The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-28
DECAY OF PUGILISM
AS A MONEY K
ONLY $1,000 Offered for Jeffries-Ruhlin Con-
test in California-Death of Billy Smith in
~London-News and Gossip of Ring.

erecial Correspondence ~ Tho Sunday Republic
New York. April &.-Oh. my oh, my.
What a change has come over the fstic sit
nation. Less than a year ago a champion
chip match between Jim Jeffries and Gus
Euh1in would have been good for Il ssN.c0o
house before either the Coney Island. the
broadway or the Twentieth Century clubs.
hut now. after all the hot air" talk about
the big money that would he bid for it by
the California clubs. the only tangible offer
from the other side of the Rockies is one of
ss.0H, which is hardly likely TO tempt the
big fellows 10 the Golden Gate.
Tom o'Ttourke has come to the front with
\ q proposition that looks very much as il the
, powers that he had determined to let box
ing go on in New York this summer. for
Tom. who generally Knows where nc is At
before he does anything OF the kind. says
he will give them much better terms and
guarantee to pun OFF their contest ''either
IN public or in private and he will assure
those who are willing TO put up the price
10 see tho show that they won't have to
take more than a trolley ride to get to the
ringside.
Just how long the trolley ride will be he
does not specify. As the Legislature Of
connecticut has adjourned without passing
eny ant!-boxirg Law, there is a faint posi-
bility that Mr.. O'Rourke c~ontemplates the
speedy building of the arena in the Nut
meg State. which he promised us months
and months ago. ] sincerely hope that ne
Will erect II. and I will watch my mail
closely for an invita- ton to the laying of
his cornerstone.
So. after ali. Charley White is not to go to
California to show the Eldoradans the
correct way to referee a fight. The avowed
reason for this Is that Jim Kennedy's side
partners in the new Twentieth Century Club
object to Charley's terms. but I have an
idea that the real reason Is that the Cali
fornians think that they have plenty of To-
cal talent able To Judge their fistic bouts
5ust ar we'll as he. and that they want to
keep their money at home. White is GER
tainly a very capable referee. but he is not
the only pebble on the beach.
When George Siler was brought here from
Chicago TO referee some Of the big matches
in this vicinity. such as the
Jeffries fight and the Jeffries-Sharkey affair.
though he was a former New Yorker. there
MAS a good deal Of quiet kicking over his
Importation. II I remember rightly Charley
White himself thought II hardly the cheese
to favor the Chicagoan when there were
plenty OF capable New Workers. to do such
jobs.
The fatal fight between Billy Smith (who
was an East Side Hebrew. whose real name
was Levisohn,. and Jack Roberts. in LON
don. IL very likely to dampen the ardor for
fistic sport in England. especially as there
are reports afoat that he was doped in the
interest OF gamblers and that the DOPING
was. really the cause Of his defeat. and con-
sequently Of his death. All the parties 10
the affair have yielded themselves to the
authorities and they may be tried and mild
~ punished for manslaughter.
What a hue and cry there. would be had
tkfs affair occurred In New York! But over
ia-EnglaHd they do not regard the death OF
W0oxef As-such q terrible calamity, after all
1tsaw Smith fight twice in "preliminaries"
in this city and. though he showed fair
ability. he did not appear to m. to be i'm
the cracker-jack class.
THE National Sporting Club of London Is
the swell boxing organization of the world.
Its membership comprises nearly all the
sporting bloods Of Great Britain. who have
q production for pugilistic sport. Ranged
round It's ring. when what bids fair to be
a notable contest Is on, are to be found
noolemen OF every degree, and even royalty
- represented at times. Princes of finance.
OF the Stock Exchange, promoters.
end. In fact. representatives Of every fast
set In the three Kingdoms are to be found
there with q lively sprinkling of rand
Americans. Full dress is required. and the
best Of order is maintained without any
assistance from the police.
For years J. B.. Angle, a %well-known
nHmber OF the London Stock Exchange.
has been the referee OF this sporting club
He is a man thoroughly well versed in
sporting affairs and rules, and he il 2
very capable amateur boxer himself. The