Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-04
Incidents In the Life of Morrissey:
fho " N,r,a y


rived here from California. Cu,ick accom-
panied him, and they gave sparring exhibit
lions, in WHICH Keenan, showed mastery skill:
Whiie boys in Troy, MOrriSey always looked
upon Heenan as having no lighting ability.
Within four months a match between them
was proposed. Neither gave offence. but the
enemies of each gathered around the other.
and kindted pueiistic flame that lasted for
years. Keenan, had secured place in the
custom house through the influence of the Hon.
Daniel T.. Sickles, and avoided direct com
initial as long as possible. 10th TO throw away
an assured emOlumeni and easy labor for the
alternative OF hard work and possible loss
prudence cowardce and his partisans
openly sneered and fionted him. He sent Nor
ss in bs ars HAD passsd
MOrrisSey determined to enter the ring for tn
last time. The fight was for $3.50 side and
the belt that MorLissey had won from Yankee
da, Oct 20, 1855 Morrissey's friends as uSull
we're in strong force. The ring was pi ched in
the sand, and as a strict construction of the
English rules required turf, several Spectators
found some blades of grass at distance, and
planted them in the ring. 1t was the only
fight ever fought with two referees. Morris
sey's seconds were VIM Hastings and Austria
liam Kelly; Heenan's, Aaron Jones and John
Mackey. AS MOrrissev was being stripped he
said. 1900 to $500 win: This is my fight"
Heenan was out of condition. and rushed the
fighting. MOrrissey delivered telling body
blows, and after the most terrific struggle in
the prize ring, won the fight in eleven rounds
OWNING SIXTEEN FARO BANKS.
John Morrissey was now thirty,twO years
old. His boyish ambition to reach the front
rank as a fighter had been satisfied A gam
ing spirit dethroned the pugiistic instinct thaf
had thus far controlled him: But, like a bull
casionaIiy asserted itself. When fred with it'll
champagne, the man at times did things re-
GREETED in sober moments When proved
wrong he was ready to apologize, but excited
tpnm
The war flooded the country with money, and
shrewd gameSters became rich very rapidly.
Mor,issey took adyantage OF the IS. SITUATION In
ser and Petrie in the great game in Barclay
street. He owned game at IL West Houston
street. He was also a partner in a faro bank
the organization of what was called the com
binatiOn game at SIS Broadway. He had been
interested in a similar game at SIG Broadway,
and made considerable money. 1t was joint
stock association of games1ers, who opened
house on square basis, and divided the net
proceeds monthly Morrissey extended his
partner in no less than sixteen faro banks
These institutions dotted the city like mush
rooms and mill ions were won and lost in them
during the closing years of the war;
In January, 1864, Morrissey opened his ia
nous saloon in west 24th street. opposite the
Fifth avenue Hotel. His associates were Price
Chamberlin. 1t was the most successful game
ever established in the city. Prominent turf
men from the south and west made it their
headquarters, and thousands of dollars were
The partners divided $4,000 in two years.
then quarreled, and dissolved business rela-
| tons. MOrriSSey became an inVeterate pri-
vate gamester He had long bouts at :. Bos-
| ton" poker, and similar games with Ben Wood.
| James o. Brien, and other celebrated men, and
the sporting fraternity were in continual
| flutter of excitement over reports of the large
| sums continually changing hands At one sit
ting Of twenty;four hours, it is said that Ben
Wood arose with sl2oGoO in his pockets AS
| utatiOn. He conducted his business honestly,
| and was never interested in "skin game
Indeed, several police raids were made upon
skin houses at his inStigatiOn. He declared
| they cast Odium upon honest gameSters, and
interfered with what he was pleased to term
his legitimate business. His political influence
was so powerful that the police department
| protected instead of disturbing him. His gen
crosby, under his improved circumstances be-
came proverbial When his old rival, Heenan,
| turned up bankrupt he was placed on his feet
| through MOrrissey's aid A thousand stories
| are aflOat concerning his benevolence at this
period, and it is said that he gave away over
| $4,000 year. About this time he was taken
| i'll with a disease similar 10 the one that has
proved fatal. For days he laid on the verge
of the grave. but his superb physique tri-
umphed, and, in pugi iStic parlance, he caught
his second wind once more, and Won fight
with dea'h.
opened new paths to fortune, and he boldly
entered them. He grasped the branches of
the policy business, shook them strongly,
| and was rewarded with shower of golden
| fruit. The well known Simmons brothers and
the Hon. Benz Wood were his partners, and
fortunes were divided be, ween them D.s,an-
| sions arose, MorriSsey sold out. and round Of
| lawsuits followed, traces OF them still appear
| ing in our courts.
IN WALL STREET WITH LIFE PRESENTER
that paradise for gamblers, Wall street. John
J. Tebin, one OF his friends. had preceded him
| and made fortune estimated at millions
Vanderbilt was said to have been his sponsor,
and Morrissey wanted the same godfather
| The Trojan owned the horse Rockingham
| better known as the Granger colt. The Com
mOdOre, jealous of Robert BOnner's stable.
| was on the lookout for trOtting prOdigieS. II
| sent the horse over to his stables with his
Tissey had been offered $1,000 for the trotter
entered Wall street under his tutelage. H.,
| got his first points on Lake Shore, and the
Commodore boosted him along in Harlem,
tunity served, until within eighteen months
$4,000: He made S5o 600 in one day. At that
os 81 aarem sn YHH nSSn tf HIVE in the
vestment, but did not obtain control of Cen
trail until the death of Dean Richmond. Nor
Essey drtsd away from him. and is said to
dore, however, threw him graphing hook,
and he recovered his losses when Central
| STOCK was nrSt Watefed. his 1flend 1ODln
afterward went out of sight, but MOrrissey was
a strong swimmer, and, with the Vanderbilt
cork Jacket, kept himself afoat during the
| great Erie tempeSts, but suffered severely in
the terrible typhoon of Black Friday. When
the Tammany Ring went to the bottom in the
| Hannibal and st. 10. Squall, he rode the waves
| like duck, and landed safe and sound. His
financial operations in Wall street were ruin
GUS. A. friend who had charge of his business
says that MOrrisSey one day computed his
| wealth at 500, 600. He proposed to 60 to Eu-
rope with his wife and child, and enter upon a
course of study. He keenly regretted his lack
| of education. With four years constant APP
plicatiOn in Europe, he thought he might re-
| turn and make name for himself in the pO-
| litical annals of the country. He had decided
| upon this course, when one day he met Com
| mOdore Vanderbilt. He laid the matter be-
| fore the Commodore, and asked his advice.
The shrewd old veteran advised him not to
| leave Wall street, and gave him few points.
MOrrissey again entered the street, but retired
| within month entirely cleaned out. He not
only lost his 500 200, but was fully $780, 900 In
debt. He squared himself by a manly strug-
| gle, and never again placed himself in the
| power of the bulls and bears.
| HIS CAREER, ON THE TURF.
| Under the weight of stock operations, the
| lottery business and faro banks, MOrrisSey
| appeared on the turf He developed taste
| for horses before his fight with Heenan, and
| cOurSinp along the old