The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-11
OUR NEXT VICE PRESIDENT.
The Hon. Theodore Roosevelt or
Prize Fighting and PuEiIists.
From the New YORK World.

(From the New York Norld)
Chicago, Jan. 9.-Vice President-elect
| Theodore Roosevelt has unbosomed him
self on prizefighters and prizefghting. He
told George Siier why the game was
stopped in New York George Siler was
the referee. This is Siler's account of the
| interview:
The devotee of the strenuous life start
| ed OFF with What do you think Of Jeffries
as a fghter?'
! 81 think he is great I replied.
And so do L. he said Don't you
know that boxing might have been going
on in New York right now if the men who
had charge of the clubs had handled 1t
with care2 They made g mistake by not
stopping contests when they became brutal
or when 1t was manifest 10 all that one OF
the contestants had no possible chance OF
winning. You know that as well as l do,
don't ycu?
"Of course l answered in he afirms-
tive
Look at that McCoy-Choynski con-
test he continued Wasn't that enough
to kill the sport?''
Il told him 1 thought it was.
81 liked Mccoy. he went on. and
thought he would best Corbett. He is
equally as clever as Corbett and harder
hitter. He has the right idea of hitting
too. has he not?'
i told MIN l was sure re mad.
Well. then. if he is equally as scien-
tihc as Corbett and harder hitter he
should have defeated COrbett. l guess he
sold himself out, so I've lost all respect
for him
Now. there's Fitzsimmons. Colonel
Roosevelt continued. He's a good. hon
est fighter Don't you think so? And Rub
lin IS another honest fighter. ard so Is
Jeffries. but l will tell you there are only
few OF them
Now. about that fight between JEFF
fries and Sharkey. You know that should
have been stopped before the end Of the
twenty-ffth round. 1t became brutal after
the twenty-third. and. as Sharkey had no
chance, you should have stopped it
1T was a championship fight. Mr.
Roosevelt I said and if I had STOPPED
it in either the twenty-third or twenty
fourth round the crowd would have jump
ed into the ring and torn me limb from
limb.
Torn you limb from limb. would they?
II had been referee and stopped it they
would not have torn me limb from limb
he said gritting his teeth.
But let us 90 back to the boxing
he resumed. When I was in charge Of
the police l witnessed the Maher-Choy Xxi
fight. That was a hard fight. but ii was
so evenly contested I could not stop il.
nary bouts-not because il became brutal,
but because one of the contestants was
covered with blood and it looked bad
You box and wTestle. Mr.. Roosevelt,
don't you?' I asked
Is Not at present he replied II boxed
a great deal with Jimmy Dime and pro-
fessonal wrestler named Dwyer q think
that was his namel called on me several
times a week, and usually made it warm
for him.
'''He left Albany after working with ne
several months bur sent a subsfitute-a
hig, husky fellow. but knew more about
wrestling than he did. so l let him &C. I
am getting too cid for that sort Of sport.
but 9till like it, especially boxing. Oh,
by the way. Siler, do you know why they
did not want you in New York;
e Because they could not handle ne. I
suppose.
That's just it, siler. They could rot
handle you, and they could not handle
me and that is why they did not want
either Of us
"Then. with a grip. Teddy was gone"