Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-20
THE AMERICAN HERCULES.
HoSy:JOhn MOrrissey Whipped Tom
McCann-An Inciaent of the High
3 Political Times i'm New York.
l- g. tFrc,,, tba New Work q,,p


mcCann-An Incisicns of the HigI
PeIifical Times i'm New York.
q From the New York Sun.
Some twenty years ago. when muscl
was king in New York, Capt. Rynders
Yankee Sullivan, Tom Hyer, Tom Nc
Cam, Bill Poole, and others of lik
stamp, with their followers, controlled th
municipal elections. The rule then wa
to first strike the politicians, and theI
strike out among themselves. -
The best dressed and smartest fightin.
man at one time was Tom Mccain. HI
was a gambler, and his favorite resort wa!
the Gem, adjoining the old Broadway
Theater. Tom would walk up to the wal
and nip fly between his thumb and fore
finger nine times out of ten. lie was the
hero of many bar room fights; and the
terror of the gamblers.
One night, while Mccain was at the
height of his fame, John Morrissey
walked into the Gem. He had thrashed
all the fighting men from Troy to Hudson
in rough and tumble style, and now came
to beard the tigers in their den. His clear
eyes, round head, broad shoulders, and
sturdy limbs at once attracted the atten-
ton of the sports. Johns first words
rallied the boys. Tie words were /:
''Come, let's all take q drink" Mccain
observing that Morrissey had money, en-
tered into conversation with him. The
talk ended in little game being made up.
Morrissey was hail fellow well met with
them. Everything was lovely while the
money lasted. He was soon cleaned out,
however, and while smarting under the
suspicion that he had been cheated, he was
informed that Mccain had laid him out
with "cold deck. This lead to the most
stubborn fight that ever occurred in a
Broadway soloon. The particulars ofthis
struggle were never before published. The
few fighting men who saw it declare that
it was the prettiest mill they ever wiz
messed.
Mccain was down in Florence's, lean
ing against the bar, slipping hot whiskey
when in came Morrissey. Morrissey look
ed at Tom a moment, and then said
''Hello, petty, how gay you get your
self up on the money you cheat people
out of. Florence ought to put you in
vase, and place you over the bar"
"Who says that 1 ever cheated2" in
quired Mccain, fiercely.
81 do, replied Morrissey.
'You lie, you country cub. And now
look out, for I'm going to lick you into
shape in just five minutes" said Tom,
placing his glossy tile on the bar.
''All right, my hearty" replied Morris
sey, proceeding to pull off his coat.
Before MOrrissey could get his right
shoulder out of his coat Mccain was on
him with the spring of leopard, planting
lightning blows on Morrissey's face, breast
and ribs. John clenched his teeth and
tried to free himself from the binding
coat. Mccain Rocked him against the
stove over went the stove and down went
Morrissey on the marble floor Mccain
pounccd on him like a wild cat on
pigeon. The blows from his hammer
like fists fell fast and furious on Morris
sey's face, the back of his head beating a
TATTOO on the marble slabs. An ordinary
skull would have been crushed in at once,
but not so Johns MorEissey soon
changed his tactics. Instead of trying TO
get off his coat, nc worked himself into it
again. He then lay quiet for a few
seconds. McCann's blows still fell like
hail; he began to think that he had
knocked about all the life of MOrrissey,
and shouted:
''Holler enough or I'll dash your
brains out"
Not just yet, my nosegay,n said Nor
rissey, coOlly, rolling Tom from him
with apparent ease, and jumping to his
feet.
Tom was up just as quick. At il they
went again The tide of battle now be-
gan to change Tom got in three blows
to Johns one; but Morrisscy's were stag
gers, while McCann's were only cliveners.
Morrissey's eyes twinkled over his bloody
nose, while McCann's glared above the
gashes that were opening on his checks.
The floor looked as if a dozen boxes of
waters had been spilled on it. At last
they went down again, this time Norris
sey was on top. Mccain soon gasped
''enoughl"
Morrissey was now king pin among the
sports. He had whipped their best man.
They also discovered that he possessed
three sterling straits, courage, truth and
generosity-rare qualities for a man whom
they had looked upon as a provincial
bully.
Since that day John has been refined in
q rough school, He has never gone back
on his word. Sporting men and politicians
of all classes place large sums of money
in his hands, pending the settlement of
their bets. 1t is enough to say that 'the
money is in John Morrisse'ys hands," TO
know that the right man will get it.