The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-02

Dh was II democrat ana nm lrlSnmNn. nut
he was among the first to proffcr aid to colored
cadet" said another.
with ali his generosity" ;. said ono Of n small
group who gathered around reporter Tor IHE
SUN while he wns making his inquiries, John
Morrissey never helped loafcr or an idlcr.'
iectcd blum. red-faced man. as he made awk
ward CIRCLES in the air with. thick foretinRer.
gambler that kept an honest game and / never
expect to shake better man by the hand.'
How the Irish BOY Fought his Way TO Fame
and Fortune.
John Morrlssey was born in Templemore.
county Tipperary. ireland. Feb. H. 1881. His
parents were poor. and his father a common
laborer. When John was Ave years old his
father and mother came to Quebec. Finding
but little employment in that city. they removed
to Troy. n. Y. Young Morrisscy received n
meagre education. and went to work in paper
mill at IN early age. Aitcrward he was em-
ployed in brush mandatory at Lansngburg.
but within the year was apprenticed to an iron
moulder In Troy. He served the most OF his
time. and learned the trade. John c. Hecnan
was then n boy in Troy. four years younger
than Morrissey. Both were hard cases. and
were engaged In numerous boyish fights
There was an active feud between the boys OF
Troy and those OF West Troy. and Morrissey
was one OF the leading Troy spirits. Many
| fights occurred. and one battle on the Hudson
river Ice attracted considerable attention. and
| was the subject OF newspaper comment. Heenan
| was among tho boys from West Troy.
When lG years old Morrissey left his trade
| and became n barkeeper for Alexander Hamil-
| ton. well-known sporting man OF Troy Here
| his pugllistic spirit increased and rough-and
tumble fights frequently occurred. He dcvel-
| oped taste for outdoor sports and became an
apt ball player. One day at tho close of match
| \ g,l. n.... A.. li.l
the bully OF Albany. A fight an hour long ensued.
in which both boys displayed great pluck and
endurance. but Brennan finally knocked under.
| and acknowledged Morrlssey's superiority.
| Hamilton saw the fight. and gave young Nor
| risey such praise that he determined 10 become
| a professional pugilist The boy passed the
winter OF lS47 and the spring and summer of
ls4s in Mr.. Hamilton's employ. His wonderful
physique was fully developed in outdoor amuse-
ments. and he became Ms tough IA n pine knot.
During the Cass and Butler campaign Of 1s4s
Hamilton visited this city. and had difficulty
with Dutch Charley n friend Of Tom Hyer and
notorious rough -and-tumble fighter. at % Park
row. next door TO the old Park Theatre
and the headquarters OF the famous EN-
pire Club. He told Charley that he had bar
| tender up in Troy who could warm him. He
l offered TO match him in the ring out OF IT, but
| Dutch Charley laughed at him. Morrssey heard
the particulars on Hamiltons return TO Troy
and determined to pay Charley visit. He
spent the winter in Troy. The great fight
between Hyer and Sullivan. Feb. T. 1919. made
n big sensation. Young Morrssey was thor
oughly aroused. The previous fall he visited
this city for the first time. deck hand on the
steamboat Troy. Levi Smith his future
father in law was her captain. Morrissey was
then 1S years old. His pugilistic spirit cropped
out before the steamboat reached her dock
Some indignity was cast upon him by burly
companion. and close fight ensued. Nor
rissey. as usual. coming out victor. Before
the return trip the Trojan went ashore 10 see
the sights. He visited % Park row. and found
Capt. Isaiah Rynders and other members OF
the Empire Club In the barroom. He inquired
after Dutch Charley, and was told that he had
gone to see Lady Suffolk trot. The wild-eyed
Irish boy then wanted to know II there we're any
fighters in the saloon. Receiving no response.
he took of his cap and said that lie could whip
any man In the Empire Club. adding that Aleck
Hamilton would match him against Dutch Char
ley for $500 a side. He found that he had stirred
up hornets nest: for Tom Burns John Fox's
father-in-lawl. Mike Murray. and half a dozen
others pitched into him with clubs. pitchers.
tumblers and bottles. and laid him out. He kept
his feet for long time. fighting with terrible
earnestness. until one OF the club picked up
on the head when he fell like an OK
and was numerically kicked and beaten
kynderss admiration OF his courage was
SO great that he mad him taken mp stairs and
Union Course he was told what had happened
Hewent up 20 look At the countrymnn. Morris.
head bound up Charley lett him and told
Rynders that he thought he could whip him
y Well. said the Captain. all the gang tried IT,
They pounded him with pitchers and clubs until
they We're exhausted. and he never squealed
II you vfnt 10 tackle US on the same terms
you'll n er have better chance"
WHY HE WAS CALLED old SMOKE"
Morrissey carefully nursed until he wns
able TO return up river. But the beating he hud
% ses IN H. oned tSe w
X Known sS' o- Eyed baly and sS'f became car van an
SoH ionsht Whs ESsGnG Tn
Burns and the alierwnrd famous Gen. Billy
Wilson, both brother runners. attempted to
feht ensued. Beiay ing pins were s used s instead
OF flsts,, Morrissey cleared the deck. and Burns
and Wilson turned tail In telling the incidents
oil this fight nj Saratoga last summer. Morrssey
agreed to, soc that he had fair play; but as
like. chickmunk. and STAYED there un;
I'll i was over" This scrimmsge created
ers began TO cultivate the Irish boys acquant-
ance. Tom McCann. q famous 6ruiser, became
Sandy Lawrence's pistol gallery. under the
st. Charles Hotel. broadway and Leonard
| ktfetI. MtIunl ITltnus WtTt pIft'nl III loItt
Hot words passed, and the men clinched. Me-
Cam was successful at first. and threw Morris
sey heavily As he fell, a stove was overturned,
a bushel OF red hot Goals rolled on the floor and
Morrissey was forced on them. McCann hold
him there until the smell OF burning flesh filled
| the room; but Morrissey doggedly continued
| the fight. The bystanders threw water on the
Goals and the gas and steam arose in McCann's
face. and choked and exhausted him, Morris,
sey had his own way, and bppcked aud pounded
| Mccain into insensibllty. Tom Hamblin, the
actor was one of the witnesses. From that time
until the day of his death Morrissey was called
"Od Smoke"
The result Of this fight gave Morrlssey per-
| manent standing among foreign-born poiti-
| clans. Tom Hyer sided with McCann. and Nor
rissey threatened him. Not long alterward
they met Mt Canal street and Broadway. Both
stripped for fight. but, the police separated
| them. Morrissey never forgot it, and dogged
Hyer for years in the hope OF egging him ON to
| fight.
Mr. Morrssey spent the summer and winter
OF 1850 in New York, max ing his headquarters at
| Petri-s saloon, in Church street back OF the old
| hospital. Here he was initiated into the myste-
res Of faro. Petrie says that his passion for fight
| ing was so great that he often came in at night
with both hands full Of negro wool, trophies Of
fights in tho vicinity, With the advent OF 1851 he
sailed for San Francisco The gold fever was