The evening world., 1912-12-27
Somebody's Complain Because
Principal Objects to Boxing
and WrestIing-Mr. Murphy
Sends Refreshing News Of a
Good Referee.

n Tow what do you think OF th,sY
~ Mr.. X. Edgren. Evening World.
Dear Sir: kindly give your
valued opinion on the following ,n.,-
Or Tor the benent Of my fellow stu.
dents "'s
There 10 In New York a public him
sohooi devoted principally to manual
training. In this school are pun,l.
from fourteen to nineteen, who. ike
tne typical healthy American how.
are fond Of athletics. When some Of
thc pupils attempted recently 70
establish. with the assistance a,
some OF the instructors. a box,n.
caup ana wrestling club. the idea
vas given an immediate setback
~ the refusal Of the schoorp prin.
c'pai to permit any such thing. Al
ne stated, boxing and wrestling ara
brutal, bloody. prehistoric. &c
FORMS or sport. and he lecturcd tho
boys on genuemanly conduct being
better help to a youth than the
brutal method OF drawing blood
with ones hands" lie also attemnt-
Cd 10 stop football entirely, but. 40
iar' ms efforts were unsuccessful.
lie also frowns on basket ball be-
cause even this. he states, causes
great rivalry and hard feeling among
tne boys lie greatly upholds and
ukes such sports as chess, checker.
tane practice. tennis and fencing
Ahe subject on which I should liko
your opinion 10: has the New York
american schoolboy become so
weak ana eneminate that he cannot
oe permitted to Indulge In the good.
eubstantal forms Of exercise. hui
must be encouraged to play such
sAmee a. would be taught In a Young
Isnies school or academy? Such =
question u now troubling q uumber
@ the students Of this school. ana
youf opinion. published In the sport
M1 columns OF The Evening World.
van 80 . long way toward settling
sne Quesuon. Yours,
STUYVESONIAN.
r FEAR. "stuyveson,an." that vo,-
principals knowledge OF snort h,
= limited. Chess and checkers ara az.
cenent indoor games. Rifle shooting IL
interesting and develops patience and
stesoy nerves. Tennis and fencing are
sp'enoad sports. But boxing and wres-
u,ng are not bloody. brutal ana pre-
historic" Both sports are decidedly
historic. and the strongest and mos,
progressive peoples In the history of
the world have INDUCED in them. These.
with football. basketball and other
enormously competitive games, produce
the physical qualities, combined with
quick. clear thinking and cool, self
reliant courage. that are as necessary
TO human perfection and progress To-.
DAY ~ they were any number Of years
Or centuries ago.
Fl 10 very refreshing to hear now and
then OF some referee who Is nervy
fair and honest enough to disquallfy
. boxer who doesn't fight fairly.
John J. Murphy writes me-
To-day ! saw q contest between Joe
White and Al Mccoy at the Brighton
Beach A. c. Mccoy weighed 1885,
waite lA4h. Mccoy started fouling and
Referee Joe Burke warned him. II,
foulsd again In the NTH and seventh
and was warned In the eighth rount
Mccoy hit White with . right hant
swing IN the breakaway-a foul blow
Burke Immediately stopped the fght
watch was the star bout. His actor
Wa paid for thought ia write an,
tell you about II ~ you stand for every
thing that IL on the square"
Many thanks. Mr.. Murphy.
IN my opinion a referee who falls I
enforce the rules II Just rs desery
= ing Of punishment as = boxer VIII
fails to fight according to the rules.
referee 10 supposed to have intelligence
enough to know what II right. n
isn't intelligent enough to inderstan
the rules he shouldn't be licensed in IN
hrst place. and II he has suficient int
liSenca. but lacks either courage @
honesty. his license should be take
away.
-HE public, which pays to see cleaI
fair boxing, has TO depend upo
, the referee to deliver the goods
He's the responsible party II unfa
methods are allowed to predominant
for he has the power 10 enforce II
rules.
II isn't hard. Nobody ever sees unfa
boxing in the ring OF the National spor
Ing Club OF London.
And why not7
Just because every poker VINO stel
into that ring knows that at the nr
breach OF the rules the referee will di
qualify hln and order him to leave Il
building-and not raise his voice In d
Ing II. And he won't set another chan
70 earn q purse In the arena OF Il
~, q. c. Wen have the same sport
manlike way Of doing things. some ia
People who sit at the ringside In Ne
York city want fair eport
VVYELL. this 10 one Of the big nigh
" Four hundred and twenty poun
~ OF fighting weight mingling
mid-ring. Six feet six inches again
hvo feet ten. Some anal boutl
VIII Jess willard bring the soari
aspirations Of Soldier Kearns down wi
. loud. s,ckening thump. like that OF
SN-pound man falling from the hur
eaAe deck OF . bucking bronco3
MI the soldiers vollsy airing lay Il
2 he giant Of the Wssts5n piains7 II
Uot That's question WiilArd sse1
- - ~ 1nnR - &Afn2o3tU