Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-07
JOHN MORRISSEY.
The story Of His Career rs Told by
Himself = GIadiatOriaI, Gambling
and Turf Experiences.
George Alfred Townsend in the Chicago Tri-

and Turf Experiences
George Alfred Townsend in the Chicago Tri-
bune.
Il came to New York stout lad, deter
mined to fight, and to fight the biggest man
that could be found. My father lived in
Troy. l was the only boy in family Of
eight, and had to support the girls, and
looked around me, very poor and very IL
literate, and asked what | could do best Of
anything to get on. There was nothing
could think of but fight, and l had to think
of that, for was kicked ashore most every
day from the boat Of Captain Smit1, who
is now my father-ln- law. l was a river
boy, handling baggage and running for
passengers, and very ambitious with very
little opportunity. / had read of Hyer
and Sullivan and the great pugilists in
New York. and one day took my bundle
and came to the city, determined to get a
fight out Of them.
at was at the Empire Club, on Park
Row, where hunted them up. The first
| saw was Isaiah Rynders, famous pOliti-
cal leader in them days, and went up 10
him, surrounded by his crowd, and said:
MIR Rynders, I've come down here from
Troy to fight. I've got no money, but l
will fich- for reputation. l will right Mr..
HyeT, 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
s.Afler that / laid for them individually.
Said 1: Gentlemen, will lick your crowd,
and make you acknowledge me, If it takes
me years
II was poor as a wharf-rat, and could
barely pick up my food; but l kept on the
wharVes, unloading steamers, with long
shOremen, and getting beaten so often that
| was hardly ever right well. As long as
was poor nobody would do me the favor 70
fight he in the ring, and finally went 10
| California in the mining times 10 make
stake. There L fought Thompson ard
| whipped him, and l returned TO New York
with some reputation. The day landed
| challenged Eyer to fight for $4,000. He
came around with Bill Poole to whip me
before | got out of bed one morn
| ing. and / was so determined about
it that they saw l would never
leave New York till | had that belt.
Finally l fought Sullivan at Boston Corn
ers-the hardest night l ever had. He was
an artist, and broke my nose, and cut
me all 10 pieces but have always known
that | could keep my legs and stand up I'M
til any Of my opponents were worn out.
That was my calculation with Heenan; Ell
durance against strength. Hyer | never
could bring 70 the scratch. He had lost
his moral force, and never would tight me.
His friend Poole, rs YOU know, set en- me
with pack of his friends, and expected to
bring NE so near my end thai / would lose
stomach for fair contest.
"Unable to get any of them to meet me.
Z 80 a.. At
once Heenan came from California with
reputation, and they said: Here is our
man to give MOrTiSsey a flOgging at last
81 then declined 10 fight, until l was
worried and set upon in and out of print,
and finally they whipped my old father,
and abused nv family. Said to my wife:
i can't live this way, shall have to hight
that man. Nv wife said: Yes, you must
fight him. l went into training on my
| father-in-law's farm.
every effort was made to bring the
whole sentiment of the United States up
| against me. You can't tell how many
wears and how much pain / have had to
bear for that perfectly unjust Odium Of seek
inc to challenge an American as an Irish
man. Mr.. Heenan tied the American 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 a second time, and think he
could strike the most powerful blow Of any
man ever saw; but 1 won the battle and
| closed them out. followed him to Eng
| land to see the fight he had with Savers; for
BY :his time was angry at years of perse-
cutiOn. and l wanted to see the last man
Of that old liver eOterie closed out
Then the still-pOweTful gladistOr related
| how he came to play cards by profession.
"a prize-fghter,n he said, ''can graduate
with no other avOcation equal to his start.
l have always played cards more or less.
Ny general reputation amongst Americans
l felt reluired me 10 do something TO start
MY boy, for whose character l live at pres
ent in great degree, and | chased up the
seat in Congress, so as to be able 10 say,
If your father did begin in the ring he
wrote M. c. after his name
The next movement of MOTTiSsey was, in
1861. to establish himself in the village OF
Saratoga; and here, he relates, he determin-
ed, consistent with his profession, to begin
! a new local career, direct and peaeeabla
with man. He had the friendship OF that
| large class of physical beings who sur
round Vanderbilt in Wall street. He was
encouraged in Saratoga by James Marvin,
who was his colleague afterwards in Con-
gress. OfcOurSe he made money; for the
game he PLAYS is set mainly for sporting
men who bet high and suffer comparatively
little bv loss. Actors, hOrSemen, Wall
street brokers, journalists, politicians
and Spectators, are the frequenteTs on his
house. I have seen two Senators of the
United States. inhabitants of his place, in
vited there as his guests. He is always
master of the situation, somewhat modified
and sOftened i'm manners, but his rights he
demands with rs much of ferOcity and d.
RICHNESS as in former days.
81 am too old to fight now he said,
sand could never train 10 condition. i
never would fight in the ring having been
in Congress; for respect what the people
did for me-
Morrissey is the founder Of the running
turf As We see il tO-day-a business in
which, he saws, there are from S3,OOOOOO
10 S5.OOO,OOO invested in America, whereas
i'm 1864 they could not start half-a-dOzen
horses ON the Saratoga cause.-the only
course in the country. lie derived the
most efficient and steadfast support in this
from John Tracey (the sOn-in-law Of Rev
erdv JOhnsOn), who is President Of the Sar-
afora Association. MlCrriSsey bought the
whole property, using the names Of Van
derbilt aud others whose united wealth, he
saws. amounted to upwards Of SlOO,OOO,OOO.
With these. names, he passed with
out a dissenting voice repeal OF
the law of the State Of New York making
IT an ofiense TO run horse. Gov. Fenton
signed the bill. The property cost Morris
sew about 10000 TO begin With, and he
now owns a few shares less than half.
There his family resides, apart from Sar-