Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-10
MORRISsEY's RING RECORD.
some OF bis Early Achievements ia
n rMAnIY Arln

some OF Dis EaEty Achievements IN
the MANLY ART"
John Morrissey, whose death is an
nounce1, fought three regular prize
fights, and had any number Of rough
s~nd'tumble encounters. His first fight
was with George Thompson in Califor'
mia in 1851, where a foul blow gave Nor
rissey the victory. His next eight was
with the notorious Yankee Sullivan for
$1,000 a side, at Boston Corners. on the
boundary line between New York aud
Massachusetts,. They met October IL,
1853. Sullivan was then forty.three years
old, and vas three inches shorter aud
some twenty pounds lighter than his
youthful antagonist. As q boxer be
was vastly superior to the youngster.
Morrissey's face in a few rounds was
pounded into the hue and appearance
Of a raw beefsteak. By all precedents
OF human endurance he was whipped
in ten rounds. At least a dozen
facers" fell u~ursturned to his share.
He became so weak that be could hardly
stand. He could not raise his hand high
enough to make an efficient guard, yet
in the thirty. seventh round bis second
wind" came Ia his aid, and he began the
most damaging rally that be made dur
ing the fight. Rushing Sullivan to the
ropes, be administered a terrible pound.
ing, which the latter could not avoid by
his favorite ruse of dropping" When
the round ended the seconds and UNI
pires began a wrangle, which ended in a
tree fight. Sullivan was still fresh
enough to take a hand in it, and became
so closely engaged that be did not hear
the referee call time" Not ouly the
usual grace of eight seconds, but two
minutes elapsed, and Sullivan had not
toed the scratch, The referee gave the
fight and the stakes to Morrissey, al
though he was unquestionably the worst
punished man. Subsequently he had =
rough snd-tumble encounter with Bill
Poole, of New York, which fight he lost,
he claimed on account of Poole friends,
who interiered in their favorites behalf.
The long talked.of fight between Nor
rissey and Heenan was arranged for Oc-
tober 20, 1857, for $500 a aide and the
championship. The mill was fought on
Long Point island, in Canada. Morris
sey was in perfect condition, weighing
l73 pounds. Keenan,. who overtopped
bis antagonist by nearly three inches,
weighed 100 pounds, and was not well
trained. In the first round Hsenan be-
gan operations with four sledge-hsmmer
blows on Morrissey's face, forcing the
latter to the ropes. Morrissey scarcely
returned a blow, bat Heenan accident
ally struck q stake aud broke two Of his
knuckles. BE, however, finished the
round by throwing Morrissey heavily
and falling on him. In the second round
Heeaan repeated bis hits at Morrissey's
face and got several body blows 10 re.
turn, and again closed the round by
throwing Morrissey, showing himself the
better man both in hitting aud wrestling.
Morrissey's ox.like patience helped
him through, and in the third round he
had some advantage both 10 the fighting
and in the tall. Heenan had his face
marked for the first time in the fight
during the fourth round, and he also bad
the worst of it ia the close. In the fifth
round be got Morrissey's head into chan.
Gerry, but the latter broke away before
much damage was done him. He was so
dszed that in his retreat Heensn got an
opening at Morrissey's jaw, and the
champion was clean knocked down and
almost out of time. Morrissey was too
weak to raise bis hands when be toed the
scratch for the sixth round. But Hee-
nan was also weakening rapidly, while
the former was improving every second.
He continued to improve to the close Of
the fight in the eleventh round, when
Heenau's second threw up the sponge.