THE ATHLETIC WORLD.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9642, 14 January 1899, Page 3

THE ATHLETIC WORLD.

Fixturcß.

January 23 — Wanganui Caledonian Society. Pebruary- 4 — New Zealand A.A. Championships at DunediD. February 6. — Hunterville ■ Caledonian Society. Pebruary 23 and 24 — League of N.Z. Wheelmen's Championship Carnival in Wanganui. April 3.— -Wanganui and West Coast C.C.'a sports.

Notes by "Yiotor."

The question of captain for the Australian Eleven may be a sore

one: Darling was mentioned as a

positive certainty, but the selection ofW"orrall has made it more 'open.

Tae latter , will have the M.C.C. support, and that means a lot.

Mclaughlin, who ran with sue-

cess in the professional events at tbe Wanganui Caledonian Society's sports last year, will not ha a competitor at the forthcoming gathering, he having iecontly gone across to Tasmania to try his luck.

The- Australian cricket team for England are to play three test • matches against the next best eleven in Australia before leaving for the Old Country, the first in Sydney on March 4th, in Melbourne on March nth, and in Adelaide on March 18th.

The committee of the League Championship gathering m\{ be acting wisely if they include two or three professional footraces on their programme, They would be sure to gat good entries, even supposing . the prize money waß not very large.

The hon. secretary (Mr H. R. Woon)'of the Wanganui and Wast Coast Club infotms me that his club intend offering very liberal prize-money for. pedestrian events at their gathering on Easter Monday (April 3rd). Athletes are sure to respond freely, judging from the satisfaction expressed with the con1 duet of tbe Chriatmas carnival. - 'On November 14th, on the Thames course, W. J. Haines beal George Bubear in a sculling match for aside. Bubear, although '40" year's of age, was a' strong favorite, but Haines won easily in 22minl8sec. Haines is now matched to row Tom Sullivan, the ex-New Zealander, for "^"200 aside. Sullivan is said to have got into firstrate form again, and as Humes is at bis best at present, the race, which tnkes place in.Mayj should' be a good one. H.,'Kerr, who won tbe Two-mile. \yalk.at Peilding, carried off the double at DuDedin on New Tear's Day, winning the Mile Handicap off 65yds by about 100 yards in 6min 23 4-Sth aec, and with 110 yds start in the Two-mile got home by about 20yds easily in 13mm sosec. On the second day Kerr was placed on ecratchin both the Mile and Twomile,, winning the latter event by 40yds in 14mm 57sec In the Mile 'Handicap, however, he bad to be 'contented with second place, A. Cnchton; 35yds, winning somewhat easily in the remarkably fast time of 6min 18 4-stb. This performance •would make Crichton and Keir out to be equal to covering a mile in 6mm 26sec or under, nnd yet with 3oyda start Kerr was beaten fairly easily ,by A. Coleman at ' Feilding. The Dunedin track is very fast, arid this may account for the times isterea. '

Reg At the Otago Caledonian Society's sports T. A. Thomson, Sojds, won the One- mile run easily in 4tnin 42 3-S tn sec > a °d raD *J" m< * ' n t ' le Half off 20yds in 2min4 1 s*°. A protest was entered 'against the winner for nofc supplying a correct ' lißfc of his performances. A protest was also entered against J. Fechney, who appropriated the Two-mile run, in 9min 58sec off Boyda. MoLeod -won the 350 yds and the 440 yds, the former off 27yds in 38sec, and the quarter off 26yds in 52sec. • H. Kirby, who ran at Eeilding, ,won the-120 Hurdles from the syds mark in 20 2-st,h sec.' Evidently they are not too good at the three ' stride business in Dunedin. Kirby, • lOyds, nlso ran second in the 220 yds to H. Mowgli, 15yds. The 100 yds fell to J. Green, 7yds, easily in 9 4-5 see. Green must be pretty slippery. 'Very fair, entries were received by the'Wanganui Caledonian Society for the annual sports which are to ,comeoff'on the 23rd. Nominations were . received from Napier. Tarn"naki and Aueklnnd, bo that those 'who Visit St. John's Hill on Anniversary Day should witness some 'firstclaSß running. The amateur and Tcyclipg events have also well filled. Handicaps are due to-day, and next •week I will have a chance of selecting those that I think will run for'vvard in trie various events. The ' ground is reported to be in good .order, and all that is wanted to ensure a good day's outing is fine

weather. ', Jn connection with the . recent fatal glove fighfc in London, the •Recorder, in charging the grand jury, referring to tbe charge against Nathaniel Smith and others—com- , mitted for trial for causing the ■death of the man named Tamer — maue the following very sensible remarks :-" In a glove fight (such as this) in which the winner won by points, in which 4oz gloves only were used, and in which the proceedings were conducted in such a manner tbat the winner won by skill, there was absolutely nothing illegal. So far as he was aware, boxing was a perfectly legitimate thing— it was a manly thing— and he >hoped the day would be long ■ distant when boxing would cease to be a natural kind of sport and recreation. On the other hand, there could be nothing more brutal than prize fighting or boxing which, ' while pretending to be a boxing exhibition, was really a knockout fight, fougbt as it was with heavy gloves. There was no evidence that " this fight was anything of the kind. There was absolutely no around for saying that these men had done anything illegal, either m Wmg present at the contest, or in ' 'aiding and abetting in the competition." The grand jury threw out

the bill.