Omaha daily bee., 1917-09-30
CRITICS COME
TO MORRIS AID
IN fulton BOUT
Declare Fulton Should Have
Been Disqualified When He
Left Ring; Precedent
Backs Agreements.
BY RINGSIDER.

BY RINGSIDER.
Chicago, Sept. 24-Fred Fulton gen
orally was conceded the victor in his
bout with Carl Morris at Canton, o..
on Labor Day, but there are sup
posedly competent fight critics who
assert that Fulton really lost the bat
tie and that Morris should have been
given the decision when Fulton de-
liberately left the ring and started
for his dressing room, returning only
in time to resume fighting when the
next round started.
These critics base their argument
on the claim that under the rules
fighter has no right tJ climb outside
the roped inclosure until the contest
is ended, and that in so doing he COM
mits a technical foul that must be
counted against him by the referee.
The referee, these critics declare,
should have disqualified the Mime
sofa plasterer and given Morris the
decision as soon as Fulton stepped
outside the hempen square.
In support of their argument the
critics are delying into the records,
and have brought forward the action
of a refere in bout at Louisville,
KY, few years ago, which seems to
afford a parallel to the Fulton-Morris
case.
Recalls Precedent.
The boxers in the Louisville bout
were of some prominence, and were
going along pretty well. 1t was an
exciting battle, and big crowd was
watching the proceedings. During a
wild mixup in the center of the ring
the more prominent of the pair
landed a right swing flush on his .ad-
versary's jaw and stretched his op-
ponent cold upon the canvas.
The man who had scored the knock
down knew it was dream punch.
He could tell by the way the blow
landed that his rival was not going
to come to within the allotted ten
seconds. He was entirely right, but
his enthusiasm got the better of his
judgment.
While the referee was tolling the
fatal seconds over the fallen gladiator
he had arrived at the count of seven
and looked around to see what the
other fellow was doing. He discov-
cred that the victorious battler had
leaped out of the ring and was ming
ling with the spectators, accepting
congratulations and playing the tri-
umphant hero before his faithful ad.
mirers.
The referee very promptly broke of
counting, declared the unconscious
gladiator on the floor winner, and
disqualified the man who had left the
ring. Fight critics at that time up
held the verdict.
In the old days of boxing, when
everything was considered fair if you
got away with it and fighters and
managers were willing to try any
thing once, it was severe crime
against the rules to leave the ring.
The rule was observed strictly and
as q result some great tricks were
tried to get an opponent to quit the
roped arena. Especially were the
managers alive to the possibilities of
such situation when their men were
being licked. =
One of the favorite lodges was the
cry of police" and many q false re-
suit was brought about by the sue
cessful manipulation of this trick. At
such an alarm all opponent probably
would fee in panic and the man who
stayed in the ring would be handed
the verdict.
Gilmore Saves Fight.
Harry Gilmore, veteran lightweight
star and one of the best of the old
time handlers, once saved fight for
Tommy White by checkmating this
little trick. White was boxing Tommy
Morgan in a ring on the outskirts Of
Hammond, Ind, and it so happened
that the arena was built within few
feet Of the Illinois line, making it
easy for the "pugs" to escape in case
of need.
The men were using skin-tight
gloves and White was winning by a
mile when the cry came out OF Nor
gan's corner that the constabulary
was in the offing. White was in a
panic and was about to flee when Gil
more, who had seen the trick worked
before, Gained Tommy down.
Let Morgan go first" Gilmore ad-
vised. "then we'll be safe"
Morgan did not leave the ring and
the bout was resumed, but the police
did appear shortly afterwSkd and the
referee called the fight draw.
There never is any excuse for
laving the ring until the battle is
over" said Gilmore, "and Fulton was
wrong in doing so. especially since he