The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-11
The Defeated Prize-Fighter Going to
His Home in a Roundabout Way.
He Is Badly Used Up, But Is Willing to Try 1t
Again-Sullivan Steals Out Of New Or
leans and Is Secretly Coming North.
BATTLING WITH PUGILISTs.


has not yet been told. 1t arose from an eff
fort on the part of the Associated Press to
scoop all its competitors in getting the
first news of the battle to the wire at New
Orleans. In order to accomplish this a
special train was chartered for the exclu-
sive use of the Associated Press and its
staff of ten reporters. with the proviso that
the train was to be limited to locomotive
and one passenger coach. In furtherance
of this scheme it was agreed between the
representative of the Associated Press and
Superintendent Tyler, of the Queen q
Crescent road, to have this locomotive and
coach in readiness at point half a mile
distant from the battle-ground, around a
bend, where it was not visible to those who
stood at the Richburg depot. Immediately
after the fight, and before the spectatorshad
left the ground, theAssociated Press report
ers rushed to the track, and after q run of
q half mile boarded the train assigned to
them, and for which they had contracted
with the company. The understanding was
that, once started, the train was to rush by
Richburg at speed that made it impossi-
BILE for any but those who had right to be
there to occupy position in the coach.
About / o'clock the Associated Press
special started, and proceeded down the
track at the rate of thirty-five miles an
hour, and there is no doubt that the rate of
speed would have prevented the embarka-
tion on that train of any of the immense
crowd that were waiting at Richburg. Just
here, through blunder of the road master
or precOncerted plan to rush Kilrain out
of the State, the Associated Press special
was tagged at Richburg. and the engineer,
in obedience to the signal, began to slow
up. AS soon as the train hove in sight, the
crowd of pugilists began to prepare to get
opportunity they desired. Conspicuous
ly eager to get aboard were the
special correspondents of Northern and
Eastern papers, who were making desperate
efforts to send the first news of the battle
to their respective papers.
Just as the train got to q point opposite
the depot at Richburg. rush to get aboard
was made by an eager crowd of toughs"
and correspondents. At either and of the
tive guarding the means of ingress, and
warning all that the train was special
one. charted by the Associated Press, and
that none but its employees had a right to
enter. This warning was disregarded. In
were packed with a fiery crowd of pugilists.
who forced their way into the coach
despite the protests of the Associated Press
sentinels. Among the first to enter were
Charles Mitchell. one of Kilrain's seconds,
the ST.. Joe Kid, and multitude
of others of the sbort-haired
fraternity. whose muscular prowess made
resistance hopeless. In less time than it
takes to tell it, the coach was filled, not
only by the pugilists. but by the energetic
and wide awake special correspondents.
w hlle this was going on two coaches con-
tanning Kilrain and his friends were pushed
forward to the main track and coupled onto
the Associated Press special.
Before the train was in motion the As
sociated Press man in charge of the train,
realizing that his efforts for scoop"
were about to be foiled. instructed all of
of cutting off the tender and engine and
leaving the coaches on the ground. Mr..
j. j. Hogan, of the Associated Press staff
was assigned to- the duty of uncoupling
the car. and was in the act of doing so
when a Denver tough" of gigantic pro-
portions put his hand to his hip pocket,
drew his revolver and threatened to kill
the first man who removed the coupling.
Mr.. Hogan, nothing daunted by the threat,
asked his chief for further instructions.
The situation was extremely critical.
Both sides were excited and determined.
The odds were unequal. 1t was ten men
devoted to their duty against an infuriated
mobIa reckless. desperate and sometimes
that the men behind the Denver though"
would not have hesitated TO take human
life in the endeavOr to prevent the un-
coupling of the engine. On the other side
were men devoted to their profession and
ready to take any chances in the discharge
of their duty, but unwilling to involve hu-
man life in the endeavor to faithfully serve
the public. Another element of danger lay
in the fact that Mitchell and his friends
feared that if the train was uncoupled they
n 4, a nff
GERS of Mississippi, who were hunting them.
The manager in charge of the Associated
| Press train, hesitating to involve loss of
| life in his endeavOr to get first to New Or
| leans, instructed his men to suspend opera
| tions for a few moments while he made an
eDdeavor to accomplish by diplomacy what
could not be accomplished by force. In the
| meantime the train was under way. and
of speed. His first endeavor was to enlist
| the services and cooperation of Charles
| Mitchell, who was the eacknOwledg ged leader
| ofthe crowd, and whose word was accepted
by them as law. Among MitchelPs friends,
| who were also parties to the negotiation
! which was afterward consummated, was
"Parson" Davies, of Chicago. Mitchell al
legged that all he insisted upon was to be
carried outside of the limits
ARRESTS after O'yons sO%e ien sea mnnsss aanfss
| parleying an understanding was arrived at.
under the terms of which Mitchell guar
| anteed to protect the Associated Press en-.
| gine and their tender from any Interfer.
ence by the crowd aboard of the coaches
provided he and his party were to be safely
delivered in Louisiana beyond the fear OF
danger of arrest. This arrangement was
faithfully carried out by both parties
| Mitchell going so far as to place at the
service of the Associated Press any mum.
| Der of his men necessary to secure the full
lsfillment of his part of the contract.
The thrilling incidents just related were
succeeded by others of almost equal dan
ger. Twice before reaching the Louisiana
line the train had to dash through com
pany Of Mississippi soldiers. who signaled
the train to stop, and made determined
effort to intimidate the engineer into slow
| ing up. The efforts of the troops were
disregarded, and the train dashed
on, without any diminution of speed
| Just as the train was approaching
Nicholson, the engineer. discovered a squad
of men on the track with stacked arms
while behind them were others waving the
train to come to halt. The engineer be
gan TO slow up, and had almost come to
de ad stop, when Mr.. Hogan, who was de
lighted to ride with the engineer, and who's,
back was turned at the time, looked around
and realizing the situtiop said to the en-
gineer: '.Pullyour throttle wide open ant
let her co." Rhe engineer with courag,
characteristic of his class, obeyed the orde
to the letter, and daahed down the road o