The Washington times., 1904-02-02
SPONGE IGNORED
BY THE REFEREE
Important Incident of Ryan
OBrien Fight Explained.
FEARED CHARGE OF FRAUD
CrOwhurst's Desire to Protect Public
From dob" Ascribed as
Motive
FEARED CHARGE OF FRAUD

MO1Fe.
In signed statement, made yester-
day, Referee Bert Crowhurst gives his
reasons for not stopping the Ryan
y Brien bout when a sponge was thrown
into the ring while the Philadelphian
was on the floor taking the count
The deliverance is important, for 1t
answers number Of questions that
have been worrying sportsmen
Regarding the historic sponge. the ref
cree says:
When i've had been counted a sponge
few into the ring from the direction OF
O'Brien's corner. but the usual custom
OF a second following into the ring was
missing. Ordinarily such an action is a
token OF defeat, and is generally &C
cepted as such. but the referee was
there TO protect the public as well as
the boxers. 1t was one Of those cases
where thought and action had to be
simultaneous. and rather than take any
chances ignored the sponge.
II was impossible to see who threw
IL. and several people yelled that IL was
not done by the seconds. 1t appeared
certain that OBrien would be able 20
get on his feet before ten. had been
counted, and IN that event there could
be no doubt but that there was some
KIND of job on foot. 1t is part Of a
referees work TO prevent Jobs and had
the bout been stopped there it is posi-
Die that would have been accused Of
standing in with the boxers to defraud
the public Afterward discovered that
Mccoy threw the sponge. although he
claims that 1t slipped out Of his hands
py mistake, but l consider that [ only
old my duty in ignoring his action and
mat 1 was protecting the public 1t is
not necessary to offer any excuses. and
If the same situation occurred tonight I
would not hesitate to follow the same
course"
Three Points at Issue.
Three points are made here which
merit a word of consideration. First
that the sponge Is not to be considered
as a token Of defeat unless a second en-
tiers the ring Immediately afterward;
second, that an injustice would have
been done the public had the bout been
stopped. and. third, the referee vigor-
ously asserts his honesty.
Regarding this latter point there can
be no Question
Mr.. Crowhurst's integrity has never
been disputed No one doubts that he
acted with the best intention: but the
tact remains that an injustice was done
That the champion didn't claim a vic
tory on the technicality doesn't alter the
facts Boxing is fought under fixed
rules, and these should be rigidly adj
hered to-
AS to the second point raised by Mr..
CrCWnurSt, towels and sponges have
been thrown into the ring and the off,
cial at once stopped the battle without
waiting for second to Chamber through
one other point remains to be consid-
ered-the duty OF the referee TO the pub
Where only xix rounds are allowed. as
IN Philadelphia, II is manifestly hard on
an audience to curtail a fight unless
some serious infraction Of the rules rem
For this reason there might have been
bit OF a howl had the battle ended
when the sponge came from McCoy's
But Mr.. Crowhurst is probably mis-
taken IN saying that he would have been
accused or being party to a Job
Every man who goes to fight knows
the law OF the game from Alpha 20
The referees simple announcement
that the presence Of the sponge IN the
ring left him no option but to stop the
bout and declare Ryan the winner would
have stilled all clamor.
The friends Of O'Brien would have
been disappointed but they could not
have denied that he was bound by the
acts OF his seconds.
Ryan Is Censured.
Mccoy committed a foul by attempt
Ing to revive O'Brien. for during the
three minutes of hostilities fighters are
concerned only with each other, and are
not entitled 10 receive any outside aid
not even advice.
When that sponge full of cold water
hit O'Brien In the neck he was pros
trate. and had not stirred from the time
ne went down. But for the reviving
dash OF water IL is an open question
whether ne would have recovered con
seriousness before the ten seconds had
passed.
It awaited nothing that O,Brien didn't
want mercy The symbol OF defeat had
gone Into the ring. thrown by his au-
thorized agent, and IL cost him the fight
according 10 a strict Interpretation OF
the rule
No blame whatever attaches To
20 be criticised for an error Of judg-
ment
Ryan and his seconds do not escape
without censure. II was the duty OF
Ryan or one OF his handlers 20 claim a
victory as soon as the incident took
place.
Had the champion been battling for
the winners end OF a purse he would
have raised riot before permitting the
sponge 70 be ignored. He stood TO get
only a fixed sum. win or lose, so he
yielded his advantage rather than spoil
the chances OF another meeting
Perhaps Ryan had a right TO do this
out IL gave an appearance Of hippo
drome 10 match that had been re-
garded with suspicion from the time It
was made.