The Washington times., 1906-10-21
Washington Boxer Need Not
Be Discouraged by De-
feat by MCGarry.
SPONGE VS.. KNOCK OUT
Many Opportunities for Crookedness
Under Referee Crowhurst's Ruling.
Amateur Wrestling at Georgetown.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

try who could have been as thoroughly
beaten as KID Sullivan was on Thurs
day night In Baltimore. when Andy
McGarry put him away in four rounds,
and stil have retained as many friends. !
sullivan has always been freak /
among professional boxers in that he
has never been afraid 10 admit that he
was defeated and has never been known
to kick on the decision of a referee. |
When he is handed a lemon he ponders
the matter in his heart finds out why
he was on the receiving end and learns
a lesson from adversely. These traits
are so unusual and Indicate such an
abnormal state of mind in a prize
fighter that il is hoped that when he
dies he will beuueath his brain 10
science. II would bc interesting 10 know
what was the matter with him.
Defeat Not Fatal.
The fact That ne lost a good fight is
no disgrace to Sullivan. and will not
do him any particular harm. lie will
have 10 hustle To overcome the black
mark on his professional record. and
~ long as he conducts himself in the
luare and manly fashion which has
characterized him in the past there will
)e hundreds of Washington people who
ril want 40 see him in the ring.
There is some dispute about whether
or not Sullivan was knocked out" by
NcGarry. Referee Crowhurst had
Fcounted eight when Herford threw up
the sponge. and Just as the sponge tell
4 Sullivan came 10 life. After the bout
4 Crowhurst said that while Sullivan was
really knocked out. technically he was
not AS the referee, his word goes, but
/ do not agree with it,
Is Really a Knock Out.
when IA man is so badly beaten that
his seconds throw up the sponge TO
avoid the danger which might Tie in the
administering of the inevitable sleep
producing punch he is I'm my opinion,
knocked out and bets should be paid ON
that score. He is considered helpless
rendered incapable of further effective
defense and is. for all purposes. as
much out Of the night as if me were lie
ing fiat on the floor with his arms
sprawled out.
This quibbling about what constitutes
knock out is the cause OF endless dis
Cussiou and no small amount OF crook
edness. Many seconds and managers /
oct heavily They are the ones who
have the say about throwing up the
sponge when their man is in danger.
one OF the CommOHest bets on a fight
is that a man will be knocked out, es-
peciaHy when there is any disparity Of
weight or reputation.
Chance for Crookedness.
Suppose a manager or chief second
lays n bunch of money that his scrap
per VIII not be sent To dreamland. As
soon as he sees that his fighter is get
ting the worst OF il and is likely TO take
the count at any minute all he has 10
MIN
and save his coin.
Bis bcttors are generally closely af-
fHated with the handlers OF the men
they back, and these fellows, by fall
ing back on the sponge racket and
calling the fight 10 an end when there
is danger of losing their roll. deliber-
ateIy rob the smaller bettors who have
been actuated by friendship. local
patriotism, or past performances.
IL is not contcnded that the sponge
should never figure. As a matter of
fact. in the hands of q perfectly square
man It is a useful preTogatiye TO save "A
defeated fighter from needless pain and
punishment, but l do claim that throw
ing up the sponge should be considered
a knockout.
When Referee Stops Bout.
The same is true of a referee stop
ping a bout because one of the contend /
ers is i'm a weakened condition which /
might cause him to be killed or suffer |
permanent injury if allowed TO con /
tinue Such a man is all i'm, and to in /
ssJ that he be clouted into insensibility ;
or absolute helplessness is unspOrtsman- |
Ike and a menace TO a form OF com /
petition which Is already the subject of /
TOO many attacks from self-advertis- |
ing butt-ins
Prof Maurice Joyce viii have a spe- |
cial opportunity in the amateur wrest- |
ling game since he has been appointed /
Instructor in the Georgetown gymnas- |
ium. Prof. Joyce was one of the men /
largely responsible for the boom in /
amateur wrestling here last winter and |
is still deeply interested IN the sport,
not only at Georgetown but at Carroll
Institute, where he has been physical |
director for some years. ]
Georgetown's Opportunity.
The big colleges have gone in for
wrestling IN recent years with very sat
lsiactory results. II is a clean. manly
and useful pastime and deserves every
encouragement when properly conduct
ed. Georgetown has more than held its
own I'm many branches OF athletics. but
has been backward in indoor work ex-
cept IN field and track because of q /
lack Of facilities Now that the hand
some new gymnasium is 10 be thrown
open TO the students there is apparently
no good reason why the university
should not take its place among the
leaders on the mat In gymnastics swim
ming. water polo. etc.
intercollegiate basket ball is growing
rapidly each year and there again prof
Joyce viii have excellent opportunities
at Georgetown. The teams ne has d.
Veloped at Carroll Institute in past sea
sons have been OF a high order, alyys VS. !
among the contenders for the chamDio1-
ship of Baltimore and Washington and
with the large body of students al
Georgetown and the compulsory gym
nasium work of the freshmen ne shOuId
have no trouble In digging up quints to
give a hard run TO the Northern teams