The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-03-06
HAS ROCKY ROAD TO TRAVEL
Judiciary Committee of the Assembly
Is Bombarded with Objections to the
Bill and None of the Local Boxing
Promoters Appear to Defend it.

interest IN Blle nearing Oh 'ello AeuuiHS
boxing commission bill which was held
before the judiciary committee of the
assembly in Madison on Tuesday af-
ternoon and it can be said that the
hearing showed great opposition to the
bill from unexpected sources.
ssI think it would be a discredit
to tine state to pass such law. 1t
would make Wisconsin mecca for
all pluguglies.o
The vigorous statement was made
by Chief of Police john 4. Jansen
of Milwaukee before the assembly
committee.
'sI am opposed to ali boxing bills
and to the game as now conducted, "
said Chief Jansen. eff the bill was
named a school for pluguglies and
brutality it would be nearer correct.
I don It think the state of Wisconsin
ought to have such bill. Boxing is
not what the people who attend these
exhibitions want. They want gore.
That is what they pay their money
for. My experi nee is that many
young boys have been set ON the road
to ruin by following this game.
Chief Jansen told the committee
cases which had been brought to his
attention i'm his official capacity where
he had been asked to do something to
rescue boys who had been fascinated
with the game. He said that the fol-
lowers of the game were ''riffraff'
composed of gamblers, low divekeep-
ers, ETC., though he admitted that some
good people attended the exhibitions,
for what reason he had never been
able to explain.
Those who followed the fighting
game, he said, degenerated into loaf
ers. When they can lick their OPP
ponents they go home and lick their
wives,'' said the chief. "Such a law
would simply fill the state with AN I'M
desirable element
Harry S. Sloan, assistant district at
torney of Milwaukee county, appear
ed before the committee to urge the
passage of law clearly defining what
prize fighting is. The district attor-
ney's office, Mr.. Sloan, said, was neith-
er for or against the bill. eve be-
lieve, = said he, "prize fighting should
be defined. We believe each and every
one of the boxing matches being held
violates the law and believe the SUI
preme court will so hold" Mr.. Sloan
said as the law stood a fight was
prize fight or a boxing match, accord
ing to the whim of those who saw it.
Promoters ought to be protected
against these whims. Under the He'd
ding bill, he held, prize fights up to
ten rounds could be pulled off, as it
eliminated the sections of the present
law on prize fighting.
It was q bad day for the friends of
the bill. B. F. Steinel and Fl. J. KILL
lea were the only speakers who appear
ed for the bill. Mr.. Steinel read
statement made by the committee of
ministers who attended a boxing match
in Milwaukee and said there was moth
inc brutal about it. Mr.. Killilea said
the people liked to attend boxing
matches and there ought to be a way
provided whereby they could do so
without danger of arrest. He thought
the Hedding bin met the need.
Opposed to the bill besides Chief
Jansen, were j. w. Mcmillan and o.
W. Bow of Milwaukee. Mr.. McMil-
Ian asserted the bill ought to be call
ed a bill in the interest of special
privileges for the promoters of boxing
matches. He claimed the Hedding bill
had none of the earmarks of the New
York Frawley commission bill.
81 Are you satisfied with the Fraw-
ley bil1?" asked Assemblyman He'd
ding.
No, I ann not, was the reply.
/" We are opposed to the whole form
of appointing a commission, said Mr..
Bow. Commercialized pugilism in
Wisconsin has not reached the point |
where it needs any commission. He
said if the bill was passed it would
simply open up the doors for any kind
of boxing game the promoters wish |
ed to pull off, Wisconsin would be the
mecca for prizefghters.
Discussing the features of the bill,
Mr.. Bow claimed nothing could be done
by the commission against clubs but
spraying them with rosewater throw
ing bouquets, and say you must not
do so again. 2 The Frawley bill pro-
vided for an eight ounce glove, while
the Hedding bill permitted five ounce
gloves. Mr.. Hedding interrupted to
say that the law had been changed in
New York by an opinion permitting
smaller gloves. Mr.. Bow said this