Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-07-16
JOHN MORRIS>Ei.
How Hs Managed 90 Secure s-n
Election 70 Congress.
s@za w.-a's sEsass - lsrisg gas Aooat tie
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C-as<sssd Als DistFtet-tsissa
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athA4e&r - Es<t@f 49,
fBeu Periey Poorv Kemlnlscenees-l
sWbsa goaa Aorrisssy BrsL Ihoagbt u
r0nliax tor Congress De as greatly per
plexed as T. ~aat course be should p2rsas
~ secure AIS slscrioa- johns character,
a. thaG time. diia't stand very high IN the
rei sious community, ~o0 were largely
rspr sssntsd la TIE district lie proposed -
r4n for he as oaly Known as a seecess-
fui prizs-n gutter, a klng pin among the
boys. a cunning and atroit gambler and a
hacker ~ illegal lottery schemes. Ia fact,
eas rather heavy vel htsd for sach a
race Just then. sam W ard, ~hO, Ia those
days, sometimes, ia gratifying his epica-
rean and varied taste, oaght the tiger la
his lsir," struck up warm intimacy with
the would be Con gresham, who, In turn,
came - consulting Sam quite frequently
and - hsD the question u overcoming the
difficulties II his election came up sam
readily solved the problem Dy originating
the plan which, carried out BY Morrissey,
insured his election
'.Psha~. 2" said sam, "thAt's easily
done. all you have - DO Is 10 let nae write
one OF ny peculiar letters u you; thatll
nx II" soon after Morissey issued
throus b the press the famous letter asking
votes, on the ground. among others, that
he bad ceased hghtins and sold out his in
terest ia all l0tteri.s, was about % close
his gambling houses, and, for the sake OF
his only child. desired u reform aud
establish character such as his hopeful
might be proud 10 quote and boast OF. Be
sides this, Morrissey called at every house
in the district. and insisted on seeing as
many Of tpe occupants, male and female,
as possible. IL am John Morrissey, the
prizeh fighter aud gambler" said he; IL
am trying u reform and am running for
Congress; help me, good people, with your
votes, and SO help in my reformation"
Soon after his election, and just before
taking his seat in Congress, John fancied
himself insulted by one OF the white kid
fraternity. To wallop him would have
been considered undignitied in "a member
elect 70 Congress, and recourse was had TO
Sam. Why, challenge HIM, Of course"
said Sam. " You want just the peculiar
eclat that duel will give you 10 varnish
over other shortcomings" The challenge
was at once written, and then the diff
Guilty was TO find fitting party 10 deliver
il. This was impossible for Sam 10 do,
first, because he was IA member of the
church, and next, that the party TO whom
the missive was addressed was a member
Of his club. But he was equal to the
emergency. Among his acquaintance
was a certain broken-down, impecuuious
Bohemian, who, having once been known
in the club, yet maintained a sort OF quasi
reputation a gentleman, and was recog-
Nized as such. He was Ostensibly real
estate broker, and held commission as
notary public. Sam took him into their
confidence, and called his services into
| requisitiOn. AT war with fortune, the
business was exactly 10 his hand \ lit
/ tie seedy IN appearance, Sam suggested
/ that he be newly fitted out with clothes,
which was done at Morrissey's expense,
/ of course, and he departed with the war
/ like missive. Finding the party to whom
it was addressed, and to whom ne was
/ known, he delivered the document IL
was read, and then returned 10 him with
the complimentary remarks: Bill, my
dear old fellow, l know you've had
blanked bad luck, and don't want TO hurt
your feelings, but you must have go,
mighty low down when you would con-
from prize fighter; take it back to him.
and tell him if he don't leave the city in
twenty -four hours I'll make John c.
Heenan give him the blankest thrashing
he ever got in his life"
whats to be done now?" he exclaimed.
This is bad, soyez tranQllEe," said Sam,
refectively. who's that:" said Norris
sey. II have it, l have it," exclaimed
Sam. Our friend Bill here is a notary
public. He shall protest it for monaco
ceptance. Give him ten dollars and he'll
get it up for you in good style"
"All right" said John, hurry it up, I'll
expose the coward" and he was soon in
| possession Of The document which was to
give him a position at Washington and
gain him recognition among the fire.
eaters even Of the most ultra cast. John
showed the document among his friends,
and il was some DAYS before he found out
how good a thing had been played upon
/ him. Then he went for Sam, who had
slipped of TO Washington, and it is per-
haps needless TO add that Sam and John
were no longer on speaking terms.
When l went 20 Morrissey for the facts
concerning himself needed for the COM
| piation Of the Congressional Directory, he
answered my first question, as to his
birth place. by saying: ''Templemore, Tip
! perGry County, Ireland, February -.
| 1851" Next, | asked his occupation,
'FarO-dealer and prize fighter" was the
/ reply, but, noticing that ! hesitated about
writing IL. be said: "On the whole, for my
boys sake. put it down molder, as
worked At that business in a Troy stove
foundry. before I went 20 New York"
| Prize-hghter and gambl or be had been,
but the Federal House OF Repre-s atatives
never bad a member more regular in his
attendance, more correct in his deport-
meut. more honorable in his legislative
[ duties, or more generous TO the poor, than
j IL