The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-11
CHICAGO COLORFD
FIGHTERS ARE UGLY
Negroes Barred by the Fight
Clubs Get Out an lnjunc.
ton.

CHICAGO, Feb. 10.-Negro fighters
refuse to be barred by local boxing
clubs under advice of number of the
more influential colored men of the city,
| who. however, are not even interested
in fights or fighting clubs. They ad-
vised this action, they say, because of
the discriminating position taken by
managers and promoters Of the clubs
against the colored race.
Attorney William w. Johnson, 1877
Dearborn street, is handling the cases
for the colored fighters. It was brought
about because of the stand announced
short time ago by Manager White, of
the Watita league, and Manager Mes
sage of the Battery D, that the future
policy of these clubs will be against the
matching of black and white fighters
in the same engagements, although it
was not actually stated that black box
ers against black boxers would be
barred
Following this action, the Chicago
Athletic association announced that it's
future policy, outlined by a new board
OF athletic directors appointed last
week, would be against the black boxer
entirely, the simple explanation being
that the negro fighter has been an en-
tirely unsatisfactory business product
at the Michigan avenue arena and
would not be tolerated in the future
Ihis was rather strong action and more
than the negroes could stand 1t Is I'M
derstood a meeting was called by the
more influential negroes Of the city and
the injunction secured, according to At
torney Johnson
Inc nrst news of this action was OBJ
tanned by Edward w. White, manager
OF the Watita league, out in the stock
yards district Monday night, when
George Gardner and two local heavy
weights were to mix matters in the
main event White was called to the
telephone about 1880 o'clock and told
tnat Attorney Johnson was talking. He
ADVISED White that he had an iniunc-
uon against the running of the Watita
snow and explained the facts Of the
case briefly. White asked for time to
TAX the matter over with the attorney
VINO denled the right of the managers
70 talk anything over, saying:
The club managers have taken This
action arbitrarily and there is nothing
70 tax over. We are going to warn the
Nlnth ward guards, the Battery D club
ana the Chicago Athletic association
and will stop their show if they per
ers. iie NJ
Tn reply I want to say that black
lighters are not barred at my club
White replied. ut is simply a case of a.
pIack nghter being an unpopular man
Wnlle hght1ng white man. Would Won
mink 1t a good thing if we had a COL
ofed referee when a black man is fight
ing white? Well, on the same basis.
is not a white referee prejudiced
against black fighter when, perhaps,
-FOUR fifths of the spectators are yelling
Tor the white man to win? Members
OF the Watita league have protested
against this style of Matchmaking
ever since Gloomy Spencer and Pat
Feeney fought their second battle at
my club. l am willing to match two
black men at any time it can be shown
to me that such match is an attrac-
ZION TO the members of this club"
Thls statement did not appease At
torney Johnson, who said he proposed
gong through with the injunction suit.
matchmaker Mike Butler, of the G.
A. A., said last night he had received
no notice of such an injunction. He
said: Negroes have fought often in
our arena and have been universally
unsatisfactory especially when oppos-
ed to white men. Against other ne
groes they are about as bad That is
why this action was taken. 1 have not
the slightest idea what the outcome of
the case will be, but 1 think the di
rectors of the club will stand by their
previous policy"