Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-08-17
JOHN MORRISSEY.
.E. WHITMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor.


mseIf-GIaditOriaI,G Gambling,
and Turf Experiences.
George A. Townsend in the Chicago Tribune.l
II came to New York stout lad de-
termined to fight, and to fight the biggest
man that could be found. My father
lived in Troy. way the only boy in a
fam lily OF eight, and had to support the
girls. and | looked around me, very poor
and very illiterate, and asked what |
could do best of anything to get on.
There was nothing could think of but
fight, and | had to think of that, for
was kicked ashore most every day from
the boat of Capt Smith, who is now my
father.in.law. ] was river boy, hand
ling baggage and running for passengers,
and very ambitious with very little op'
portuuity. | had read of Hyer and Sui
Ivan and the great pugilsts in New
York, and one day took my bundle and
came to the city, determined to get a
fight out of them.
ut was at the Empire Club, on Park
Row, where hunted them up. The first
saw was Isaiah Rynders, famous poll
tical leader in them days, and | went up
to him, surrounded by his crowd, and
said Mr.. Rynders, I've come down here
from Troy to fight I've got no money,
but | will fight for reputation. | will
fight Mr.. Hyer, or you, or anybody you
can pick out. They just all set on me
at once, and gave me beating that
made my head sore for three weeks.
AFTER that laid for them individually.
Said | Gentlemen, | will lick your
crowd, and make you acknowledge me,
if it takes me years.
~ was poor MS a wharf.rat, and could
and could barely pick up my food; but l
kept on the wharves, unloading STEAMERS,
with 'longshoremen, and getting beaten
so often that was hardly ever right well.
As long as was poor nobody would do
me the favor to fight me in the ring, and
finally went to California in the mining
times to make stake. There fought
Thompson and whipped him, aud | re-
turned to New York with some reputa-
ton. The day landed | challenged
Hyer to fight for $4,000. He came
around with Bill Poole to whip me before
| got out of bed one morning, and | was
SO determined about it that they saw /
would never leave New York till ! had
that belt. Finally fought Sullivan at
Boston Corners-the hardest tight ever
had. He was an artist, and he broke
my nose; and cut me all to pieces; but
i have always known that | could keep
my legs and stand up until any OF my
opponents we're worn out. That was
was my calculation with Heenan; en-
durance against strength. Hyer never
could bring to the scratch. He had lost
his moral force, and never would fight
me. His friend Poole, as you know, set
on me with pack of his friends, and
expected to bring me so near my end
that would lose stomach for fair con-
test.
unable to get any of them to meet me,
| married and went to business. All at
once Heenan came from California with
reputation, and they said Here is our
man to give Morrissey hogging at last.
II then declined to fight, until | was
worried and set upon in and out OF print,
and finally they whipped my old father,
and abused my family. Said to my
wife: L can't live this way; shall have
to fight that man. My wife said Yes,
you must fight him. went into train
ing on my fatherin.law's farm
Every effort was made to bring the
whole sentiment of the United States up
against me. You cant tell how many
years and how much pain | have had to
bear for that perfectly unjust odium of
seeking to challenge an American as an
Irishman. Mr.. Heenan tied the Ameri-
can colors to the ropes, and his coat,
when he took it of. was actually lined
with the American flag. | had to laugh
in his face. He broke my nose second
time, and think he could strike the
most powerful blow OF any man | ever
saw; but l won the battle and closed
them out. followed him to England to
see the fght he had with Sayers; for by
this time / was angry styears of persecu-
ton, and l wanted to see the last man of
that old Hyer coterie closed out.
Then the still-powerful gladiator re-
lated how he came to play cards BY pro
fession. "a prize-fghter," he said, Can
graduate with no other svocation equal