Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-05-22
THE PUGILISTS  ANOTHER SIDE
 TO DECISION Referee Did Not Have a Right to Call Bets Off Says Another
 Authority.

Here is another version of the re feree's authority in the O'Brien and
 Burns fasco:
 Many persons who bet on Phila- delphia Jack O'Brien against Tommy Burns have refused to pay because
 Referee Eyton declared all bets off be
 fore the bout began. As the referee had no more to do with the betting
 than hitching post in front of the club house, the persons who refuse to pay are simply welchers George Sil- CT, the noted referee, who, like many other oracles on pugilism, knows little about the rules, in speaking of the affair, says, "Unfortunately the rules do not touch on the betting
 That certainly is a humiliating as sertion for man who is supposed to know something about boxing. and who has been selected to referee q great many important bouts. Of course Siler and all the other oracles should know that the ring rules are specific on the betting question. They show exactly what a referees powers are in the matter, and 1t is made clear that the referee is without any power whatever as regards wagers on a fight.
 The Queensbury rules do not, of course, mention the subject of bet ting. but they do say that in any points not covered by them the contests are to conform to the London rules. One of the most important paragraphs in the London rules reads this way:
 Rule 19. All bets shall be paid, as the battle money, after the fight is awarded"
 Which means that 'as soon as the referee has made his decision on a bout, wagers must be paid accord ingly.
 Rule 25 of the London rules says that the decision of the referee must be given promptly and irrevocably and rule 4 says that the decision of the referee shall be final and strictly binding on all parties.
 There is not syllable in the rules that empowers referee to call off bets and the men who won on Burns victory should insist on the payment of the wagers. If a club manager wants to warn his patrons that a bout looks queer and that it would be well not to bet, he should do so a week or ten days before the contest
 The second fight between Jack (Twin) Sullivan and Hugo Kelly, for which arrangements were being made by Tom McCarey, the Los An geles promoter, has been called off, because Hugo wanted McCarey to get some other referee than Charlie Eyton. Eyton was the third man in the ring when Jack 0'Brien got his at the hands of Tommy Burns. As there has been lot of talk about the way in which that affair was pulled of, Kelly said that he didn't want to fight unless some other referee was chosen, and the fight is of.
 Joe Thomas has struck a run of good luck. He has at last found bunch of second-raters who are will ing to go six rounds with him down in Philadelphia. First came Tommy Sullivan, the New England scrapper. Thomas fought him six rounds be- fore the National club the other night, and won the decision on points. Yesterday Thomas was matched to fight another fellow, who should prove to be only a sparring partner for the Thomas exhibition. The fellow is Fred Bradley, the hea- who knocked both Jim Jeffords and Jack Williams out in- side of two rounds.
 Jimmy Loves. the English sport ing man who brought Jack Palmer to this country, has started a new fight ing club at Marylebone. London, and for his first show he has matched Palmer to meet Sam Langford, the colored fighter of Boston. They will battle for twenty rounds for a purse of sl.250 the latter part of next month. Palmer is now on his way to England. He intends to return here again in September and fight all the good men.
 Jimmy Gardner of Lowell. Mass, won the decision from Harry Lewis of Philadelphia in ten round bout before the Denver Coliseum Athletic club last night. Gardner outpointed Lewis in every round. the latter landing but few clean blows. There were no knockdowns and no blood drawn.
 Because the law provides that no person shall be re-enlisted in the nili- tary service of the government whose previous service has not been honest and faithful, some difficulty has arisen in carrying out the directions of the president that John L. Lennon be par doned on condition that he re-enlist fo. q full term in fha Marine norna au