El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-23

"HE boxing game cannot be
stopped. Nor should it be
4 stopped although there are
some attendant evils that should be
blotted out for the good OF the game.
Properly conducted it is a sport bene-
fetal to any community. The boxing
bills OF several states which provide
I for commissioners and proper super
vision Of contests is doing much to
make the sport popular and place it
where it should be.
Shorter contests with cleverness IN
demand and brutality eliminated are
doing much to place the sport on a
substantial basis.
In its more primitive form. par
ticuIarly bare knuckle fighting and
bona fide prize fights, the game has
been buffeted from one place to an
other but always men bent on seeing
bouts have found some way to evade
the efforts of those who would STOP
the game.
Finish Fighters TabOOed.
John /. Sullivan fought many bouts
on the greensward under the old
London prize ring rules while the
fans gathered in some out OF the way
place kept one eye on the fight and
watched for the sudden appearance
Of the sheriff with the other. During
SulIivan's time limited round con-
tests began to become popular and
men with the avowed intention OF
fighting to a finish found it difficult
to find a suitable place to pull off a
championship match. Either they
they were forbidden to fight where
there was any chance OF any con-
siderable gate receipts OF were per-
mitted to fight farther west where
there were no fans to see the bout.
Sullivan's fight with Mitchell IN
France was arranged only after con-
siderable maneuvering TO evade Of
ficers and both were arrested after
the fight. His fight with Kilrain at
New Orleans was under much the
same conditions. both Sullivan and
Kilrain being fugitives for some
time after the fight. When Bob Fitz-
simmons and Peter Maher wanted to
measure strength for the champion
ship the fans gathered in FL Paso
several days prior TO the date an
nounced and after the bout was frus-
trated Mt several points by officers.
a special train was chartered and
with all fans aboard and not even
knowing where they were bound for.
the train ran to Langtry, Texas, the
fans were transported TO the Mexican
side and the fans saw about two
minutes Of fighting for days and
weeks Of trouble and delay.
Carson City Short Lived.
Carson City then offered an oPpor-
tunity but after Fltzsimmons won
from Corbett the game didn't thrive
in that state. In early days Cali
fornia was a mecca for boxers. Now
only four round bouts are permitted.
Yet the game is thriving on the Pa
cific coast now better than ever be-
fore and the benefits derived are
than
Many unique ruses have been re-
sorted TO all times in order TO pull off
bouts. Islands in the Mississippi.
Ohio and other large streams have
frequently been chosen as places TO
avoid the authorities Probably the
most successful method Of avoiding
officers has been to fight on a boat
IN the middle OF the river. This has
been done many times. Sometimes
RATS have served the purpose and
not a few boxers have met on coal
barges.
LangdOn Recalls One.
Lieut. Frank NJ. Langdon, adjutant
Of mechanical repair unit No. sos,
recalls a bout pulled off in the state
Of Michigan some % years ago that
IS illustrative OF the trouble OF those
who persisted in seeing fights to a
self nit artist in his younger days, 1
was one Of some 800 fans who bought
p ticket TO a fight to a finish between
''Modey" Morledge and "Slugger'' Bill
Shadows. At that time ii was be-
lieved by followers Of each Of
the men that their man was in line |
for the championship.
The fans bought tickets to the bout /
but were not told where ii would be /
held They were to report at a point |
Is miles from Detroit on a certain 1
svening, the plan being to transfer /
hem from that point to the scene Of |
he fight This was done and the /
fans met at the railway station and 4
taken in hacks II miles IN a NAM /
moth barn When the men had got /
iairly at mixing II and Shadows had |
knocked Morledge down twice for the /
cunt. sheriff Bill Hendricks. a Swede |
- L