Evening star., 1914-02-09
MeaetZ & MerstZ
Co., Imc., 900 IF

as they made money We're not over par
ticular to the means The writer re-
members many tip-top contests brought
off in stables. the boxers being rewarded
by a collection taken up from the au-
dience. species of tax never omitted at
the conclusion OF every bout.
I'm those days there was no bother
about weight, size of gloves or other de-
tails that the champions of today delight
in quibbling about, and l am certain that
the sport was far more entertaining
The properly organized club altered all
that and incidentally introduced a bet
ter. more educated and more brainy
class of boxers to the British public. A
boom started in Europe when the Peter
JackSon-Frank Slavin contest was de-
cided. but it died down and boxing was
reckoned one of the minor sports until
Gunner Moir was considered to possess
sufficient ability to match him with Tom
my Burns. From that time. nearly seven
years ago. the game has slowly increased
in popular estimation and has even cap
tured the affections of the police authoff-
ties.
lit may surprise many people to know
that boxing has no legal status in this
country and that every person connected
with "A contest is technically guilty cf a
breach of the peace. II is against the
law to fight. but the high courts have de-
cided on more than one occasion that a
boxing bout with gloves, limited to TWEEN
" rounds and decided under recognized
rules. does not contravene the law, and
no proceedings can he taken against any
body connected With th bout unI-~s -
fatality occurs. If a contest does end in
the death of OF th. BOXERS an inQuiiY
must be held because the death is not
due to natural causes
I'm the remarkably few fatal cases THAI
h.sr,4
been proven that the unfortunate boxer
suffered from some disease or com plant
which medical examination could pos
sibly reveal and no further steps lla'e
been taken beyond the coroner's inquirs
The old idea that - boxing bout must
necessarily be "A brutal affair is passing
away, and only exists in the minds of a
few cranks, who would gladly see our
young meu playing marbles or scratch
cradle instead of enjoying a sport which
exercises both body and brain. develops
self-restraint and generally tends to make
a healthy citizen.
SNOWY Baker the Australian boxing
promoter, who arrived in san tran,is''o
the past week with Pal Brown. the
Minnesota ishtMcishi. has discovered
that some OF the stars in this country
are hard to II" business with. and tlisi
their prices run up int" the tRoCs,'iids
at very rapid rate. Mr. Baker offered
kitchie Z, purs.. OF SlSto0 TO 20 over
there aud meet Herbert mccoy. the AUS
tralian lightweight, aome tune ma Apir'.
in addition to paving all lis expenses
over and back. bat the California boy
could not see il for moment and de-
clined with thanks. There WAS "A Time
when a purse of that magnitude would
have been magnet for any kind of
championship match.
Pal Brown, who accom- panied Mr. Bak-
er came on from the coast to his home.
and while here gaze out a statement that
he was ready to challenge Ritchie for
the lightweight championship of America
over the twenty-round route. Pal stated
that he was not looking for a losers end
of the purse. but that he would make
match on basis of 80 per cent to the
winner and % per cent to the loser and
wager 5000 on the side. or, ii the cham
pion wishes a higher SUM, he Will bet SO.
go on the side. il the match is made at
1873 pounds. ringside, which is the light
weight limit. Brown stated that lie did
not have that much money to bet on
himself. but that he received word from
his home town that there are men there
who will back him TO that extent. Brown
is sincere in his claim for a chance at
the championship and is willing to risk
his own money in such an encounter.