The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-18
CHICAGO ANTI.FICHT
RULE TO BE RIGID
5
. Chicago Athletic Club Bouts
Are Barred by Mayors
Order

:. CHICAGO, Dec. 1.-THE Chicago Ath-
Nletic association received official notice to
discontinue plans for its boxing show
scheduled for tonight, and last night
& Chairman Everett c. Brown stated the di
+ rectors will not go ahead with their plans.
+ The simple announcement of affairs
came from Everett c. Brown, chairman
of the athletic committee of the Michigan
Tavenue organization, last night. 1t was
as follows:
z The athletic committee of the Chicago
: Athletic association received official noti-
3 fication from Mayor Harrison this evening
;. at $50 o'clock, containing the opinion of
: the corporation counsel regarding the
{ legality of holding boxing exhibitions or
entertainments, and has decided not TO
& hold the boxing exhibition contemplated
for tomorrow night, Dec IT, and Will dis
: continue all boxing exhibitions from this
( date.
This. means that all boxing of any ma
ture is off in this city for long time to
come and if the fight followers wish to
see any more of it around here they will
= have to take the mayors advice and have
the laws in the matter changed.
The main event slated at the Chicago
Athletic association was between Abe
= Goodman, of Boston, and Tommy Now
att, of this city, featherweights, who
permitted to go at it. Goodman has
E been generally successful around here
: lately against all sorts of opponents, while
! Mowatt has been boxing all sorts and
conditions of men in and out of his class
& and acquitting himself with considerable
! credit.
I. Following the decision of Corporation
E Counsel Tolman and the announcement OF
= Mayor Harrison that all boxing and spar
ring must cease in Chicago, Chief O'Neill
/ yesterday prepared general order, which
: was issued today. This order, which in
tforms the commanding officers of the de-
= partment that they must stop all boxing
4 matches. follows:
= Maj E. B. Tolman corporation coun-
asel. in an opinion, has held that it is Illegal
ffto hold boxing or sparring matches in the
2 city. Police officers are therefore in
e sstrueted -te prevent the, holding of any
i boxing or sparring, matches and to prose
+ cute all those guilty of participating In
! or promoting them
T The general superintendent states tnat
she intended to see that this order. which
@applies to all boxing matches, including
i those given by established clubs, would be
: enforced rigidly.
{. LAS far as the anti-boXing order is con
+ cerned, the directors and members of the
Chicago Athletic association should ne
more interested in stopping fight exhibit
tions before their club than anyone else.
Mayor Harrison said yesterday.
= From Maj. Tolman's opinion they are
subjecting themselves to very serious
prosecution if they continue to hold such
exhibitions. The law, as explained by
Maj Tolnlan,, applies also to the Har-
lem and Blue Island clubs, as they are in
diction of the city.
s'The order gave Chief O'NeiIl applies
to all boxing in the city and to every club
giving exhibitions. The police have their
orders and will enforce them.
The Chicago Athletic association has
been offering noney-'hanging up purses
for professional 'ScrapperS, making
t5Ynatches advertising them and practi-
cally admitting the whole world to see
them. If the-club wants a test of the law
it would be a very simple matter to get
sit The only way to test the legality of
the city,s position would be by injunction
I proceedings, though do not see how they
would have a leg to stand on in the case,
for thekopinion is very clear.
IF the people demand boxing the best
thing would be to have the law changed,
so as to make boxing legal. Personally,
L think the law is too far-reaching. When
4 was studying law in Yale they used to
,ilave boxing matches of the hottest klnd
in the gymnasium. In one of the hottest
fights one of the contestants was the son
of the chaplain of Yale university and he
hammered his opponent most artistical-
ly.
why. only few days ago we heard of
the president of the United States send
ing to New York for Mike Donovan to go
to Washington to put the president g boys
through a course of sprouts. Personally,
1 have seen a good many boxing matches
in my day and enjoyed them. I would
Eenioy them yet, but I would not go to
one while the law stands as 1t does to-
day"