Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-08-22
JOHN MORRISSEY,s HISTORY.
His Rise I'M the World, as Described b,
Northumberland of PugIIism.

His Rise I'M the World, as Described by
Observation-Disclosures of PugiIism.
L went down to John Morrissey's
club house, says a reporter. He was at
leisure and communicative. 81 went
to New York" he said, ga stout lad,
determined to fight, and to fight the
biggest man that could be found.
There was nothing 1 could think of but
to fight, and had to think of that for
L was kicked ashore most every day
from the boat of Capt. Smith, who is
now my father-in-law. 1 had read of
Hyer and Sullivan, and the great pugil-
lists in New York, and one day 1 took
my bundle and came to the city, deter
mined to get fight out of them. 1t was
at the Empire Club, on Park Row,
where hunted them up. The first l
saw was Isaiah Rynders, a famous po-
litical leader in them days, and I 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 I will fight for reputa-
tion. I will fight Mr.. Hyer, or you, or
anybody you can pick out They just
all set on me at once, and gave me a
beating that made my head ache for
three weeks. After that laid for them
individually. Said 1: Gentlemen, I
will lick your crowd, and make you ac-
knowledge me, if it takes me years. 1
was poor as wharf rat, and could bare
ly pick up my food but 1 kept on the
wharves, unloading steamers, working
with 'longshoremen, and getting beaten
so often that 1 was hardly ever right
well. As long as 1 was poor nobody
would do me the favor to fight me in
the ring, and finally went to Califor-
MIA in the mining times to make a
stake. There l fought Thompson and
whipped him, and [ returned to New
York with some reputation. The day L
landed L challenged Hyer to fight for
$4,000. He came round with Bill
Poole to whip me before I got out of
bed one morning, and I was so deter
mined about it that they saw would
never leave New York till had that
belt. Finally, fought Sullivan at
Boston Corners-the hardest fight /
ever had. He was an artist, and he
broke my nose, and cut me all to
pieces ; but have always known that
l could keep my legs and stand up until
any of my opponents were worn out.
That was my calculation with Keenan, ;
endurance against strength. Hyer I
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 contest.
"Unable to get any of them to meet
me, I married and went to business.
All at once Heenan came from Cali
fornia with reputation, and they said,
Here is our man to give Morrissey o
fiogging at last 1 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 I to my wife: Il cant
live this way. I shall have to fight that
man. Ny wife said: Yes, you must
fight him. I 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 years and how
much pain 1 have had to bear for thai
perfectly unjust odium of seeking tt
challenge an American as an Irishman
Mr.. Heenan tied the American color'
to the ropes, and his coat, when he tool
it off, was actually lined with the Amer
lean flag. had to laugh in his face
He broke my nose second time, and
! think he could strike the most power
full blow of any man I ever saw; but
won the battle and closed them out.
followed him to England to sec tn
fight he had with Sayers ; for by thi
time 1 was angry at years of persecu
, ton, and wanted to see the last MAJ
of that old Hyer coterie closed out"
!, Then, the still powerful gladiator re
l lated how he came to play cards by pre-
fession. GA prize fighter" he said
"can graduate with no other avocatio
, equal to his start. I have always playe
3 cards more or less. My general repu
= tation among Americans, I felt, re
y quired me to do something to start m
+ boy, for whose character I live at pre'
Il ent in great degree, and I chased u
the seat in Congress, so as to be abb
u to say If your father did begin i
e the ring, he wrote "M. c." after hi
q name.'"