New Britain herald., 1914-07-11
The Prize Fight in Modern London.
 (New York Sum-

The Prize Fight in Modern London.
 (New York Sun.)
 The "Benicia Boy" was chased through eight counties in England before he unlawfully put up his, hands against Tom Savers on Earn borough heath in the presence of the nobility and gentry and statesmen of the realm, parliament practicallys ad- journing for the occasion. A forest of chimney pot hats surrounded the ring-everybody has seen the pie ture of that august assemblage with the two bruisers pummelling each other inside the ropes, very much as Dares and old Entellus did at the fun eral of Anchises, when Dares was knocked out" by the Sicilian Fitz- simmons.
 The affair between Frederick Welsh of Wales and William Ritchie of America, staged in the spacious British Olympia on Tuesday night, was arranged months ago with the consent and approval of the authori- ties. although a championship of the world was at stake. The glory of the occasion was not all to the favorite son of Wales; the distinction of the management. which persuaded cler- gyman to act as master of cere- monies and attracted thousand titled and untitled women to /the scene, must be recognized. Other unreluctant clergymen were present, exulting in the contest between the youths in the ring, who wore little more clothing than the gladiatora described by Homer and Virgil Man. ners have changed with the times ana of late as easily as swiftly. Big Ben" Brain, Mendoza the Jew, Tom Cribp, the "Tipton Slasher" Gone Bendigo), and even John Gully, who came to represent Pontefract in parliament, never dreamed of the day when rich ly gowned women showing all the charms that fashion permits, would sit at the ringside and clap their gloved hands to see a quick lead or a clever counter, yearning. too. with fearful joy to witness a knock down. ...
 We may do things differently to- day. but in spite of the Marquis or Queensberry rules blood still flows in the ring and the beaten boxer writhes on the floor while his destiny is being told off by a speaking forefinger. The ladies who attend these spectacles. even with the clergy to keep them in countenance, must expect to see such f1nales, for knockouts are popular with the other sex.
 In Spain the ladies go to bull fights. Why not to man fights with four ounce gloves in England and Ameri- ca? It is a question of taste and inclination, especially in an age when women are striving for equality with men in so many ways. After all, in respect to the trial of strength and skill there is not so much difference between wrestling matches and other masculine contests in gymnasiums and halls, to which women are in> vited as a matter of course, and box ing matches as conducted today. A refined amusement the dancing steps and darting blows of such masters of the gentlemanly art of self-defense as Messrs. Welsh and Ritchie, both clean limbed, well groomed young men to look at. To practitioners of the ruder school such an ex- hibition seems effeminate. What must the shades of Jem Mace and Tom Allen have thought of the business at the Olympia? We are not advising delicately nurtured women to attend modern prize fights-the other kind will do as they please: but in a day when barriers between the sexes are crumbling and when old fashioned convention is apt to be more honored | in the breach than in the observance, | no one need be astonished at the scene in the Olympia where cham pionship boxing match had strong resemblance to a society event III some parts of the house. It only | needs the presence of the reverend | gentlemen at such functions to jus tifv the ladies in their new found | pleasure. ssFs..
 London, however, is not New York. Our prize fighting constituency is not addicted to tall hats and evening | clothes" and our women have not so far in the direction of equality with men. A woman at a boxing bout in New York is always and the clergy resolute- ly hold aloof.