The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-10-30
From the New York World Oct q
Thin n Ea.~

John Carmel Heenan, whose daatb i
Just announced by telegraph. was horn ~
IRISH parentage in West Troy, n. Y Nav
y, 1885. His life was spent in thar e;t,,
until the California fever broke ouf and
the young blacksmith Of over six feet in
height went West and obtained emnlav-
ment at heavy smlthing in an engine hopse
al benlcla, Gal. his future residence Here
ne picked up the rudiments of sparrino
ana gradually became known on the West
coast tor his success over any and all com.
petltols IN hastily organized exhibitions in
which he took part His first challenge was
to ankee Sullivan, then the champion IF
America, in 1855. but the match never
came off, A year later Heenan came to
New Y ork and gave the first public exbi1
bltlon OF his powers in sparring match
with Coburn Public expectation was mn;
versally disappointed at the result, and no
further attempts were made to arrange a
match. An appointment in the New York
Custom house having been obtained for
him, Heenan found himself with tn, leis-
ure necessary for proper study of his art
and rapidly matured his powers under the
tutelage Of Aaron Jones. A prolonged
correspondence was carried on meanwhile
with the hackers of John Morrissey. who
had won the champion belt of America and
after several abortiye attempts match
came off between the two men-S2, 50l a
| side-Oet ~, 1858 at Long Point Island
| off the Canada shore, His opponent was
seconded by john Kelly, and Heenan was
supported by his trainer. already mention.
1 ed. Eleven rounds of downright terrific
| lighting ended the contest in Morrissey's
| victory A sporting paper Off subsequent
/ date says that for hard, merciless bittipp
the fight was probably never eaualled. The
result was said 10 be owing to the fact hat
Heenan was placed IN the ring when in no
condition to fight; weakened by an illness
| from which he had risen but two DAYS he
fore and disabled by sore on his left leo
Morrissey's superior condition won rapid
victory over the reach and sledge- hammer
blows of his opponent, but charges of foul
play were abundant on both sides. and the
tight left ill-feeling between the two which
was never entirely dissipated. In spita Of
his defeat Heenan steadily iu,nroved In
public estimation, and one year later pre-
parations began for the event of his life
the international match between himself
and Tom Sayers, the champion Of all Eng
land, and the victor in more contests than
any other puglllst ever fought. Hee
nan embarked for England with host of
friends and bakers January 4, 1860. The
articles had been signed December IS
1893. Further arrangements were made.
and March II both were in active training
Sayers was undistur led, but Heenan was
forced to move from place to place, and
once arrested, it is said at the instigatiop
Of his opponents hackers The great
fight came of at Farnsborough. Tuesday
April Il, 1860. A special train of thirty
six cars ran out from London, laden with
passengers TO Nowhere and back. y as the /
place was kept a profound secret Yet |
around the ring were hundred peers a !
Cabinet Minister, members of Congress
and Parliament, and in the sporting world +
everything thar was or had been distin- !
guiShed. The men stripped in the ring /
the American feet q inches In height, 4
his lighting weight 1875 pounds his skin fair (
and clear, every vein clearly defined. in his 1
twenty-slxth year the British champion, ) I
feet - inches high, weighing l54 rounds. /
put with skin Drowned and toughened by /
long exposure, and eleven years older than /
his competitor With the fight ali are ia /
miliar How tar two hours and twenty
minutes, through forty three rounds. the .
men stood, till Heenan was blind. and .
Savers endurance was wei! nigh gone:
how the last fought for thirty rounds, while /
Heenan's blows tell on broken arm. and /
spraug lightly up from twenty-nne clear
knock downs; how Heenan stood to his
work when daylight was gone and his face .
bleeding mass Of pulp-cheated Of his
victory at last by cut ropes and an inpa.
tent crowd that surged within the ring
and covered Savers from the blows that
had brought bim to the ground in each of
the last dozen rounds. All this was the
talk and the disappointment OF the two
nations. The excitement in New York can
scarcely be exaggerated when the news
reached there ten days later Every daily
rushed out an extra, and single sporting
sheet sold 30O.0pO copies in a few hours.
The referee decision decided the fight a
a draw, ordered each to keep his money.
and gave the contestants fac silniie belts. !
After a short tour in England with a circus
IN company with Tom Sayers, Heenan re !
turned to New York July -, with his sec
onds' Cuslck and MacDInald. and received
an enthusiastic welcome from all classes
tbs benefits were crowded and for two
years he remained the hero of sporting cir
cles IN New Orleans, New York. and
W ashlngton. Tom King succeeded Savers
as Champion OF England, and ghen Hee- |
nan revisited that country in 1861 fight
was arranged between them for e2,UJU.
which came off December 10, 1868, AT
" adhurst, and resulted in the total defeat
Of the American champion after twenty
I'VE rounds fought 10 thirty Eve minutes.
1t was his last ntest, and by all odds his
poorest His science had departed, the
Ola power OF his left handed thrusts had
gone, aud he was disabled before twenty
rounds were fought He left the ring ter
flhly punished, and 1t was said blow on the
~ irt RIBS produced internal injuries from
"hlch ne never recovered. Another re-
port current at the time was that he had
been poisoned before the fight. King was
N all respects his equal, Of the same age,
SIX feet two inches in height, and with a
h2hting weight of lS2 pounds For wn
years alter Heenan remained in England.
ana engaged In sparrIng tour In company
with aace- On his return he resided in
I'M tilS ciIy' ana, obtaining a sInecure in the
Clty Government, he led the life of a re-
tlred sporting man, His bank on the cor
her oI broadway and Eighth street has ]
Deeh a well-known resort The BENIGN
Is y. as he was fondly called in the DAYS
OF his success was far superior To the
men VINO usually make the prize ring
profession. His early education was n I
neglected, and natural refinement gave
him grace and ease which made him
a marked man in the circles he frequent
ed. Few men have done more ably wha,
they undertook, or so as tn win more fast
friends. His hackers claimed for him fair
dealing and pluck as well as strength, and
neither they nor the public were ever dis
appointed. A bemorrhage had troubled
hun ever since his last fight. To quote a
friend. he was never the same man since ,
Five or SIX weeks ago he sought the Pa
;itie coast in the hope of regaiainp his
nnnlth lrt L.. L.. l. Is ZIG