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Show mm ii or AH KIN Sport Dates Only From Earlier 4 Half of the Eighteenth . Century.- JOHN 13 HOUGHTON KNOWN AS FATHER OF MANLY ART Held Position of Champion for Many Years: Beaten by, a Butcher. Tribune Special Sporting Service. LONDON, Sept. 29. Xolwitfi-standing Xolwitfi-standing "the general impression to the contrary, the regulated system of combat with the closed fists which now bears the uamo of borctng and winch as a system had its origin in Lnglaud, .dates only from the earlier hall, of the eighteenth ceutun. The rules, including tbe rounds and the intervals between, were tho production of John Broughton, who was born in London in 17t)l and died January S, 1785. He was known as the father of the manly art, and his body lies bttriod in Lamberth church-vard. , Broughton kept a booth for the oxhi-bitton oxhi-bitton ot boxing in tho Tottenham Court road, and -his rules bear date August 10, 174;:. It seeui3 that the comparatively harmless amusement of boxing thus arose in tho reign of George 1, on the decline of .sword combat exhibitions. Champion Many Years. Broughton was tho first lo s.tahd in tho po3itiou of champion, a distinction he held for eighteen year. His moat, noted patron was tho. Duke of Cumberland, Cum-berland, the second son of George T. He once took Broughton io tho continent, con-tinent, and on allowing him to those famous tall fellows or the Grenadier Guards at Berlin asked the pugilist what ho thought of those fellows for a set-to. The English boxer answered that ,hc would have no objection to fighting the whole regiment if he were .only allowed a breakfast between two battles. Broughton was admitted to have coualant originality as well as great i power in his style "of boxine. He was a man of senso and abilit- apart from his profession. lie was "at the very height of his reputation when ho was challenged by a butcher named Slack. Blow Blinded Hint. The champion and all his friends and advisers regarded the challenger with contempt, aud when the fitrht began be-gan the. betting was 10 to 1 in Brough- : ton's favor. Slack contrived early in tho contest to hit the champion' between be-tween the eyes. The blow bliuded him. The champion had undiminished strength, but, was unable to see his antagonist. Ilis royal patron, with characteristic brutality, roared out to him, "Why, Broughton, you can't' fight; you're beat." I It was too true. The fight closed in fourteen minutes with tho defeat of the hitherto unmatched horo. The Duke of Cumberland lost thousands of dollars on the fight. Slack gained 000 pounds, about 63,000. Broughton retired from the ring and lived thirty-nine, years after this defeat. He was a wiao man aud had saved onough money to be iu comfortable com-fortable circumstances for the remainder remain-der of his life. |