Waterbury Democrat., 1902-08-29
THRASHER WRITES LETTER.
Will Try to Stop MeGovern-C Corr
bett Go in Louisville.

Col Henry Watterson Has Been APP
pealed to BY the Secretary of the
Law and Order eague-Thrasher
Tells How Prize Fighting Has Been
Driven from New York and Con-
necticut, and Asks If Watterson
Would Like to See Louisville Made
the Dumping Ground.
New Haven, Aug 29.-An open let
ter in regard to the proposed contest
at Louisville, Ky, between Terry Nc
Govern and Young Corbett has been
addressed to Col Henry Watterson of
Louisville by S.. p. Thrasher of this
city, secretary of the Law and Order
league of Connecticut. In the letter
Mr. Thrashes says:
This is IN age when the moral in
terests of the whole land are more or
less bound together and when oftimes
one part of the country pulsates to the
sentiment Of another. This and your
well known reputation constitute my
only apology for addressing you openly
on the subject of the prize fight, alias
boxing match, arranged to take place
in Louisville on the evening Of Sep
tember o.
After speaking Of the effect of the
repeal of the Horton law in New
York state, In turning the attention Of
place 'sto pull off fights" Mr. Thrasher
in his letter speaks of the agitation
which followed the match between
McGoyern and Corbett at Hartford
on last Thanksgiving day. Both in
Hartford, he says, and in New Haven,
where another fight was held, the
ne Wspapers took an active part in the
agitation with the result that further
licenses We're refused. The letter con-
tinues by declaring that concerted
effort was made by those who were
interested in the second contest be-
tween McGovern and "Young" Cor
bett to call the affair a ..boxing match,
"a sparring exhibition for points"
At the same time, among themselves
and in the New York papers, the char
acter of the approaching contest was
clearly announced as battle, gladiato-
rial combat in which the hardest
blows, best directed to the jaw, solar
plexus or heart were to win. Mr.
Thrasher then quotes from publish
ed description by Terry McGovern of
IA1O lCAAAp1O puhlShlucnt administered
by McGoyern to Dave Sullivan in their
| last contest. After reciting the steps
by which the intended contest be-
tween McGovern and Corbett at New
London was prevented, the letter con-
| cludes:
Louisville should not be regarded
as the dumping ground for pugilists
when shut out from New York, st
Louis, Philadelphia, New London or
elsewhere; it would seem to be feas-
| ible for some kind of an anti-prize fight
| movement to be inaugurated in your
ckty. You could undoubtedly exer-
else a mighty influence toward turning
OF strengthening public sentiment, if
not for the revocation af the license of
| September %, at least for the refusal
| of future licenses of the same sort
1T may be that am presuming too
much. I must acknowledge that I do
not know what the sentiment of your
| city is, neither do know that text OF
your statute bearing upon this sub
| ject, but / think I know from your
writings that you are opposed to hy-
| pOcrisy of this kind. The calling OF
brutal prize fight a boxing match
does not change the character Ifxrhe
people of louisville want prize fight
they should understand that they are
to be treated to the real article on
September %. AS to this phase of the
case, am sure we are in accord"