The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-09-24
NELSON WAS WISE
TO NATIVE sons
His ShrewdneSS Proved Too
Much for the Gang.
BOXING GAME IN TROUBLE
Scandal May Put an End to the
Sport-There Are Too Many
Gamblers.
BOXING GAME IN TROUBLE
By CHIP.

By CHIP.
CHICAGO. Sept. 2s.-The old saying
When thieves fall out honest men get
their dues is being worked overtime
by followers OF sport In connection with
the lovely and truly instructive wrangle
that has sprung up in California as a
by-product OF the late Nelson-Britt
unpleasantness, and which, If something
is not done-and done quickly-will
surely result in heap of trouble for
certain worthless that have been promi-
nent in Coast sporting circles for a long
time.
Whatever truth or merit there may be
in Nolan's affidavit that Harry Corbett
is Withholding from him $500 on the
pretext that the money shall be con-
sidered forced contribution to a fund
collected last winter to push fight
bill through the legislature, there is one
thing for which Nelson's manager must
be given credit. He is the first East
erner who has beaten the native SON.
aggregation at their own game of bluff
and trickery. and it looks right now as
If he would obtain ample satisfaction
for the way in which they would have
certainly bilked him. had he not been
on the alert.
Nolan Wise Boy.
Harry Corbett ard a choice collection
of his followers have. of course, denied
that there is any foundation whatever
for Nolan's charges They add plain
lively, that Nolan must be-yes, I'M
doubtedly is-"crazy." Like terms were
applied TO the fight manager when he
made his determined stand against JEFF
fries as referee, but ii has been proven
almost beyond doubt that Nolan knew
just what he was doing
Jimmy Coffroth, to add interest to the
occasion. has also held out from
Nolan the $500 forfeit money deposited
with him FOR Nelson's appearance in the
ring, claiming that the Dane climbed
through the ropes half an hour, or some
such matter, later than the appointed
time. There will be more trouble over
this little disagreement, of course, and
ii is hard to tell where the whole thing
will end. Coffroth's action is a fair
sample OF how far the home talent
principle is applied on the Coast when
an opportunity offers. The delay was
caused, of course, by the wrangle over
the referee. Is there any possibility
that Coffroth would have dared to act
in this manner had Jimmy Britt been
the offender?
VIII Kill PugiIism.
That the whole muddle will eventually
result in the death of the fistic game
on the Coast. is an almost assured fact.
The district attorney in charge OF the
investigation that has sprung up from
Noian's charges appears TO be very
much in earnest. and it Is said that
when he gets down TO the real facts in
the case there will be a scattering of
sports to cover that Will be truly
edifying.
California at present is a bad locality
for the CRATER. One State senator has
already commenced to do time at San
Quentin. and two more are awaiting
trial with fear and trembling So. if
Nolan really means it-and an affidavit
from whatsoever source is a pretty con-
vincing document-the outlook for the
sure-thing gentry seems dark. indeed.
This Kills Sport.
Quietly and unobtrusively n trotting
meet opened up at the Libertyville
track near here. this week The first
day passed off quietly. but on the sec
ond day there arose a scandal that
shows only too plainly why there is no
racing around Chicago at the present
time.
IL was the old story of laying up a
couple of heats. In this case it was
done so openly and there was so much
money bet on the right horse that the
Judges, probably much against their
win. were forced to call all bets OF on
the heat
But here's the funniest part of it all.
It seems that a certain alderman of
Waukegan, near which point the track
10 located waxed sore and indignant,
1t the loss OF his be;-probaoly put on
through a tip from the right people"
He threatened to close UP the track
unless his wager was settled and he
finally carried his point
This same Libertyviile track. II is
said. was designed 10 be the scene of
thirty days running meet this fall, for
which lot of nags that have been
quietly summering here had already
been put in training I'm the hope. per
chance, that their winter oats money
might thereby be realized. Everything. *
is said. had been properly framed up,
when the deathblcw TO the scheme came
from the most unlooked-for quarter. The
Chicago. Milwaukee and St. Paul rail
road coldly refused 10 run trains TO
the track. Nothing could change their
decision ard the project. of course, had
to be Abandoned TX is probably the
first time that a railroad has ever over
looked a chance to maze a dollar of the
Gear PUBIC, and accordingly IS worthy
of note for this reason
Blow for Sports.
Local conditions. from the sporting
fraternitys standpoint. grew steadily
worse. II was bad enough TO have rae
ing and boxing exIerminated, but the
most recent tightening OF the lid,
closing up every poker game and rem
dering the life of the nandbooks, which,
from their nature. cannot be entirely
killed eff. miserable in the extreme, has
changed the one-.ime happy. care-frce
sport into a morose individual. who.
unable. in many cases. 10 get out of
town. gloomiiy wonders whether IT were
better to starve and shiver through
the winter now rapidly approaching
or as a last resort-go to work. His
code OF honor points incxorably TO tine
former course. but the flesh IS weak
and the snow-shoveling brigades this
winter Will include more than one fol-
lower OF the ponies.
The situation Is indeed pathetic. Even
those. who only can be considered in the