New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-23

engages in, instigates. aids, encour-
ages, or does any act to further a
contention, or fight, without weapons,
DetWeen two or more persons, or
tight commonly called ring or prize
night, either within or without the
state, or who engages in a public
or private sparring exhibition, with
or without gloves, within the state,
at which an admission fee is charged
or received, either directly or midi
rectiy, or who sends or publishes a
challenge, or acceptance of chal-
ienge Tor such a contention, exhibit
ton or fight, or carries or delivers
such challenge or acceptance, or
tralns or assists any person in train
ing or preparing for such conten-
ton, exhibition or fight, is guilty
OF misdemeanor
No wonder Willard had the jump on
Jack Curley and Tom Jones. This
section is not content with prohibiting
boxing bouts and let the thing 20 at
that! Not only are we forbidden to
engage ir" a prizefight, but we must
not "instigate" or laid" it. And not
merely that, but we must not even
encourage" or "do any act" to fur
Their such fight. And looking further,
we note that we are prohibited from
sending a challenge for such q fight,
or accepting it, or even from Garry
ing" or delivering" such q challenge
or acceptance
SO we find that when Wizards man
ayers sued him for breach of contract
willard lnterposed an answer in which
he alleged that the contract on which
his managers were suing was envered
into for the purpose of promoting a
prize fight between him and Jack
johnson, the then heavyweight cham
plon of the world, which fight was TO
take place somewhere outside of the
State of New York, that Curley went to
England, where Johnson was living, and
procured Johnson to agree to 60 forty
five rounds with Willard, that, having
accomplished this, Curley returned to
New York and told Willard about what
he had done, that Willard accepted
Jack Johnson's challenge to fight for
ty-five rounds outside of the State of
New York; that Willard, Curley, Jones
and Jack Johnson all agreed that the
fight should take place at Juarez, Mex
leo, that Curley and Jones helped Will
lard to go to Ell Paso to tram. that
thereafter the fight was held at Ia
vana, Cuba, where Jess put Jack John
son to sleep. And there YOU are-aIJ
these facts Willard in his answer con-
tended were in violation and contra
vention of the laws of the State of New
York, and were. therefore, illegal.
Richard Well Informed
Now, Tex Richard is too we'll in
formed and is kept too well posted on
everything pertinent to sport not to
have known of this, and he probably
made up his mind not to fall into the
same errorH Apparently this must have
been so, because, after the crowc go,
together at the Claridge and had agreed
upon the details of the coming con-
test and everything had been arranged,
the party hied themselves over the
river to an out-of-the-w p1ace in
" eehawkcn, N. j.. and there, outside
of the State of New Yok, the articles
were signed. So Tex Richard felt con-
tent and, doubtless, congratulated HIM
SELF upon having avoided falling INTO
the error that is troubling Jack Cur
ley and his associate.
But 10! What is sauce for the
goose is not always sauce for the gan
der. The people responsible for the
Incorporation into the penal law of
The prohibition against prizefghts APP
parently knew of the pretty little stunt |
so commonly practised in. attempting
~ "'U'" ieSai 'hou siait nous OF
New York laws, OF taking the ferry
across the Hudson, and in New Jersey |
doing what New York will not permit. |
SO they were not content with letting
the section above quoted stand alone. |
but added another, Section 1713, which /
reads as follows:
"A person who loupes the state
foith intent to elude any provision of
this article, or to commit aag act
without the state. which is prohib-
sted by this article, or who, being
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 oGemse
and subject to the same punishment