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

openly snocred and fiouted him. lie sent Nor
risscy achallcngc. Two years had passed snco
rsscy determined to enter the ring for tho last
time. The fight was for 81 800 side and the belt
W.T. MoErssey had Toh r3 adnKec & SHyaa Jn sga
MOrrisseyS friends. as usual, were IN strong
force. The ring was pitched IN the sand. and
as q strict construction of the English rules rr-
quired turf. several spectators found some
blades Of grass ut n distance. and planted them
IN @ 'e ,6 rng M was 8ny % secHnd eyd o%sS Msr
VIM Hastings and Australian Kelly; Hrcnan's.
Aaron Jones and John Mackey AS Morrisscy
win. THIS is nv fight" Hcenan was out Of
condition. aud rushed the fighting. Morrisscy
delivered telling body blows. and, after the mott
in eleven rounds in twenty one minutes. Over
1000 persons witnessed this battle.
MoRRIssEY NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT.
On January 5. 1860. Heenan sailed for Europe
with Cusick. Morrisscy followed him on March
MnrTch T 90 D nj Bedlord' Hcoman wrote tbnt Nor
rissey refused to fight him unless he whipped
Snyrcs. II Is certain that, Morrisscy was inti-
mate with Sayres. SPARED with him, and gave
him points concerning Heenan's style Of light.
ing. This aroused n bitter feeling against
Morrissey. in America. At this time, he
He wrote To I|jikes's SPIRIT March 20. describing
his visit 70 the celebrated pugilst, Owen Swift;
against si7 800 that the horse Umpire would
win racc that was creating much interest. To
GlnGG tnf eS, ne gut sSVo MINT NJ
$500 In that bcth Morrsscy replied. Well.
you can put that in your pocket. was the am
swcr., L. will be time enough TO pay when you
have lost" " But am stranger here" pro-
tested the pugist. " II you are your character
came here before vou.' was tho rctort. and
While this letter TO the SPIRIT savors Of egotisnl.
Il exhibits one trait in Morrisscy's character.
The grcnt international contest was fought ON
April II. 1860. II ended in disgraccful row,
and i was said that Heenan was cheated outoi
Morrisscy's friends Of creating the disturbance.
and asserting that Morrissey himself had cut
tense. Morrissey landed at Boston. May 4. and
Was much surprlsed az the feeling manifested.
He came 70 New York; and addressed a letter
TO the public from which we extract:
There appear. to he some iceing toward m. for the
par, TOOK in ihe a's ash, fCr N, opnioqs ne ashl
s.ff placed IN proer sbt before the pnbic W nave "'
The part took in the ish va, purely business one,
national affair Heenan himself said it was no national
asr snd VA, he ana NJ, wish to have u As
the nght d no more than many others did In this city
lie opinion should be directed cannot imaginc.
v,o !, '"d .9a m ca, hs % d & WA: s ensf n n
all The stakes were merely pulled out Of the ground.
there TO .ay ha, opened ms lips ircn tho beginning 10
the end OF the night spoke TO NO one during ~ progrcs
but stood quietly by and the whole affair without max
ing amy demonstration whatever
Ing up. and the capabilities Ut the men, prefer TO say
nothing until Heensn ami his friends return home.
meni may hrreafier make its aid thst Hecnan las
authorized Macdonald 70 challenge me know nothing
was ramored that on my arrival in Ho,tOn sub
l passed through Boston as quietly any other cfc a.
Jons MoRKissrr.
OWNING sIxTEEN FARO BANKS.
John Morrissey was now thlrty-two years old.
His hoysh ambition to reach the front rank rs
q fighter had been satisfied. gaming spirit
1..fn AA fhn Ia tnee hat lul
thus far controlled him. But. like n bulldog
tuggnG at its chain, the old feeling ms ional-
ly asserted itself. When fired with champagne.
the man at times did things regretted in
was ready to apologizs. bui excited ta9 much.
flooded the country with money. and shrewd
gamesters became rich very rapidly. Morris
sey took advantage OF the situation. In 1862 he
became Interested with old Matt. Danscr and
Prtrie In the great game in barclay street.
H. owned game at II West Houston street
at II Ann street. and was the leading
spirit in the organization Of what was call
eel the combination game at SIS Broadway.
He had been interested in Il similar game
at 576 Broadway and made considerable
money. II was Joint stock association of
gamesters, who opened house on q
square basis. and divided the, net proceeds
monthly. Morrissey extended his sphere Of
less than sixteen faro banks. These institutions
dotted the city like mushrooms. and millions
were won ana lost in them during the closing
years of the war.
In January. 1864, Morrissey. opened his
famous saloon; IN West Twenty;,iourth street
opposite the Fifth Avenue Hotel. II associates
were Price McGrath. bluegrass turfman. and
John Chamberlln. Ii was the most successful
game ever established in the city. Prominent
turfmen from the South and West made it their
headquarters. and thousands of dollars were
h25nrly 5 swept aTaS 9y .o shs 6a t1rning OF card
then qunrrelled. and dissolved business rela-
tions. Morrissey became an inveterate private
gnmcster. He hnd long bouts at Boston %
poker.
james O'Brien, and other celebrated men. and
the sporting fraternity were in continual
fiutter OF excitement over reports Of the large
sums continually changing hands. At one sit
ting OF twenty-four hours. II is said that Ben
gamester Morrssey always bore good reputa-
tion. He conducted his business honestly, and
was never Interested in skin game In
deed. several police raids We're made upon
skin houses az his instigatlon. He declared
that they cast odum upon honest gamesters
and intcrfered with what he was pleased TO term
WIS so powerful that the Police Departinn mt
protected instead Of disturbing him. lis gen
erosity under his improved circumstances be-
came proverhia. When his old rival, Heenan
turned up bankrupt. he was placed On his feet
are ailoat concerning his benevo"ncc at this
period. and 1t is snid that he gnVe away over
t250OQ year. About this time he was tar sen
i'll with n disease similar to the one that has
proved fatal. For days he laid on the verge of
the grave. but his superb physique triumphed.
and. In puglistic parlance, he caught his see
ond wind once more. and won fight with death.
Morrsseys wonderful success in gaming
opened new pnths to fortune and he boldly en-
tered them. lie grasped the branches OF the
"poicy' business, hook them strongly. and WIS
rewjHded with shower OF golden fruit. The
wel-knOwn Simmons brothers and the Hon.
Benjamin Wood were his partners. and for
tunes were divided between them. Discussions
arose. Morrissey sold out, and n round Of law
suits followed. traces of them still appearing in
our courts.
IN WALL STREET WITH LIFE PREsERvER.
Flushed with fortune the Troy boy entered
that paradise for gamblers. Wall street John
j. Iobin, one of his friends, had preceded him.
and made fortune estimated ut millions. VAN
derblt was said to have been his sponsor, and
MOrrsscy wanted the same godfather. The
Trojan owned the horse Rockingham. better
known as the Granger colt. The Commodore,
Jealous OF Robert Bonner's stable. WIS on tine
lookout for trottlng prodiges. lie took fancy
to Rockingham. and Morrissey sent the horse
over TO his stables with his compliments. Ii
was Il big present. tor Morrlssey had been Of
fered 5000 for the trottrr. Vanderbilt was not
unGruteIul Morrssny entered Wall street I'M
der his tutelage. lie got his first points on
Lake Shore. and the Commodore boosted him
along in Harlem, HUDSON River and New York
Central us opportunity served, until within
eighteen months his friends say that he had
rqkcd in over $4O0.0O0. He made s75.OOO
in one duy. At that time Vanderbilt WIS
quietly taking in the stock OF Harlem and
Hudson River for investment. but did not OBJ
tain control OF Central until the death Of Dean
Rchmond; Nlorrisscy driited away from him.