The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-11-22
The Fast Iifs aud Early Death Of Noted
Pugilisk
From the New York Sun.

Ths Fast Life aud Early Death Of . Nstel
Pugilist
From the New York Sun.
The despatch announcing the death o.
John Cable Heenan, At Green River, Utah
since been confirmed by dispatch to thi
city from James Cusick, who for wccl
past has been nursing the great pugilist
Although Hcenan's health had been yer,
precarious for months past, bis deccsse VA
not expected by his intimate associates ir
this city. When the first dangerous symp'
toms appeared in this city about three
months ago, Drs. Carnachan and Willard
Parker were summoned, and after CAREFUL
ly sounding his lungs, they gave the opln'
ion that there Was no considerable develop
ment Of consumptive tendency. They
rather inclined to believe that his lung
hemorrhages were the sequelI of an
attack of pneumonia. Encouraged to hope
for life which he himse elf had little hope
of prolonginA he sought the dry, pure all
of Colorado. While he was en- route te
Lower California. seeking . still dryer cll>
mate, q severe hemorrhage put aud end tc
his sufferings.
John G. Heenan was born May /, 1884, in
West Troy. N. Y. Ills father c,nigrated
from Ireland, and during the latter years oi
his life was master mechanic at the Water.
vliet Arsenal. John when only twelve years
old went to Benicia, California. where his
uncle lived. AT fifteen years cf age he was
apprentlccd to blacksmith. Handling the
slcdgc hammer developed him to such phys.
icsl perfection that at twcnty>one he was
regarded IS the best" man on the Pacific
coast. His muscles hitherto had only been
tried in casual encounters, but no one that
ever got one of his tremendous left hand
blows coveted a repetition if it could be
avoided.
lie stood SIX feet one in his stock ing 8 an d
with admirably proportloned shoulders.
hips and limbs he was very Hercules. lie
was not qusrrclsome, but Oh the contrary
was distinguished rather for his good natur>
cd jolli,y, which was changed into anger
oftcncr on account of his friends than in
broils Of his own seeking. The veteran
pugilist, James Cusick, while making a
professional tour of the Pacific coast, saw
the young giant, and flattcring him to hope
for the first honors of the ring, persuaded
him TO come east and go into training. lie
arrived in this city in 1867 At that time
the Hon. John Morriscy had not become
politically ambitious, but was contcntcd
with his rcnown as chief oulder>hittcr of
the city. The Benicia Boy was the only
man who had the temeri,y to dispute this
supremacy and efforts to match them for a
ring fight were made ut once. An encOun.
ter was arranged to be fought in barn in
the suburbs, but the police intcrfercd before
blow was struck. Morrissey's clique
charged that Heenan's friends had procured
the police interruption, and tho tsunt soon
brought on another match for $2,5OO u side
to be fought in Canada. While the men
were training partinsanship ran SO high that
the police were kept busy in quelling the
fights and small riots that grew out of it.
The mill was fought October IA. 1858 at
Long Point, Canada. Hecnan was SO i'll
that his hackers this time actually procured
his arrest, but he broke away from his cap
tors and reached the appointed place for the
fight HIS inferior condition was seen in q
large ulcer on his lc: which made it ncces.
sary to have his shoe unlaced. After four.
teen rounds hard fighting, of which the first
half were wholly in Hecnan's favor, his
secon 8 acknowledged his defeat. Many
charges were male against Morrissey's
clique, such a. owning the referee and al.
lowing him too much time between rounds
and similar technichaIities. At all events
the results were SO unsatifactory that
Hecnan's hackers strenuously endeavored
TO
MATCH THE MEN
Again, but no tsunt or imprccation could
induce Mo.rissey to put himself again with.
in reach Of that terrific left hand. While
these efforts were impending, Heenan, will,
John Chamberlain and John Mccormack,
opened I" club house." 1t was also during
this period of inaction that the little episode
occurred connecting his name with that of
Adah Isaacs Mcnken.
About the time Of his divorce from the
Menkcn Hecnan had been matched TO fight
Tom Sayers for the championship of the
world" Chris O'COnnOr and Neil Bryant
were his hackers. No event Of the prize
ring ever created greater general interest.
Newspapers v,ed with each other in pub
fishing the details of its progress until It
achieved the dignity it claimed an "jnter-
national prize fight" 1t was fought in: May
1850. in Devonshrc. Hecnsn for once and
the only time appeared in the ring in coed
physical condition. After forty rounds had
been fought, lasting two hours and half,
IN which Ssyers had received twenty one
knock down blows, the mob broke into the
ring and stopped the fight. NJ amou Mt Of
International squabbling sufiiccd to alter the
referees decision that the fight was draw.
It resulted in such reduction of llccnan's
resources that for the next four years
he starred with circus trOuDrs, illus.
trstiug the manly nrt Of self.dcfence. In
the intervals hc opened several club houses
with disastrous results. lis final ring con.
test wus with Tom King, in Decmber, 1864.
for $4,000 side. llecnan had trained
with great Care, and the day before the
contest was in the best possible condition.
That day he sent his brother James, who
bis training, To London to
arrage some outside bets. 1t is believed
tha! some
Was given him in James Hecnan's absence.
At all events while on the way to the battle
ground he was seized with violent vomiting
and when in the ring his re'loubtahle left
hand. although it freq acntly reached Kings
face, scarcely made mark. lie Was beaten
in little more than half an hour.
This disgusted him with prize fighting. a
distaste that was 50 intensified in later years
that he could scarcely be persuaded to talk
of the prize ring. Even I,,s intimate friends
we're forbidden to mention II. lie reiurn-
ed to this city and in the next five years
won and lost a. many fOr!uNcs In 1866 he