The Laing-Smith Fight.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 291, 27 April 1889, Page 3

The Laing-Smith Fight.

IT IS SUPPRESSED BY THE POLICE r Wanganui, Friday. I A boxing contest between W. Smith am I Harry Laing, fnr the championship of Net Zealand and £5O a-side with the champioi belt, took place on Wednesday before a larg > number of spectators on the racecourse Both men entered the ring looking very fit Smith was attended by Coates, and Laing bj Watson and Nicholson. On stripping Smith proved to be of more powerful build than wai expected. Laing was of course the favoriti with local backers. The first round showed some nice fighting, both men going carefully. In the second round Smith showed good mettle, and fought pluckily, though he had a cut under the left eye. In the third round punishment was very severe, and both men had hard work. It was then seen that Smith was in good condition and took his punishment well. In the fourth round Smith again came up, and though both men were about done it was seen that Laing was waiting a chance to get his wind. The fifth round really left matters much as they were, both men fighting well and making a good contest of it. In the sixth round the men seemed as fresh as ever, though both hit wildly at times. Smith’s favorite blows were on the ribs, and these he planted in considerable numbers, but without much effect as far as marks went, In tbe seventh round the men both appeared a bit in bad condition, but Laing got in some good neck blows, while Smith stuck to the body in the main. In the eighth round there were not a few who considered that, the light weight had a very good show of winning, as Laing’s blows were not taking any effect. Tbe ninth round was more terrific than its predecessors, but though good blows were frequent there was no sign of either man being beaten. The fight was much the same in character in the tenth round, Smith fighting vary pluckily and really forcing the fighting, while Laing did not seem to be done up, though his blows were not very strong. The eleventh round calls for no other remark than that the combatants were both able to fight strongly, and Smith showed plenty of pluck. The twelfth round was not noticeable for more than hard hitting on both sides. Smith came up to time in the thirteenth round apparently as well able to bit out as at first. This, however, was destined to be the last, al Sergeant Manning stepped into the ring, and arrested both men for behaving in a public' place in a manner calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. The crowd jeered the police and cheered Smith for his plucky fighting. It is impossible to say in whose favor the match ended, as neither of the men were done up, though possibly Laing, from his fresh condition. had the best of it. The fight lasted 49 minutes. The combatants wore taken to the poliee station, where they were charged with a breach of the Police Offences Act. They will be brought up before the magistrate tomorrow and bound over to keep the peace, Inspector Pardy states that he stopped the fight because it had become a brutal affair, and each man was trying to inflict as much bodily barm as possible on his adversary. Smith was covered with coirs on the neck, and one eye is closed, He was fighting at great disadvantage, and as be was being brutally sunished the Inspector ordered the arrest of >oth men under the Police Offences Act. The polioe have applied to have both men bound over to keep the peace, as one of the conditions of the fight is that in the event of the police interfering the match must be fought to a finish within 48 hours, Inspector Pardy states that he considers the exhibition to have been a pure and simple prize fight except that thin gloves were used. The charges laid hy the Police were dismissed on the grounds that it did not come within the scope of the Act.