The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-05-02
oUR NEW YoRK LETTER.
Tho ''Hon. John."-comets.-Anna D. VS..
HELEN P.-The Tampa Bos-
ton Murderer-Castor Oil.

quite q reputation as D laWmaker In the
present legislature, makes his head
quarters at the "Hoffman" House,
where 1 called on him last night. He
welcomed me in a quite unostentatious
way, beckoned to a chair, and for half
an hour I was considerably entertained
with his conversation. John has never
been the same man, I fancy, since the
death Of his only son, a young man of
sterling ability. ct was only for his
sake I ver went to Congress-" said
John, "and now he has gone," and the
ex-prize fighter trembled visibly at the
mention Of his sons name and the
memories 1t called up.
John is a remarkable man, and al
ways has been. When he first put in
an appearance at New York he wa a
healthy Irish lad, sirs, with a strong
desire to whip any man rash enough to
sully the tails of an unusually long coat
belonging to him, and ready to fight
anything that could be found DESTROYS
Of that questionable privilege. I fancy
his was not altogether a holiday life
that he led with his father-in-law, Capt.
Smith, and kicks fell to his share
oftener than favors. His first intro
duction to q lively little scrimmage was
at the Empire Club, on Park row, then
the headquarters of Isaiah Rynders,
Hyer, and other famous political lead
ers. John went there to fight some
body, he wasn't particular whom, and
he had 1t served out wholesale to him on
that occasion, for the whole club went
for him. Any other man would have
died from the treatment, but he man.
aged to get round again in a months
careful nursing. He laid for them in
diyidually, and eventually laid them all
out. John was a very poor man all
this time, and worked along shore, and
was probably the best bruised man of
any of the fighting men to be found,
for he never refused anything that
wanted fighting. 1 think the Empire
Club was too much for him. He was
afraid Of being murdered, and I amt
sure but he would have been, but about
this time he went to California, in 40
or whereabouts, and gained some money
and quite a reputation-for that was
what he was ENTHUSIASTICALLY as a
pugilist, pounding one Thompson out
of time very scientifically. With this
honor fresh upon him, and the fact
that he had some money now, John re-
turned to Gotham, and the very day he
landed in New York he challenged
Tom Hyer to ight-stakes $4,000.
Tom and Bill Poole we're chums in
those halcyon days Of the priZe-ring,
and Morrissey had been badly used by
them in a rough-and-tumble encounter
before this date. Then came that ire
mendous affair Of his with Sullivan at
Boston Corners, the hardest and gamest
fight he probably eve had, at least he
says so, and John bears the evidence of
S%ullivan's science about with him to
this very day, in the shape Of a broken
nose. IT was always a question with
me-" he said, "of endurance against
strength. That was my idea about the
matter with Heenan and all the rest of
them. Hyer was white-livered, and
avoided me-. Too much rum broke his
spirit, and / could never get him to
fight. l recollect the time very well
when he got Poole and a lot of his
friends to set upon me and half kill me,
then Hyer was to come in and give me
the finishing touches, but it didn't work
worth one cent"
John married about this time, prob
ably the best thing that he could
do, and he went into business. Johns
wife was the daughter of his former
employer, Capt. Smith. She was a
plucky, determined woman, and when
Heenan appeared in the ren she
nerved her husband to the contest
about to ensue between the two in true
Spartan spirit, by assisting him in word
and deed, John training on his father
in-law's farm. We all know the up
shot Of that fght-how Morrissey won,
although Heenan broke his unfortunate
nose for him a second time. 81 don't
think" said John, "there was any,
thing ever made that could hit such a
powerful blow with his fist as Heenan.
1t was u regular t~rip-hammer blow.
When 1 went to England afterwards to
see the fight between Sayers and
Heenan L was satisfied, for with
Heenan's closing out 1 saw the last of
that gang closed out who had been 90
bitter against me-"
John has a great many friends, and is
a political magnate in the politics of
New York; but since the death Of his
son he seems to have lost his wontod
ambition and ability. However, he is
a very remarkable man, and as we
speak Of a representative man among
our merchants. so NAV we speak of