River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-08-22
SULLIVAN SENTENCED.

A Mississippi Judge Furnishes the Cham
pion for His Defiance of State Laws
Given Year in Jail-The Case APP
pealed, and the Slugger Is Released on
$1,000 BAH
PURvIs, Miss, Aug 10. John L. Sullivan,
having been found guilty of prize fighting,
was on Saturday sentenced to imprison-
ment Tor one year, and thus the first act
IN the sullivan Kilrain legal drama closed.
Much anxiety existed TO know what penalty
would be imposed upon The offenders. The
cours met at the usual early hour with a
crowd of anxious spectators. Motions for
arrest of judgment" and for a new trial
were filed and oyerruled in the
respective order without argument.
T. s Ford thcn appeared at the
bar and presented and read to the
court the petition signed by the members
of both the grand and petit Jurors and
sundry citizens asking the court not to inn
pose higher penalty than fine of ST.
OOo Remarks on the petition were made by
Messrs Ford and Calhoun, Tor the defense.
AT the conclusion of these remarks all was
expectation. The silence was broken by
the defendant Sullivan, who rose and ad-
dressed the court as follows:
Your honor, ! desire 70 make a few re marks.
can only ask your olemency in this natter
No doubt have done something, but as my
counsel told you. ] was ignorant of the law
am not as oratoricai as the distinguished dis
triet attorney. nor as my counsel on my right,
who have addressed you, and, therefore, beg
to remain your humble servant John L. Sulli-
van
Then he took his seat At this action and
appeal by defendant the excitement became
more intense. The Judge seemed 10th to
relieve the anxiety and suspense for he sat
a -, lott 4b..
before him. The tension of feeling at this
stage was very strong, until at length 1t
was relieved by the judge, who proceeded
to say:
Gentle men, passing sentence has always
been OF considerable trouble and concern to
me ever in small cases, except where the law
has oae absolute punishment. II seems 10 me
thai the prize fight al Richburg, for which this
lefendent stands convicted, was gross anfront
TO the laws Of State whose authorities person
ally forbade it, Ii seems to have been accom-
plished with systematic arrangement and in
the presence OF invited thousands. 1t seems
on the part of all concerned to have been
a studied disregard and contempt for
the law. They came from and through
many States whose authority and civili-
cation deferred them from any attempt at
such public lawless conduct within their lin
its, and they chose the soil of Mississippi as
the only tit ground for such combat, indI-
eating their utter contempt for the senti-
ments OF the people and the laws Of her statute
books.
"Stand up, Mr.. Sullivan"
Sullivan arose
'The sentence of the law is that for and as
punishment OF the onense of which you stand
convicted you shall suffer Imprisonment for
twelve months in the county jail"
No outward signs of emotion were made
by Sullivan, but all could realize that he
was hurt and mortified. His counsel in
stantly appealed the case to the Supreme
Court The matter will come up for hear
ing before said court on the third Mon
day in February next The bond re-
quired was given at once and
the defendant was released. One of
his attorneys says that he takes his SEN
tence like a philosopher, saying he is de-
lighted with the bg-hearted people OF the
State of Mississippi; that of course no man
is going to Jail so long as he can keep out of
it. but il his case is affirmed in the Supreme
Court he will take his medicine like man
and show Mississippians he is willing, if
they require it of him, to submit to
the penalty for his violation of the statute,
and that he meant no disrespect to the
State nor the people, but could not show
the white feather when his antagonist, the
challenger, selected the fighting ground
Sullivan left Saturday afternoon for New
York, going on the o'clock cannon balI'
train ON the Queen & Crescent route
The referee of the fight, John Fitzpat-
rick, of New Orleans, was arraigned Satur-
day morning and plead guilty to the in
dictment against him for aiding and
abetting' the fight and was fined $500 by
the court The district attorney announced
in court that Jake Kilrain would arrive
here early next week.