The New York herald., 1921-07-24
Commissioners Declare They
Will Hunt Down and Destroy
Illegal Combination.
ONE SIDED BOUTS DOOMED
Officials Determined to Pre-
vent a Repetition Of the Hor-
ton Law Boxing Trust.
BY CHARLES r. MATHIsoN.


satisfied till the ogre of the roped
square is captured and punished. This
attitude on the part of the boxing
solons is most praiseworthy, and all
who have at heart the best interests or
the padded mitt pastime will lend a
helping hand to the officials who thus
seek to uplift the sport. Specifications
as to the size and general appearance
of the trust declare that it is a hid
eous, fearsome monster which, If not
hunted down and slain, will devour the
entire game.
1t is set forth in detail that the trust
prevents thousands Of able boxers
from earning livelihood, while ia
vored few get all the profitable matches
and all the coin.
1t is also charged that worn out
boxers. held in esteem by the trust, are
permitted to meet superior boxers in
onesided matches.
1t readily can be seen that this is a
lamentable state Of affairs. and that
drastic action by the boxing commits
eioners Is required.
With the object of furnishing valuable
data for the boxing officials which may
aid them in dealing with the present
trying situation, the writer herewith
submits some facts In reference to the
greatest trust in the history of boxing.
This was the Horton Law Trust, and a
perusal of the details of its inception.
career and demise may be of interest to
Chairman Muldoon and his associates.
How the Trust started.
The Horton Law Trust was conceived
by coterie at the head of which was
the late Tim Sullivan. The Horton law
consisted of an amendment to the stat
ute prohibiting prize fighting, as a resul-
of which bouts with gloves were allowed
The amendment was confined to less
than 100 words, and there was no bro
vision for commission to govern the
sport, nor rules for its control The
situation was decidedly "open," and
Senator Sullivan, who had put over"
the amendment, appointed himself and
friends a committee to govern boxing in
the State of New York. 1t therefore is
not hard to understand that the Horton
law boxing trust was a powerful and
autocratic body.
The first thing decided on by the
trust was that there should be but two
clubs in New York city, both of which
were to be under the control OF the
trust. These clubs were so located as
70 tap the boxing communities in Har-
lem and in lower New York. The up
town club was named the Lenox A. c.
and was at 107th street and Lexington
avenue, while the downtown club was
named the Broadway A. C. and was
located in a building occupied by Eye
Olde London Streetes' on Broadway
near Fourth street.
When these clubs got into operation
all boxers who desired to compete in
this city were compelled to consult the
trust matchmaker. and they either ac-
cepted the matchma kers terms or they
did not box In the trust clubs. Pre-
vious to the passage of the Horton law
several clubs had been operating on the
membership plan, and these were no.
titled by the trust to close their doors.
One of the best known of these MEM
bership clubs was the Polo A. c.. at
155th street and Eighth avenue, opposite
Manhattan Field. The managers of the
Polo A. c. did not clearly understand
the meaning of the order to close its
doors and advertised bout between
Patsy Haley and Dave Sullivan.
Attractive Match.
II was an attractive match and drew
a large crowd But the contest did not
take place, for a big squad Of police
men stood in front of the club and a
placard on the front of the building
bore the laconic inscription: mo boxing
here"
That significant incident ended the
membership clubs and the only man
who succeeded In holding bouts was the
late Alex Brown. He invoked his polit-
ical pull" and opened the Coney Island
A. G. BY way Of showing its magnan-
unity the trust permitted Johnny Rea-
gan TO stage bouts In the Pelican A. c..
Sixty-hfth street and Third avenue.
Brooklyn. and also allowed the Green
wood A. c., to open at Twenty-hfth
street and Fifth avenue.
These clubs. however. were small
could not pay large purses and In no
way interfered with the Lenox and
Broadway clubs.
1t was during the incumbency of the
Horton law boxing trust that there oc-
CURED series Of scandalous events
AS result OF these affairs the Horton
law was repealed, and 1t was two years
before another boxing amendment was
passed.
Perhaps the most brazen of all the
affairs during the trusts control was
the match between Peter Maher.
heavy hitting veteran, and man
called Mike Morrissey" who was de-
clared to have come direct from Irela 4
intent on defeating Maher. "Morrissey'
proved to be n novice, who fell to the
floor In the first round without being
hit and refused TO continue. "Morrissey'
trained In secret Mt the Lenox Club,
where the contest" was staged and
no one was permitted to see him till he
entered the ring.
IL was afterward learned that Nor
rissey" was n truckman, never had
worn boxing gloves before and was the
med ium OF a shameless swindle on the
patrons OF the Lenox Club. "Morrissey'
was spirited AWAY Immediately after
the bout. and no one was even censured
for the scheme.
sharkey-Corbett Probe.
The Sharkey- Corbett affair also took
place at the Lenox Club. and this
caused such an uproar that the trust
investigated" and gave all concerned
. clean bill OF health.
The Walcott-West affair took place at
Madison Square Garden. which got into
sns game shortly before the repeal OF
the law. Wnlcott battered West for ten
rounds and then the negro refused to
come out OF his corner for the eleventh
round. He said he had broken his arm.
on the day following the fight Wolcott
strolled down Broadway swinging a
cane with his broken" arm. Those who
wagered on West were winners.
Much space would he rpduired 10 give