Horton Law

Until 1896, New York law criminalized prize-fighting and public boxing exhibitions. Boxing became legal (within regulated athletic clubs) only after the Horton Law amended Section 458 of the penal code.^[1]

The Horton Law was proposed as an amendment to the existing section of the penal code and reduced the prohibition by adding a legal route for gloved sparring exhibitions in New York. The bill read as follows: "A person who, within the State of New York, engages in, instigates, aids, encourages, or does any act to further a contention or fight without weapons between two or more persons, or a fight commonly called a ring or prize fight, either within or without the State, or who engages in a public or private sparring exhibition, with or without gloves, within the State, at which an admission fee is charged or received, either directly or indirectly, or who sends or publishes a challenge or acceptance of a challege for such a contention, exhibition or fight, or carries or delivers such a challenge or acceptance, or trains or assists any person in training or preparing for such a contention, exhibition or fight, is guilty of a misdemeanor."^[2]

The amendment also added the following: "Provided, however, that sparring exhibitions with gloves of not less than five ounces each in weight may be held by a domestic incorporated athletic association in a building leased by it for athletic purposes only for at least one year or in a building owned or occupied by such association."^[3] This permitted legitimate public sparring matches with five-ounce gloves to take place before the members of incorporated athletic clubs.^[4]

The Horton Law was enacted by the New York State Legislature and had been signed into law by State Governor Levi P. Morton, becoming effective August 31, 1896.^[5] It was named after New York Republican George S. Horton, who was chairman of the Committee on General Laws and introduced the bill.^[6]