Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1911 — NEW PRIZE RING RULES SATISFACTORY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NEW PRIZE RING RULES SATISFACTORY

The director of athletics of Philadelphia read with satisfaction the rules recently adopted by the head of the department of public safety to pre-vent-such accidents as have happened in the fistic arena lately. He seemed to be especially pleased with rule No. 3, which reads: Contestants shall not be permitted to have more than three attendants or seconds and these seconds must rdfrain from coaching the principals during the progress of /the rounds. “That rule vyill at least make it much more difficult/’ commented the director, “for fighters and their seconds to take advantake of an opponent by means of the various tricks pi the ring that have been possible in the past through the number or men allowed to surround a contestant during the rests and before the fight begins* It was impossible for the referee to see what was going on when the contestant was the center of a hollow square of towel wielders, spongers and rubbers. Behind that human screen various tricks were practiced, some of them dastardly in their nature. “It has been possible to anoint a glove with oil of mustard, with the result that an opponent’s eye has been put out of business at the first blow. Then the hands have been hardened

so that they became frightfully effective weapons, through the introduction of plaster of parts in the glove. “Rule 7 will govern this hand bandage business. This, as you see, tays: ‘Only soft bandages to be allowed on the hand.’ The bandage permitted is one that begins at the thumb, winds twice around the hand and then at either side of the prominent bone on the wrist. This bandage has been Increased in size until in some of the contests today the hand is wound with bicycle tape until it le almost Impossible for the fighter to close it. Under cover of the ring of attendants contestants have been known to sprinkle the inside of the glove with plaster of parts. Then the bandaged hand is given a quick dip In the water bucket and Inserted in the glove, with the result that the plaster of parts hardens and gives the man a fist like a brick. “The working of the horsehair padding in the glove away from the knuckles, so that the part of the hand that gives the blow is tree from padding, is another trick that Is so old that it has almost come to be regarded as legitimate. It Is illegal and should not be winked.at by the referee. Now that the squad of attendants around a fighter is reduced to three the referee will be able to see and stop such tricks.**

Three Different Methods.