Waterbury Democrat., 1902-10-10


 Authorities Take a Handle Is Ev-
 idently Looking for Support From
 the People of This City-Joe Cans
 Manager Has a Little Talk
 Secretary Thrasher of the Law and Order league is going to try and stop the Corbett-Rice boxing match sched- uled for this city. The following let ter has been sent out by the league man:
 Headquarters of the Law and Order es, League of Connecticut, Oct 5, 19O2 10 the Members and Friends:
 1.-The columns of the press furnish the only practical means by which gan answer the many inquiries con- &eTning the prize fight which is booked Tor November 6 at Waterbury. It is assumed by many that 1 can stop that light if 1 want to. That if l can pre-. Fent one down in Kentucky I ought 70 in Connecticut
 Y Now, let me set everybody right to start with.
 T have no power personally or by Virtue of my office to prevent any prize fight here or elsewhere. l did not stop the fight in Kentucky. l wrote an open letter to Colonel Wat terson and some private letters to oth- CT citizens in Louisville, giving such information as possessed regarding the expulsion of the fighters from Con nectlcut, and the character of the pro- posed exhibition in Louisville 1 am pleased, of course, if these letters aid- eu ln arousing public sentiment and prevented the fight. Now to the ques- uon before us. Shall Young Corbett and Rice be permitted to fight on No Nember 6 in Waterbury?
 The law in Connecticut prohibits prize fighting. That prize fights can take place in this state with such a law on the statute books is to our everlasting shame as citizens and dis grace to the commonwealth.
 What astonishes me most of all is That so many people are fooled by the promoters of these exhibitions. who claim that they are not fights but box ing matches 'sparring exhibitions etc.
 It is well known by everybody that Ihese affairs are prize fights if the English language means anything. Where are always high money stakes. and sometimes championship belts of great value. which constitute prize.' ',
 That they are fights is clearly proved by the rules of the contest, which provide for counting out as it IS called. That is, when one of the contestants is knocked senseIess. or so disabled that he cannot go on, the ref cree count ten and decides the contest for the victor.
 That these fights are brutal and de- morallZ1ng is well known to every body who has ever attended one.
 Look at the picture which Terry McGoYern, known as Terrible Terry gives of his fight with Dave Sullivan.
 " His face looked hkeka rotten ap- pie; his left ear was hal size of his head; it was cut, bruised, swollen terribly. His cheeks were puffed out until you couldn't see his eyes. His lips were black, blue and purple, drip ping with blood. His body looked like raw beefsteak. He was spit { ting blood every time sunk my fists In his stomach, over his heart or into his ribs. He was clinging to me to keep from going down, or, when I pushed him away, staggered around like drunken man, dazed, wild-eyed, half conscious.
 "A few nights ago Young Corbett, who is advertised as one of the con- testants for the Waterbury bout, fought with Eddie Lenny in PhiladeI- phia. The newspaper reports of the affair are interesting.
 "One says: He was a sight for the slaughter house when the gong rang down the final curtain. A gaping cut over his eye poured forth gore like q young Niagara. His eyes were both young Niagara, and was bowed in the fore-legs like a broken-down gee gee. Lenny was on one knee all in, covered with blood: a frightfuI sight for gods or men. He was hammered to a puIp.'
 Another in describing the same af- fair, says: With the sound of the gong in the third round Corbett was the same fighter who beat Terry Me Govern at Hartford last Thanksgiving day. He assumed the aggressive. His right shot into Lenny's stomach with "a thud. His left hook went to the face. They were awful SmasheS. Lenny was a tired and distressed fighter at the end of the round. A cut under his left eye told of the terrific force of Corbett,s wicked blows. His cut face was bleeding and his eyes were swelling more and more. Lenny was wobbly as a ship in a heavy sea. He was sent to the floor again from the jolts of Corbett's right hook His seconds fairly carried him to his cor ner and then he sat down and showed sure signs of sea-sickness. It was the best fight ever seen in Philadel- phia.'
 'One of the above papers, in the same with the above description, re cords anotbgr fight which took place that same night in these words: A bloody fight between two English bull dogs took place at a resort near the Harlem Bridge last night More than four hundred persons paid five dollars each to see the ferociOus canines tear each other to pieces. The spectators got their moneys worth so far as gory spectacle was concerned. The fight lasted fOrty-two minutes and two seconds. When it was over poor King Tom lay dead in the sawdust arena, while Jack the Ripper, mangIed so that it is doubtful if he will live, 7fof fr47<s