Las Vegas optic., 1912-08-01


him to do 50.
The fight at Las Vegas was stopped
BY the mounted police in the ninth
round. not because It was a prize fight,
or because there was any law prohibit-
ing the contest, but because, in the
opinion Of the captain Of the mounted
police, 1t had become brutal exhibi.
ton" The stopping Of the fight may
or may not have been wise. The aver
age red-bloodsd man in this state
thinks that, having allowed this dis
grace to start, it should have been per
mitted to go to finish
There is no law against prize fight
ing in New Mexico, There should be
but there is not The only ground
for stopping a prize fight or boxing
match would be on the ground that
it was disorderly proceeding, There
lis no law and no precedent to show
that we may make the definite rule
that prize fight becomes disorderly
immediately after the close Of the
tenth round, Of any other round. If it
is disorderly after the tenth round per
So, it is disorderly the moment it
starts
Apparently acting upon the assump-
ton that Albuquerque is a lawless
community whose local government is
powerIess or unwilling to enforce law
and order, the captain of the New
Mexico mounted police. with two OF his
men, arose in public assembly. in
Elks' theater last night and announc-
ed that certain boxing contest was
to be allowed to go only certain num-
Der Of rounds.
Captain Fornoff himself made the
announcement. He made no showing
of authority From his statement it
was to be concluded that his authority
alone, as captain of the mounted po-
lice, permitted him to invade the larg-
est city in the state: usurp the powers
of the legally appointed peace officers
of city and county, and run this city
to suit himself.
The New Mexico mounted police has
proven a most useful organization and
its members for the most part have
been efficient officers. Captain Fornoff
has been most efficient head of the
force AS we understand the objects
Of this organization, however, its aid
is presumed to be invoked when local
authorities are unable to enforce the
law or neglect To do SO and when the
public safety is III danger. In pursuing
horse thieves, and in aiding sheriffs to
chase desperadoes through the sparse
lily settled sections Of the state, the
mounted police are useful and desir.
able. But when it comes to invading
the largest city in the state seeking to
usurp the prerogatives Of city and
county governments, and issuing flat
footed edicts as to what shall occur
and what shall not occur, without spe
cific authority OF law, and on the gen
eral assumption that local officers are
going to fail to do their duty, some
one has made bad break and 1t II
time to call halt.
!, The boxing contests In Elks' theatel
last night we're being held before al
orderly gathering of eight or nint
hundred men, including great many
of the representatives business ant
professional men Of Albuquerque
/ They went to see these contests be
J cause they wanted to. Had the con
tests been aga nst the law, thes lnei
would not have been there. The con
. tsts would not have been held.
1t was assumed by great man!
that Captain Fornoff acted last nigh
under the instructions Of Governo
Mcdonald, but nothing was said b!
the captain or any one else to ind
| cate that the governor was responsible
by order or otherwise. for the officer
action. and there is every reason t
believe that Governor Mcdonald vii
be satisfied that he is doing his ful
} duty If he succeeds in securing en-
forcement of the laws Of the state a
t they are written. At all events tn
sending Of a force Of mounted polio
into this city to enforce law whicl
is not to be found in the statute book
is not likely to strike any considerabl
2 number Of persons fayorably, no mat
ter what they may think Of boxinI
:. contests or prize fighting.
If Captain Fornofi acted cwithou
the authority and specific direction 9
the povarnor he has made an exhib