Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-08-15
JOHN MoRRissEy's HISTORY

house last night. He was at leisure
and communicative. 81 went to New
York" he said, "a stout lad, determined
to fight, and to fight the biggest man
that could be found. There was moth
ing 1 could think of but to fight, and l
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. 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 fight
out of them. 1t was at the Empire
Club, on Park Row, where | hunted
them up. The first l saw was Isaiah
Rnders, famous political leader in
them days, and went up to him, sur
rounded by his crowd, and said: Mr..
Rynders, I've come down here from
Troy to fight. I've got no money. but
l 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
nv head ache for three weeks. After
that laid for them individually. Said
/, 'Gentlemsn, l will lick yonr crowd,
and make you acknowledge me, if it
takes me years. | was poor as wharf
rat, and could barely pick up my food,
but l kept on the wharves, unloading
steamers, working with 'longshoremen
and getting beaten SO often that | was
hardly ever right well. AS long as l
was poor nobody would do me the favor
to fight me in the ring, and l finally
went to California in the mining times
to make stake. There l fought Thorn
son, and whipped him; and l returned
to New York with some reputation.
The day landed I challenged Hyer to
fight for $4,000 He came round with
Bill Poole to whip me before | got out
of bed one morning, and | was so de
termned about it that they saw | would
never leave New York till had that
belt. Finally fought Sullivan at Bos-
ton Corners-the hardest fight | ever
haG. lie was an artist, and he broke
my nose, and cut me all to pieces, but |
have always known that | could keep
my legs and stand up until any of my
opponents were worn out That was
my calculation with Heenan; endurance
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 eX-
pected to bring me so near my end that
would loose my stomach for a fair
contest.
''Unable to get any Of them to meet
me, married and went to my business.
Ali at once Heeuan came from Califor-
MIA with reputation, and they said !;
Here is our man to give Morrissey a
flogging at last | 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, i cant live
this way. L shall have to fight that
man. My wife said, Yes, you must
fight him. | went into training on my
father-in-law' 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 | have had to bear for that
perfectly unjust odium of seeking TO
challenge an American as an lrishman.
Mr.. Heenan tied the American colors to
the ropes, and his coat, when he took 1t
off, was actually lined with the Amerl-
can flag. / had to laugh in his face.
He broke my nose second time, and l
think he could strike the most powerful
blow of any man l ever saw, but | won
the battle and closed them out fol
lowed him to England TO see the fight
he had with Sayers; for by this time l
was angry at years Of persecution, ana
| 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 fighter, ne said,
''can graduate with no other ayocatlon
equal to his start l have always played
cards more or less. My general reputa-
ton among Americans, | felt, required
me to do something to start my boy,
for whose character live at present III
a great degree, and l chased up the seat
in Congress, SO as to be able to say, III
your father did begin in the ring he
wrote IN. c." after his name.-Cor.
Chicago Tribune.