The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
TIMELY BOxING TALK.
Criticism Of Pusiiists VINO Carry Guns
Want bigger Purses In England.

The unfortunate scrapo Joe Wnloott has
got himself into through thea LEGGED accidental
killing Of friend mt ball recently In Boston
hns alven rise to the question whether puRil-
lists are really towards outside OF the ring
The opinion prevails TINT II a scrapper ever
gets In trouble he ought to depend upon the
weapons nature provided him with Instead
Of resorting TO flreurms. A pugilist Ia supposed
TO be able to take care Of himself at all times
In and out Of the ring. IL not he should not
be In the profession. many folks think. Wal
colt Is not the only fighter OF reputation who
carries q revolver.
PupilIsts on account OF their business are
subject TO more abuse and personal ahront
than any other persons. 1t Is sometimes the
Joy OF the ordinary layman to make fighter
the tar get of badinage.
Walcott ID a pugilist who Is not overbur-
dened with gameness In the ring. lie deni-
onstrated this when lie quit with Tommy
West at Madison Square Garden and when
he fought Kid Lavigne at Maspeth. l.. !. In
the latter mill the negro took severe beat
ing. but not az much as the white man. whose
face was one mass Of cuts and bruises and
whose ear was 40 badly torn that 1t was In
danger Of coming of. Layigne never finched.
and gave a display OF pluck that was re-
markable. Walcott's manager. who knows
more about the negro than any other man,
says that Walcott always went "heeled.
He says that the Barbados black. while
not an out and out coward. was invariably
in fear Of his life outside Of the ring and could
not be induced to walk the streets unless
he was armed.
My opinion said O'Rourke. lis that
any man who carries q gun is GUTTER or
the worst sort. What is the good Of being q
pueilist II you are afraid OF any 1neI skill Skill
Is all ba II it, but Is th and wss
well be champion. And at that he gets the
that they have the right to kill fighter
p%silist H got Killed Unless he was partly at
Now, that England has at last a worlds
champion an attempt Ia being made 6y sew
efai to nerease the size Of the
purses, ,Pugiists in England to-day are the
most underpaid men In the business Many
tra nH1 reopen espenses When Boxing Was al
lowed In this State several years age an
the idea Of fighting for less than SIPS purse
in the preliminary BOUTS. Most of these
we're six to ten Toun tbsn ana
week. PREPARATION. Usually the money was was
divided on = and Is per cent basis f., a ba
pains, If either Of the contestants, hap
pened to be a local boy with any kind OF a
following and could assure the MANAGEMENT
increased il he fought, the compensation
would often be doubled
In England little George Dixon. who fought
for thousands and who by his own calcula-
ton and admission earned and spent at least
a quarter OF million dollars. has to be salts
Aed with purses amounting to from SIS ~
500 for winning and about an average OF
S25 for losing. Dixon gets along the best
he can. He is not the drawing card he used
to be, although as a fighter he Ia better than
some OF the pugilists who are second raters
over here Charley Mitchell thinks that the
p!ons Ia because young fellows do not care
to take, up the profession. There is not much
the top Some Of them are no better paid
than mechanics. The fighter TO get along
In England at present and be able to live
respectfully mist have a good hacker who
will be ready to place thousands Of dollars
on his chances on the outside. II the fighter
Ia successful his hacker usually gives him
half OF his winnings, and IN this way the poor
miller Ia able to make both ends meet 1t Ia
different in America. Very little real money
is placed outside the stake The purses are
large enough without managers taking un-
necessary chances with their own money.