The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-25
GEORGE S|LER
ON REFEREES
Competent Men Should Be Put in
Ring to Toll Off the
Seconds.
WOULD HAVE SAVED TENNY
FRISCO SYSTEM HAS TIME AND
AGAIN PROVEN POOR ONE.

The necessity Of having humane and
competent men TO referee ring contests
never was better exemplified than at San
Francisco on the night frankie Neil
knocked out Harry Tenny in the four
teenth round Of their twenty-round con-
test which knockout resulted in the
death Of Tenny. Tenny did not have the
ghost of a chance to win after the ninth
round, but, as he was strong on his legs
and was not punished to any great ex-
tent, the referee In justice 70 himself
and the spectators could not have stopped
the contest In the fourteenth round.
however, Harry, who had received hard
punishment in several Of the preceding
sessions, was knocked down for the count
OF ten, which lost him the contest He
arose within a second after having been
counted out, and the referee, Billy
Roche. an inexperienced official, with
out an ounce Of humane blood in his
veins, and thinking more of giving the
spectators a run for their money than of
the condition of the boy. permitted the
one-sided contest to continue. Tenny, at
this time, was beaten to a fragile and
wholly unable to defend himself, and
therefore was at the mercy of his
stronger and harder hitting opponent.
Nell hesitated about administering more
punishment, but, practically receiving
word from Roche to finish the job on
hand, sailed into his defenseless and
thoroughly beaten adversary and again
beat him to the floor with terrific head
and body blows The boy was carried
out of the ring unconscious and died the
following morning
Had Roche called a halt TO the contest
after ii ceased to be a contest or after
Tenny had been knocked out the first
time. the battle might not have termi-
mated fatally. He. however, was blind to
the state of affairs.
Needs of d Referee.
Mill 1-o1t,,ro g, S-a+a tI,4 NOT ono raf
cree in a dozen can explain why he cir
cles the fighters, when a contest ceases
to be q contest, or can intelligeutly fol-
low a fight through six or more rounds
and explicitly explain it after he has
rendered a decision Still, il appears easy
II those not thoroughly posted
For the benefit of aspiring referees /
will state the following qualifications are
necessary TO be successful: thorough
knowledge of boxing, sobriety, courage
of convictions, consCienuOusneSs, human
ity. GOODNESS. nerve, no race prejudices,
ability to grasp unexpected happenings
quickly. good temperament courage to
decide a contest as he. and not as the
spectators see ii, wholesome love OF
Nfair play and enough dignity TO command
Ehe respect of the fighters. their mana
4ers and club officials, utter adherence
- soliciting the position. respectful treat
[ment to contestants and careful handling
of them while in action. honesty, truth
fulneSs, accuracy in tOlling off the sec
onds in case of knOck-dOwns, ability to be
at the right spot at the right time dur
ing the progress of the battle and an
excellent memory to keep mental tab on
the proceedings, so as to enable him 10
decide a winner without moments hes
itatiOn-
Those are the necessary requirements
and had Billy Roche possessed only one
OF those qualifications-hum
would have savCl Tenny's life.
Frisco Method Wrong.
III. Co. EroDoisoo r,a+r,Od oF -iu7i0u
in case of I-nOck-dOwns, also entered into
the Neil-Tenny fight, George Hartins, the
official timer in Frisco. stated he counted
nine and OUT when Tenny was knocked
down, and it also was stated that Roche
on account of the loud demonstrations,
failed 10 hear the count, That is plausi-
bic and demonstrates that the Frisco
method Of timing is unsatisfactory
San Francisco. I believe, is the only
fight city i'm the country where the sec
onCfs. in cases of knock-downs are tolled
off by the timekeeper instead OF the ref
cree. This may appear right to the pub
lie in general but II IL radically wrong
and causes more or less disputes and
misunderstanding. The Frisco holder of
the watch. in his position outside Of the
ring is, at times. too far away from a
fallen fighter and naturally from the
referee to make his voice heard above
the wells and shouts of the crowd which
generally follow a knock-dOwn, with the
result that neither the referee nor the
knocked down fighter knows how many
seconds have elapsed This, according TO
the Marquis Of QueenSbeTry rules as
fought in this country. is unjust TO the
ring official and to the fighters A con-
testant may get tOppled over, and. al
though able TO regain his feet within five
seconds, may wish to take his full time
allowance, nine seconds. before continu-
ing. but when he is not informed of the
length Of time he has been on the can
vas he IS apt although not distressed
and strong enough to fight. to be counted
out