Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-13
LAY 1T TO JOHNSON.
Clam Negro Champ Cause of Setback
To Boxing in England.

London, Eng. Nov. Re English
fight followers. according to present
indications, are likely to long rue the
day that Jack johnson worlds heavy
weight champion. last stepped foot up
on English soil Had Johnson not Wis
tied English shores, since winning the
heavyweight crown. he would never
have been matched against Bombar-
der Wells, English heavyweight
champion. And had that match never
been made. Notwithstanding that it
did not take place, there would never
have been the current agitation and
action against boxing in general
Viewed from every angle, excepting
that Of the greedy promoters, the
match should never have been made
It was directly responsible for the
starting of a crusade that long ago
exceeded its original scope and has
now practically elamped down the lid
on boxing in England Today, only
short distance bouts are really per-
Missile in public places although. of
course, private rights are still held
sacred In other words the National
Sporting Club and a few other or
CARNATIONS that are equally bona fide
ship to which the bouts are restricted,
are the only ones that can go ahead
without fear, or even certainty. of in
reference
Across in the States it is evident
that the present situation is only par
TALLY understood and that it is not
realized as is actually the case And
until there is some amelioration in
the laws or some loophole discovered
in the existing phraseology there
will be no open to-the- public bouts OF
the English regulation 20-round bouts
like those Hugh Mcintosh staged at
the Olympia AnneXe. last season, and
that he had been counting upon con-
tinuing in some other location during
the approaching winter season. Any
thing that passes beyond the limita-
lions OF an exhibition or that saVors
of being a real. actual contest for SUI
premaey is, for the moment at least
barred TO the public generally
That the owen Moran-Jem Driseoll
| battle of 20 rounds, for which all prep
arations have been made at Blrmiag-
ham. Eng. is to eventually fall through
seems assured In fact, court pro-
ceedings have already been instituted
to prevent the two principals from
| committing felony on the I'd of next
month. The Moran Driscell fight pos
| sesses Just the features that the re-
formers are most anxious to eliminate.
1t is for a large purse-one of the larg-
| est nurses, in fact, ever fought for IN
Englard-it is 20-round affair. and
even the principals themselves would
| hardly have the courage to declare
| that II was an exhibition rather than
| a genuine mil in which both men were
anxious to put over y knockout punch.
The reformers have based their agi-
| tation and their alleged arguments
| very largely upon an assertion oil
| theirs to the effect that boxing Is
| brutal, when it passes beyond the Dor
| ders of a mere exhibition contest, and
| that rumberless deaths have resulted
from this brutality of the prize ring
| The actual figures, however. instead OF
| being further argument in their
cause work exactly the other way and
| shovr that deaths have been decidedly
| few and far between, AS a matter o1
| record there have been but nine deaths
| in the prize ring, or resulting from IN
iuries received theretrom. in the pas'
II years And during that time NJ
| less than 10000 bouts have beer
| waged. The deaths in football in tins
past seven years have figured no t'
over 90 while those who have peer
killed upon the cricket crease far ex
coed the surprisingly smatl tota
charged against boxing