT OF
about $50, 600 in excess of what had been
raised for the Saengerfest hall The
Saengerfest directors are still carry ing
this debt and have devised various plans
for its liquidation including the pro-
posed contest February 10 between > JeA-
fries and Rubin and Martin and Chllds
Hobart testified to all the proceedings
and contracts and insisted that the pro-
moters never did nor do not now con-
template anything contrary to law
Judge Harmon objected to the testl-
Ynony of Hobart, holding that indebted
ness, even for public-spirited enterprises,
was not justification for a oenent per
Torrance in violation of law. The OBJ
lection was overruled, and Hobart testl-
fed to all the Saengerfest board had
done previous to the contract with Man
ager w A. Brady Tor the s1efhrles- run
lin contest and all that the Saenger-
fest Athletic association had since done,
through Attorney Witte. who went TO
New York to negotiate with the 1nan-
ayers of the pugiliSts-
Hobart .testifed that the Saengerfest
Athletic association intended to be a per
1nanent organization on the basis OF TINS
resolution and give sparring contests.
but not prize fights.
Judge Harmon read interviews rrOin
the local papers with Jeffries and RUN
lin about knocking each other out, and
also with Madden, Delaney and others,
as to how their favorites would win he
also read accounts of previous fights IN
which Jeffries and Rubin had particl-
pated with F'itzsimmOns, Corbett, Shar-
key Maher and others, and asked no
bart if he thought the record OF ms
stars was not such as to indicate a
prize fight instead of a boxing contest.
Hobart said he relied on the statement
Of Mayor E'leishmann that nothing bru-
tal or unlawful would be allowed. Judge
Harmon brought out the fact that Ho-
bart was a member of the church and
superintendent Of a Sunday school, ana
asked why he did not listen to the ap-
meals OF the ministerial associations
Hobart said the ministers were mis-
taken: they thought there was to be
prize fight, when the Saenger1est Atm
ietic association had the mayors per-
nit for a boxing contest