Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-16

| decentralization conest and afterward
/ declared 1t scientific treat" Mr.. Har-
| rison made a hit with local fight fans by
| praissng the sport as conducted there he
advanced the opinion that there could De
no possible objections to boxing under
proper restrictions, and that personally
| he Is in favor of the passage Of the Dill
| now pending in the Illinois legislature,
which will legalize limited exhibitions.
Mayor Harrison is my idea of LIBERAL
| minded executive. He does not consider
| 1t beneath his dignity to attend boxing
match. nor to lend his official indorse-
| ment to movement to revive the sport
| in his own city.
If boxing is legalized in Illinois It is to
/ be hoped that those who are placed In
| charge of the sport will profit by some OF
| the mistakes made by the New York COM
| mission. For one illustration take the
''no-decision" ruling. This was framed to
| prevent betting on bouts. As matter
| of fact there is every bit as much betting
| Under the present method as there would
| be X referees decided the bout. And I'M
der the system of deciding money on
| newspaper" decisions the opportunity
| for crooked work is increased rather than
diminished.
With very few exceptions fight fans
want referees decisions. Frank O'Neill,
| chairman of the commission, realizes
| that the ruling was a mistake and has
declared in favor of a revision which will
authorize the arbiters to name the win
ners and losers. But his confreres have
| failed to see the light as yet, and refuse
| to make the desired change.
That it is not in New York city alone
the ruling has been found Objectionable
| is indicated by the following article from
the Buffalo On. W News. OF WElch Jim
Parke. we'll known upstate expert, is
the sporting editor. Ihe news In re-
cent issue says:
"It is an imposition on the public that
a referee under the Frawley law is placed
in such a position of irresponsiblilty.
What is the use of having a referee II
the power to make a decision is taken
away from him? 1T Is supposed that the
curtailment of his power is to prevent
betting on result, but it does not &C
complish that end. as everybody knows.
and the result of conflicting newspaper
opinions is confusing and unsatisfactory.
The News has certainly gone the limit
to give justice to all when, as 1t did last
night Ghe Jimmy Duffy-kid Curley
MATCH it employed four men on the job,
and this decision of a draw is consen-
sus of opinion of these four experts. But
that is job for referee and not for a
newspaper"
1 have been arguing for decisions ever
since the Frawley law went into effect
My knowledge of the conditions govern
ing boxing exhibitions told me that the
ruling against them would prove de-
cided boomerang SO far as the gamoling
end of the game is concerned. Might as
we'll try to stem the tides of the ocean
as to stop red-blooded men from occa-
sionally taking a chance with bit OF
change on boxing matches.
1t is said that the athletic combination
Billy Mccartney has on tour. ana OIL
which Luther McCarty Is the headiiner'
is not making the money Its promoters
expected. Expenses of toting around
few high-prced stars eat up the gate re-
ceipts very fast. and there's little LETT Tor
Mccarney and Mecarty when when ;. the other
Richard Klegin. who promotes fights IN
Paris and st. Petersburg and any OLD
place where there Is chance to get the
money, tried to persuade McCarty 10
agree to fight Tommy Burns in France.
When the proposition was put beIore
Billy Mccartney he is said to have asked
for a guarantee of $4,000. training ex-
penses and round-trip tickets for two;
johnson asked that much money to box
Langford and was called hog; 1et
johnson is q worlds champion. McCarty
is hardly out Of the preliminary class,
and many seem to think he has not yet
graduated.
It is needless to add that McCarty will
not box Burns in Paris under HIGGINS
auspices. but if business with the
troupe doesn't pick up materially 1t is
a cinch that Billy Mccartney will have his
big meal ticket back on the job some
where pretty soon.
Tom McCarey has three championship
contests ION the fire." First come Johnny
Kilbane and Johnny Dundee for the
featherweight title. Then. II McCareys
plans go through, Johnny Coulon VIII
box Kid Williams for the bantam tue
Decoration day. The piece de resistance
is to be saved for the 4th of July, and
NAV possibly include Willie Richie and
Joe Rivers. 1t is thought, however. that
an arrangement exists between Richie
and Ad ,Wolgast which assures the for
,ner champion first chance at his con-
queror.
Woigast meets Tommy Murphy in a
return match at San Francisco some time
in April, and If successful In that bout
will positively get the match If Ad
loses, however, Rivers may be given
chance at the title.
Jess willard the huge heavyweight
from Kansas, has changed his mind about
coming to New York. He offers as an
excuse that Luther McCarty has prom
4th of July and that an agreement with
the white champion will prevent him
from engaging in other bouts in the
meantime.
white heavyweight market. He won't box
anybody himself and has now tied VIII
Iard's hands, If report is true. Only
few weeks ago Willard sent an urgent
appeal to the Garden Athletic Club man
agement begging for a match with either
Bombarder Wells or Gunboat Smith. Jess
was recently set down. by the boxing
commissioners for failure to keep an en-
gagement with Buffalo club. This big
boy is badly in need Of level-headed
adviser.
Leach Cross, the New York lightweight.
furnished the big pugilistic surprise OF
the past week by knocking Joe Mandots
championship aspirations into cooked
hat. All the dope pointed to victory for
Mandot, but / guess the southern boxer
was just flash in the pan. When he
outpointed Joe Rivers the first time Man
dot was acclaimed n wonder, but this
idea was dispelled by his comparatively
poor work in the return engagement.
Mandot IS now entirely out OF the
championship running and it looks as II
Rivers holds Cross safe judging from the
way he was battering the local man
about the ring in the closing rounds OF
their recent ten-round engagement. II
Jack Britton can make 1913 pounds, as his
manager claims, lie looks the man to give
Rivers battle for position runner-up
to the championship. Jack made Leach
rid nd