Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-31
BAD FOR BOXING
No Decision YET From Yester-
days Hearing.

There were amusing peiiouo sSotSi
day afternoon at the hearing OF the
remonstrance by the Protestant Min
listers association to granting license
to holding boxing exhibition to the
Waterbury Athletic club The hearing
was held before the committee from
tile board of public safety, Commls-
stoners II. w. Minor and Truman >.
Lewis and Superintendent OF Police
Beach. The object OF the hearing nav
ling been stated by Commissioner
Minor, he called for remarks from
! those Interested, and Patrick Il. cav
( anaugh, representing the club, got up
and in a few words vouched for the
law abiding character that would dis
tguish the exhibition. He said the
club has been in existence fourteen
years, is composed of many taxpayers
and citizens and property owners. and
that no one not resident of the state
would be allowed to participate. The
club proposed to give three bouts OF
twelve, ten and six rounds respective
ly. for scientific points, and there
= would be no knock outs.
Daniel I. Harrington, the real estate
agent, a member of the club, also
vouched for the good behavior of the
exhibition and added that member
of the club who had served nine years
iii the navy and had distinguished him
self in that service was to be matched
to meet man of similar reputation
living in Bridgeport. That was one
of the main objects Of applying for
permit He would guarantee there
would be no disorder or knock outs.
He proposed to have James Nelson
referee, a man who knew his business,
he added.
Attorney Edwin s. Hunt asked if
there was to be purse for the win
ners and he was Informed by Mr. Far
rington there were to be no winners,
that the exhibitors would be. merely
paid for their services in the ring. and
the public could decide which exhibit
tor was the best. He said the club
had already selected one Pickett of
ITO pounds, Collins, 1913, and Shea, 135,
all local boxers. Some one inquired
what the gloves would weigh and
Commissioner Minor said that that
was Il matter for the committee to
decide.
Attorney and Deputy Coroner Make
peace, with no eye to business, of
course, as some wag irrelevantly re-
marked, asked if there was ever a
knock out in a six round go and he
was told by Mr. Harrington, who
stood like soldiers monument back
OF the committee, than when the ref
cree knew his business, there were no
knock outs, adding that he knew a lit
tie about refereeing himself and
he would be on deck If the permit
We're granted. Commissioner Make
peace's curiosity took him to make in
quiries about the go between Young
Corbett and Terrence Nicodemus Me-
Govern in which the latter was put to
bed" and Mr. Harrington replied that
that was the referees funeral. for
McGovern was ''groggy" long before
he was put to bed Mr. Harrington
seemed TO take it for granted that all
OF the clergymen and lawyers and re-
monstrants of various degree present,
understood his technical expressions.
and they seemed TO, for none of them
asked for an explanation.
Mr. Makepeace having retired EN-
lightened," the Rev John n. Lewis
arose. Later when questioned by At
torney Slavin, who represented the
petitioners had II understood that he
was not there as clergyman, but as
citizen, a good citizen. He wished
to know If knockout" were pos
sible, despite the vigilance of the re-
fierce, and was Informed that any
thing Is possible but knockout I'M
der the conditions mentioned was not
usual. and then Robert c. Ross. Sec
rotary of the Y. NJ. c. A. asked what
was to be the price of tickets.
II any one present conceived the
idea that Mr. Ross was looking merely
for early information he was subse-
quently and firmly given another
idea altogether. Mr. Ross was told.
however. the price would be $50, 75
and 81" This seemed to close the
case for the petitioners, and Commits
sioner Minor asked II the "opposi-
ton" wished to be heard. just as IL Ii
were not making loud remembrance
during the hearing so far. Mr. Lewis
stood up and had IL understood that
he was no lawyer nor son OF law
yer, but in his view Il would be very
inexpedlent TO grant the petition ask
ed for, because the exhibition may be
brutal. certainly it would not be
elevating, and certainly again Il
would be degrading. He understood
the last exhibition was a harm lass
pink tea affair. but memory will re-
call the crowd 1t brought to town.
toughs and thugs. The people who
follow such entertainments do not
care 10 see affairs Of the pink tea
kind. They prefer the "groggy'
stage. he said. and 1t would be i'm
possible for the club to give any
guarantee there would be no knock
out. The town could not AFFORD TO
hold such another exhibition. He
was afraid that II the committee
granted this petition Il would be only
an opening wedge for more to follow.
He believed Mr. Cavanaugh and Mr.
Harrington were safe men, good men.
but he did not want the crowd who
stand back Of these affairs He en-
ioyed a boxing match as well as the
next man. but he did not think IL
would be safe for the commissioners
to grant this petition.
Attorney Slavin asked Mr. Lewis IL
he thought those who follow the cir
Gus are good people and Mr Lewis
said they were entirely different from
the crowd that patr0nize boxing ex-
hibitions such as he believed was
asked for now He was not up" on
Jimmy Nelson. but he had his own