The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-18
Gov: Van SAINT Requests Mayor Ames to Pro-
hibit the Matches Scheduled for To-
night at the Exposition
Doctor Respects the Imperial Mandate of the
Chief Executive and Also Makes Some
Characteristic Remarks.

There will be no prize fights at the
Minneapolis exposition building tonight
and the sporting enthusiasts of tho Twin
Cities will have to suck their thumbs in
disappointment. Gov Van SAINT has
asked Mayor A A. Ames, of Minneapolis
TO prevent the fights on the ground
that they would be against the penal
laws of the state, ard that official has
replied in an amusing. characteristic
fashion that he will forbid the exhi-
btion"
Yesterday morning in MINNEAPOLIS.
there was a conference between the TWO
officials. What was said is not known
further than that the conversation turl-
ed upon the proposed exhibition that was
scheduled for tonight at the big building
on the East side. Judging from what is
known Of Mayor Ames views or enter
tainments of this character, however.
it is a safe guess that there was a d.
Vergencc of opinion. This opinion re-
ceives an added confirmation in the fact
that soon after returning to the city, the
governor called up Attorney General
Douglas by telephone and asked for a
legal opinion as to the status of the
proposed exhibition. In reply to his
verbal inquiry, the attorney general sent
the following letter which was received
by the governor at about o'clock last
evening:
To His Excellency, Hon. S. r. Van
SAINT, Governor of the State of MinnesO-
ta-Sir: Attention is called to the .act
THAT it appears from. the press and other
reliable information furnished, that a
series of ring fights, sparring matches.
glove contests or boxing contests Hom-
known pugilists will be held at the tx
position building, in Minneapolis, on Mon
Gay evening. Feb. is, 1900
You inquire whether these contests be-
fXE-n or mo rOl1 NIT !,
out weapons, is in violation Of the penal
laws of the state. Replying thereto 1
call your attention to section 6947, q. 5.
1894. being section l of chapter u of the
General Laws of 1889, which, in pat,
reads as follows:
"Any person who within this state en.
cages in, instiSates, aids Or encourages,
OF does any act to further & contention
or fight commonly called a ring or prize
fight, or a contention commonly called
Sparring match in which the contest
ants are provided with gloves, or VINO
sends or publishes a challenge for such
contention or prize fight or sparring
match, with or without gloves,
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor,
and upon conviction thereof shall be pun
ished by Imprisonment in the county
jail for not less than thirty or more than
rinety days"
In my Judgment. the contentious com
monty called sparring or boxing matches
or quite generally called prize fights
which are advertised to take place be-
tween divers persons in Minneapolis with
gloves will clearly be in violation of the
penal law of this state, and will operate
to subject to Imprisonment, unon conHic-
ton, all participants. timekeerers, the
referee or other persons assisting in or
encouraging such fights or contests
I beg to further add that, IN my orin-
ion, it is the duty of the executive officer
OF the city of Minneapolis, as we'll as
the county of Hennepin, to use all force
at their command in preventing such
contests.
have the honor to remain. yours re-
spectfully, ~. B. Douglas,
Attorney General.