The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-10
LOU HOIJSENAN'S GOSSIP
THE PUGILISTIC WORLD WATCH
ING AFFAIRS AT CINCINNATI
WITH KEEN INTEREST
YANGER' BOUT FELL THROUGH
San Francisco Now offers the Best
Opportunities for the Game
Dixon to Fight Once
More.


More.
CHICAGO, Feb. 9-(SpeciaL }-Cincin-
natl is still the cynosure of the pugilistic
world, and the proceedings of the courts
are watched with more than passing
interest 1t is not only a question
OF the validity OF q statute of the state
of Ohio. nor yet of the moral effects
of boxing contests such as are permitted
under section $3.50, but it is a matter
which concerns the rights of the execu-
tive officers of the state and the city of
Cincinnati. The givernor's threat to
send the state militia to. prevent the con-
test taking place is a somewhat unusual
one, inasmuch as precedent shows that
whenever the necessity existed for call
ing out the militia the executive of the
municipality has been the one to call
on the governor for aid. and then only
when such means as were at his disposal
had been exhausted. Cincinnati is
large city and is amply provided with the
necessary machinery for the enforcement
of the laws, and it certainly looks stranse
that the mayor is not in better posi-
ton to Judge of the necessity for call
ing in military aid, inasmuch as the
powers of the city have not been called
on Eor exhausted.
However, this is a matter of law, AMI
no doubt the courts will decide as to.
what should be done. The confidence of
the reform element, though, does not
appear to be of an over-weening quality,
as instead of proceeding under the OBJ
iectionabIe statute which in controversy
the action has been begun under the
common law, and the evidence
produced has been for the sole
purpose of showing that a prize
fight is a nuisance. The license issued
20. n statute
permitting such exhibitions before reg
ularTy organized athletic clubs. That
the match between Jeffries and Ruhlln
Is for a boxing contest there is no
doubt inasmuch as the agreement caIs
for A bout under the Marquis of Queens
berry rules. and those rules were formu-
lated for boxing contests in contradiS-
tirction to the then existing prize fight
rules known as London prize ring
rules The conditions are entirely diff
ferent. and with the rounds limited
il number a contest between two skllltul
men can no more he compared to a prize
fight than to tiddle-de-winlAs.
The Saengerfest people feel confident
OF their ability to bring off the contest
6asl,ite the efforts of the opposition. The
judgment of the court will probably not
be the final act in the controversy IN
view of the governors avowed In -ent1on
Ia stop the fight by legal Or other
means.
The controversy over the Jeffries- Ruth
I'm contest appears to be but a reflex OF
fhe sentiment in almost every part Of the
country Slowly but surely, city after
city is closing its doors 10 the knights o.
fine padded mitts, and the course Of tbs
pugilistic umpire is taking a westward
slant. Driven from New York and most
of the Eastern states, stumbling in Ohio,
and most incontinently kicked out of Iii
nois some more favored territory Will
have to be found before the game can
he considered as secure. But is this do
inc anything to elevate the sport or re-
form the communities from which 1t Is
barred? AS under the favored laws of the
past few years the sport was put In a
n0sitton where the boxer might elevate
the game to a point on a level with that
of any other sport in which professional
athletes engage. But they missed the
opportunity, and instead of building up
their chosen occupation they killed the
Snort in certain. communities, and as the
public at large were treated with long
dissertations on crooked fights, the
howl became general, and the goody-
goody element in society seized on III S
as an excuse for knocking out the game,
and have succeeded in many places.
This has had but one effect, and from
different parts of the country come re
ports of bush" fights, with their per-
nicious surroundings, and it will not be
at all surprising TO hear in the near fu-
ture o. a return 20 the old bare-knucllle
game with it's attendant brutality. Men
will fight and always have done 50, and
if they are not allowed to engage in
mimic contests with the gloves they will
not hesitate to enter the ring in d con-
test with the bare 'uns. Last week there
were 4 number of contests in barns and
outhouses, and the governor has taken a
hand, but how much better it would be
if such contests were permitted under
proper restrictions before suitable clubs
and regulated by competent officials. The
chance of injury is minimized when the
sport is properly regulated and such ac-
cidents as are likely to occur in barn
fights, whore the proper sAppliances are
not at hand, are almost impossible.
The local fighters, in default of matches
before any regularly organized club here,
are picking up such game as may tie
offered from other cities. Tommy Ryan
has several matches in sight, the first be-
ing before the Louisville Athletic club
with Tommy West, on March 4. AMI
afterwards will meet kid Carter in
Hartford, Conn. He says that after that
he will take on Jack Root and Jack Moi
fat, and, if lie is successful with them
he will withdraw from the game for
good Tommy has been fighting for al
most fifteen years, and has beaten the
best men in his class. The only decisive
defeats he has met with have been at
the hands of his old sparrlng partner.
Kid" Mccoy. He is one of the cleverest
men in the ring and thoroughly game
III spite of these facts, however, if he
carries cut the programme he has map
ped out before he quits the game, he
will certainly have his hands full All
the men are much heavier than Ryan,
and all are clever, hard-hitting boxers.
and are likely to give good accounts Of
themselves. if they do not win. Root
fought draw with him of six round
duration and many who witnessed the
go were of the opinion that Root had the
best OF it, Carter is a sturdy young fei-
low not yet twenty years of age, but is