Norwich bulletin., 1919-02-22
WILLARD-DEMPSEY CONTRACT
ILLEGAL, SAYS ATTORNEY


at Weehawken are not worth the
paper they are written on. Worse
than that, Tex Richard Jack Demp-
sey, Jack Kearns and the witnesses to
the contract are liable to prosecution
for conspiracy and for violation of
Sections 1710, 1913 and I'LL of the
penal code of New York State.
These facts were brought out yes
terday by Counselor Emmanuel Tacker
Of % William street, yesterday.
Counsellor Tacker has made an extern
sive study of the law covering pugi-
lism and sparrinT exhibitions. The
attention of the District Attorney has
been invited to the result and there is
some chance that a gendarme or two
may meet Tex Richard on his return
to New York.
Section 1710 of the penal code, reads
as follows:
"A person who within this state en-
cages in, instigates, encourages or does
any act to further a contention or
fight, without weapons, between two
or more persons, or a fight commonly
called a ring or prizefght, either with
in or without the State, or who en-
cages in a public or private sparring
exhibition, with or without gloves,
within this State at which an ad-
MISSION fee is charged or received,
either directly or indirectly, or who
sends or publishes a challenge for
such a contention, exhibition or fight,
or carries or delivers such a challenge
or acceptance, or trains or assists any
person in training or preparing for
such a contention, exhibition or
fight, is guilty of a misdemeanor."
1t was to duck this law that Rickard
fitted to the Jersey side. The pro-
10, IL 7 Ia
evaded section 1910, but they ran into
section 1913, and were apparently
| wrecked. Tough as section 1910 may
seem, 1713 is tougher still. 1t reads:
"a person who leaves this State with
intent to elude any provision of this
article (section 1710) or to commit any
act without the State which is pro-
i hibited by this article or who, being
a resident of this State, does any act
| without the State which would be
! punishable by the provisions of this
article if committed within the State,
| is guilty of the same offense and sub
| ject to the same punishment as if the
| act had been committed within the
| State"
! The contention of Counsellor Tacler
| is that Tex Richard will have to de-
clare the present contract with Demp-
/ sey null and void and defunct and
| everything else and go outside the
| State or even outside the country and
| fix up a new one. By doing this he
may also escape the possible session
| in durance vile.
| Even if boxing should be legalized
! in the State in the very near future,
the present contract with Dempsey
would be illegal. 1t was drawn up
while contracts Of this sort were still
illegal and all the contracting parties
are liable to prosecution. These legal
entanglements will no doubt clinch
Richards desire to take the big battle
further West, where the penal codes
are less intricate.
From Tusla, Okla, comes announce
ment by John Reisler, Dempsey's for
mer manager, that he will not permi
the fight to occur until his claims art
satisfied. Reisler says Dempsey owes
him S36 600 under contract, 100000 fol-
alleged breach Of contract and a share
of the fight receipts. He claims tina
his contract to manage Dempsey unit
1920 has been upheld by the courts.
There has been a LOT Of talk thii
year of the Eastern league losins
Providence. which had aspirations t
get into the international. Some o
the fans down that way have beef
writing to the papers cXpressin!
themselves pretty plainly as opposed
! to a continuance of Eastern leagu
ball. But they have been advised
that if Providence has o hague clul
this year at all. it will operated il
the Eastern league for the simple ant
sufficient reason that the Eastern cir
cult controls that territory.