The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-02-07
BOXING
GAME In
DANGER
Activities Of Gamblers Un.
dermiinng Public Conf
dence at New Orleans
(By ]. A. Ermatinger.l

Milwaukee, Wis, Feb. 7.-when the
referee raised aloft the gore spattered
glove Of Pete Kid Herman and pro-
claimed him worlds ring champion,
the decision not only started a bitter
controversy over the legitimacy OF the
bantamweight title, but 1t also laid
bare a sore that has been fostering the
very vitals of the boxing game in New
Orleans and threatening its existence.
Pernicious activities Of sure thing
gamblers are slowly, but surely, UNI
dermining' public confidence in the
honesty of the matches promoted at
the Crescent city. and unless the evil
is thoroughly suppressed the game is
sure to suffer.
New orleans is the only place in
the country right now where twenty
round battles to q decision are per-
mitted, so for that reason IL would be
a matter Of serious regret il any
crooked influence should result in the
lid being placed on the sport.
The gambling element always has
been more or less in evidence in the
promotion Of ring matches at the
Crescent city, but it Is only recently
that the operations Of this gentry
have come prominently to public at
tention.
The decision in the Pete Herman
Kid Williams title brought the evil to
the surface. Thousands Of dollars were
wagered on the contest, with Williams
ruling q favorite in the betting at
juicy odds. The talent, so called,
plunged the limit on williams to win.
The decision, hair line one. by the
way, went to Herman, and the result"
ant howl from the gamblers who were
stung 10 shaking the city to it's foun.
dRtions.
While the fairness of the verdict
may be open to question, no one at
tempts to impugn the honesty Of the
referee, Billy Recap Of Philadelphia, q
sporting writer Of repute. He judged
the match as he saw it.
Referee 10 Goat.
1t is with the gambling evil, how
ever. that the greatest concern. Isl hes
ing shown by both the press, and the
promoters. As is usually the case
when sure thing goes wrong, some
one has to be made the goat. In the
case of boxing at New Orleans this
unfortunate roll falls to the referee.
The unhappy arbiters. who have pre-
sided over big boxing matches at the
Crescent city, haYe been the target
of the most bitter abuse. Run over the
list OF referees. who have worked
there, and 1t will be seen that not one
has succeeded in escaping criticism.
Some few years back Harry Stout,
Milwaukee. was the official referee
for number OF big contests. Stout
Is o capable man, and has since pre-
sided over scores OF big bouts, yet he
failed to satisfy the New Orleans
boxing following. The decision he
gave in the Johnny Coulon and
Frankey Burns match, back in 1912,
marked the finish of Stout as q ref
cree in the Crescent city.
OF recent years the most prominent
referees there have been Dick Burke,
New Orleans; Ed Smith, Chicago, and
Billy Recap. Philadelphia. Each one
has been pilloried by the bitter crit
icism OF the gamblers.
Continuance OF boxing at New Or
leans rests with the promoters, how
ever. The sport is still on firm
basis, but prompt action must be TAX
en- to suppress the gamblers, else the
game will surely suffer. Fortunately
the men who control boxing are SUBJ
stantiaI and trustworthy. There is
only one plan OF action for them to
follow, and that is to back up the ref
erees in all decisions. providing that
It Is proven that the arbiter is con-
scientious, capable and honest. If
the decisions rendered are just then
the arbiters should be encouraged ana
continue in service. If the promoters
give way to the carping criticism and
malicious knocks Of the gamblers 1t
will certainly result in wrecking the
sport.