The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-26
FIRST TOPNOTCH
 FIGHTER TO BE KILLED
Minor PugiIists Met Death in Ring But
 Champs Hitherto Escaped
Special to The Farrner1

.. Special to The Farrnero
 New York, May 2s-For the first time in the history of pugiIism a ring battle between heavyweights has re- suited fatally.
 Since the siege Of ancient Troy, when one PoIenx was described as good with his ists,'-sirce the memorable bout between Friar Tuck and Richard the Lion Hearted beneath Robin Hoods tree-Since James FIgg became England nearly two centuries ago-the big fellows have exchanged ffstic com plimentS without suffering more than temporary injuries.
 This statement applies, of course, only to professional fighters of cham pionshtp caabres Amateurs and heavy weight professionals of the third or fourth rate have died from injuries received in the ring, but even these instances are rare The only e0cep- ton to this rule was when Bob F'itz- simmons, then worlds champion, kill ed his sparring partner. Con Rfordan, at Syracuse, but this was in a friend 1y bout, and not a ring contest. It was not 8, blow to the heart, such as ended the career of McCarty, but a stiff punch to the jaw that laid poor Rdordan low. Con never recovered conscioueness, and died soon after ward. Ruby Robert was arrested on a charge Of manslaughter, but was ac- qudtted, as the fatality was purely an accident
 From the beginning of modern pugi- lisrn, in 1719, until comparatively re- cent times, and, until half a century ago, wrestling and hugging and other tactics that would now be considered the extreme limit of brutality were a part of the game Moreover, these contests often lasted from fifty to over a hundred rounds, and in 1925 Jack Jones defeated Patsy Tunney at Ches- hire, England, in a battle that lasted 278 rounds.
 The first heavyweight battle between champions that came near resulting fatally was fought just half a ascentury ago, when John Heenan, an American known as the tBenicia. Boy was beat en nearly to death by Tom King, who had just acquired the title by defeat ing Jem Mace The sheer brutality of this bout aroused England. and the principals and their packers were ar rested. The trial resulted in the dis charge of the culprits. on their prom ise not to offend again. Kings nerve was broken by this affair, and he re- fused to defend his title, which re- verted to Mace.
 English opposition to boxing cond- tinued, and Mace was arrested when matched with O'Baldwin. In 1868 a law was passed prohibiting railways from carrying persons going to a prize fight
 Of the recent heavyweight cham pions, Bob Fitzsimnons had the most deadly punch Besides killing Riordan, the stfreckIed fellow had several mar row escapes from being an instrument of death When Fftz knocked out Jim Hall for the middleweight title at New Orleans twenty years ago, Hall re- mained irsensibIe for ten or fifteen minutes, and for little while it was feared that he was dead. The police held Bob until it was found that Han's injuries were not fatal. On an- other occasion in a, New York bur lesaue theatre a TnilAnan sought to as- simulate Bob's punchte, and was knocked unconscious. The ambitious amateur was slow in recovering, and Bob spent a bad half hour under the eyes of policemen.
 With the general adoption of the Marquis Of Queensbury rules, and the introduction of gloves,-afthough in the early days these were often of the sl<in-tigtt varfety-t1le brutal features of D11gfIism were gradually eliminated Yet there continutd to be occasional fatalities, nearly all of thems among the smaller men.
 George CKid) Lavigne, the Michigan French Canadian who was the second man to hold the worlds lightweight championship, killed his opponent in the first lightweight battle of his ca reer. The kid had been fighting as featherweight, but outgrew that class, and went to New Orleans in 1894 to fight Andy Bowen, the southern light a;c1,f 1F7 out