PARSON RUMS PRIZE FIGHTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10573, 30 September 1910, Page 2

PARSON RUMS PRIZE FIGHTS.

While the world's pulpits have been ringing with denunciation of the John-son-Jeffries light a south side London parson has been blending piety with pugilism. Everybody in London has heard of the livv. "Tom" Ceilings and bis muscular Christianity But many staid members of the ultra-respectable Church of Kngland were shocked to their depths when he went into partnership with an ex-convict in a boxing saloon and chose for bis establishment the disused chapel of the famous preacher. Kowland Hill. Rowland Will built Ids chapel, in a complete circle in order, he said, that "the devil should not have a. corner in it." For a long while it was a noted centre of religious activity, but changing conditions left it stranded in a region of mean streets, far from the prosperous residential quarters. Today tho district, just south of Blackfriar's Bridge, spanning tho Thames within sight of St. Paul's Cathedral, is tho abode of the tough element, redolent of fried fish, stale beer, vitriolic whisky, and variegated speech. Only a man who could combine physical force with moral suasion could shepherd, a flock like that. Uenco tho selection of '"Tom" Codings as a local parson.

Before, long his influence began to lie felt. Also the fame of his list spread round and inspired respect, for a drunken bully or iwi>, after being taken in hand by the nvw cleric, developed quite did'erem, ideas on the ministerial profession than they had gathered from green curates in spectacles. Then eame the great Liverpool bank frauds, with a trial that roused all Kngland and left Dick Bui-ge, a well-known pugilist, with a. .sentence' of two years to serve. ~\Yhon Burgc emerged from gaol he was pounced upon by '■Tom" Ceilings and his supporters, and his steps were directed out of the sloimh of des])oud to the heights of better endeavor. He had lost his character, but . not all liis friends. So lie developed a powerful liking for the parson. Seeing; the old chape! vacant, the idea, .struck him of turning it into a boxing saloon, run on lines of absolute fairness, thorohv drawing ihe toughs of lilackl'riars within roach of his friend Tom s influence. When he. put the 'inesiion in ihe minister. whether he would take a hand in ihe punching mill, the answer wa.s prompt and decisive: "Yes. ecrlainlv!" So now the former chapel is called '-The Jiing." and within, on sparring nights, ihe par. son and the convict-pugilist sit in the seats_of the mighty. The parson is time-keeper and liurge is manager. The arrangement suits everybody. Burge brings the ■•talent."' the parson inspires confidence in the honesty of the performance, and the crowd, out of respect for the timekeeper, restrain the sanguinary .speech that is their normal vocabulary for encouraging bruisers, They have come to know that while ■■Tom" Coliings manipulates the hammer and the gong there will be no faked shows at 'The Jfinu." When a contestant strips for the bout, lie feels he must take his medicine like a man. or there will be trouble with the. minister later on.

If he had lii.s heart's desire Colling? would lie referee instead of timekeeper, for the former position would enable liim to make lilackfriars pugilists light instead of ••fiddle" as they jiro apt to do in cheap London shows. There is no place in the Ceilings calendar for the boxer who oscapes'without some mark of physical prowess. "Why did you join this Durge combination:-" lie was asked. "Because 1 have never yet found a healthy mind in a dirty body. Men to become successful boxers must live clean and healthy lives. Jt inspires them with a desire to live as much a.s possible in the open air, free from the saloon influence: and they learn thev must have clean and healthy surroundings in their own homes. I cannot see why a boxer should not be as good and desirable a citizen as any other man. If many of them' lapse from the ordinary standard it is because ministers of religion too often act as though pugilists ought to be ostracised by those who think themselves authorised to set up a standard of right and wrong. Kow I look upon boxing as a healthy exercise for young men. If there is an undesirable element the proper wav to eliminate it is not by carping criticism hut by the introduction of a better understanding between its devotees and those charged with the spiritual "iiidanco ol the people." To prove his theories, the timekeeper ol „"Tlie'King" invites all and sundry to see the bouts. Everything is run on the latest principles. Manager Burge announces that it is "the finest ventilated boxing arena in the, world " and he has a good doctor on hand in case of accidents.