Prize Fighting in Society.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 139, 13 June 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

Prize Fighting in Society.

The London correspondent of the New York ' Sun,' who is often very well informed, cables an account of a boxing entertainment which took place at the residence of a wellknown Irish Peer in Mayfair. His lordship had a large dinner party of lords and ladies, and at the conclusion of the meal distributed programmes in bhe form of menu-cards wribten by his own hand, of bhe entertainment which was to follow. All the company then adjourned to the bail-room of bhe house, where a ring had been formed in bhe orthodox manner, excepb bhat silk ribbon had been used instead of rope to form the enclosure ; six pugilists, several not unknown to 'fame,' were in attendance, and were divided into three pairs. Each had heavy gloves, and wore rubber-soled boots to prevent slipping on the polished floor. The boxing was of a determined bußiness-like character, and blood was drawn in every bout. The noble ladies, however, showed nob the least squeamishness and applauded enthusiastically, clapping their gloved hands, and rapping chairs with their fans. Three separate fights were brought off, and the whole affair was voted a success, worthy of repetition. As the correspondent gives bhe full name and address of the noble host, and the names of the principal guests, it ia probable that the story is weil founded. It has created an immense amounb of interesb here, and the new form of fashionable enberbainmenb being regarded as emphabically English, ib will be irnibated in all probabiliby. _