The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-05-03
MoRRIssEY
Some Additional Leaves from the Chapter
0! His Life.

o! His Life.
The career of John Morrissey, whose
death we announced yesterday morn
ing, was indeed an eventful one. When
he left New York for California in
1S49, he slowed himself away in the
hold Of a steamer, and kept hid for a
week. He walked across the Isthmus
OF Panama, and finally reached Califor-
mia by hook and crook, in an almost
destitute condition.
Finally, growing tired of California,
and longing to see the scenes of his
youth, Morrissey returned to the At
lantic States. His friends were desir-
Gus of seeing him perform in the
squared circle" and soon pitted him
against the renowned Yankee Sullivan,
who had lain idle since his defeat by
Tom Hyer. The men met in the fall
of 1852. Morrissey knew nothing of
science, but was as stout as q bull, and
as game as n pebble. Sullivan was
chock full of science and vim, and the
result was that he made a chopping-
block of poor Morrissey, who was I'M
able to return the punishment. In
deed, during the fight there were
rounds in which Sullivan never receiv-
ed a blow. Morrissey never flinched,
and fairly appalled, Sullivan by his won
derful endurance. At the end of the
thirty-sixth round, awful" Gardner,
who was seconding Morrissey, got into
} a fight with dublin Tricks" who was
handling Sullivan, and the latter went
to the assistance of his friend. While
he was thus engaged, time was called
for the thirty-seventh round. Sullivan
did not hear it, and kept on humping
Gardner. Morrissey went to the
scratch, and the referees gave him the
fight. Sullivan was chagreined beyond
measure at the unexpected termination
of the battle, and called to Morrissey,
who was being carried away by his
friends, to come back and renew the
J fight. OF ourse he did not heed this
, request. He was taken to Boston,
l where the coagulated blood had to be
cut out Of his throat with instruments,
to prevent him from strangling to
: death.
lie o o got over his beating, and
nothing daunted by it, he tried to get a
match with Tom Hyer, who then claim
: ed to be the champion Of the world.
= At the Fashion race course, Hyer and
Morrissey had high words, and the lat
ter threw a glass of ale into Hyer's
face. Friends interfered, and the par
ties were separated, though by agree
ment they met a few days afterward at
"The Abbey" They did not meet in
hostile array, however, for Hyer ad-
vanced and offered Morrissey his choice
from his pistols. John disclaimed any
idea of fighting a duel, and wanted a
combat with natures weapons. Hyer
t would only fight with pistols, and the
= result was that the men separated with
t out the effusion of any gore.
But an event soon happened that
changed the current of his life, and led
him to be ambitious to excel in other
more lucrative and honorable avoca-
tions than prize fighting. This event
was his marriage to "Susy Smith" the
beautiful daughter of Captain Smith, a
rich and well-known Hudson river
steamboat commander who lived in
Troy. After his marriage Morrissey
kept a fashionable bar-room in Troy,
and began to be n patron of the turf.
Hearing that Commodore Vanderbilt
was much enamored of a certain horse,
whose owner would not sell to him,
Morrissey succeeded III buying the ami.
. NAL, and presented it to the commo-
I dore. Vanderbilt was not the man to
ignore such a favor, and from that mo-
ment he took Morrissey into his good
graces.
, His first essay in the political ring
as n principal was as Il candidate for
Congress and was elected. Two years
ago last fall he ran for member of the
] state assembly against Fox, and beat
him handsomely. Last fall he was n
candidate for state Senator against Au-
, gustus Schell, and defeated him, but
owing to i'll health never took his seat.