Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-20
FIGHTS IND FIGHTERS
Suspicious Circumstances Sur
 round McGovern's Bouts.

Two Easy Marks are Fitted Against
 Him-It May Be Job to Fool the
 Westerners-Dave Sullivan or Kid
 Broad Would Be Better. Matches
 Than Gardner or Bernstein -Ruhlin
 and Jeffries May Fight in the West
 Tom Sharkey Hurt.
 F The apprehension is sprea.dlng sof }af the Pacific coast that the advent or McGovern means q cluster Of boAlng disappointments. According 10 the opinions of enthusiasts in thatsfeglon' they are about to get the same dose administered to Chicago when NC M. Govern and Cans fought in the Wihuy city. The impression seems to nave taken root that San Franciscans are so eager to see McGoyern they VIII Wlil tolerate any kind of bout the chani- pion may decide to engage in. Actlng on that theory the McGovern party have selected two extremely easy pro- positions for the Brooklynite to solve, while Erne is kept in the background to whet the expectations of the nght enthusiasts. It is not charged that me anagers intend to sacrifice the pet ting public. AIcGovern is so palpa- bly superior to his opponents that no betting would be possible. What they are after this time is easy gate money, to be won without much exertion ana withouts the chance of hurting their champions glory. They figure that the San Francisco fight patrons VIII not protest so long as they can see McGoyern, hence two easy problems have been picked for the slayfng-two fighters who have as much right m the same ring with ;NIcGoyern as a consumptiye would have in a, wrestling match with Nouroulah. Moreover, not content with this, the whole scheme has been os arranged that it bears all the earmarks of deliberate laydoWn for both the unfortunates who VIII face McGoyern, thus removing any chance of possibly stopping Terry Dy a casual blow. One of the selected vic tims. Oscar Gardner, was whipped by McGovern when the champion was not as good as now and when Oscar was far better. It is a ease of biting worn out little fellow who can do llS any time with ease, whose hands are broken, and whose constitution is un- dermined against McGOyern, now grown to full stature and a marvel or strength and speed That match was cut and dried weeks ago, and Gardner knew all the time that Dave Sullivan was trying to get fight with AfcGov- ern. that Sullivan would be rejected and the match given to the battered "Omaha Kid.v If ever a match was an outrage upon the patrons of honest boxing it is the battle scheduled for San Francisco between McGovern and Gardner The other victim to be se- lected is Joe Bernstein, twice whipped by McGoyern, and since then pitful- W easy victim to Young Corbeft and Tommy Sullivan. Bernstein is to get so much, win or draw, for a light
 with McGovern, and is already planted in San Francisco to challenge the win ner'' of the Gardner McGoyern tusSle. The win-lose-or-dra scheme Of pay
 ing fighters is the most nauSeating thing in pugilism. It destroys, at one cut, all the spirit and fire of the. game. It encourages loafing. faking, fou1ing, lay-downs and skullduggery of every kind. Why should the champion take any trouble, risk broken hand, or stop possible blow on the chin, when his $75O is safely tucked away before he sees the ring? Why should the raw youngster rush in, take all kinds of chances, and try to win d great name for the $50 that has already been hand ed him? If two men of equal note are matched. why should either of them, with his $1,000 banked before the mill, do any damage either to his opponents reputation or his sDwng When the McGovern bouts are con cluded the people of the Pacific coast will be sadder, but wiser.