Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-12-18
BOXERS GOSSIP.
I'm ooRBErT WANTS TO BE THE JAY GOULD
or PUGILISM.
Rich Men Have Been Rare in the Pugilisic Profess
siOn-Charlsy Mitchell Nay Make America
His goms-Hall and His lntsnhons-he-
Lulifs and Dick Burge.

NEW YORK, December To-
American cham pion prefers fnancierlng
to fighting when his proposed antago-
nist is big, black and dangerous. Ii ne
conld have his choice Of Charley Mitcn-
ell or John L.. Sullivan ne wouldn't 90
iect to a "go"-say next fall-but wnen
Pster Jackson is named he looks oacX
TO his early days when he was mes
senper or petty clerk in Frisco bank,
and he announces that his ambition Is
To become the Jay Gould
of his guiId-the richest ngntef
that ever has been. There have not
been very many rich fghters-pugillsts,
I mean. Yankee Sullivan, the nrst
champion OF America worthy OF the
name. was killed by accident oy the
VigiIantes in a cell in San francisco
iaiI. and didn't leave enough money De-
hind him to bury him. His friends had
70 make up a purse for the purpose.
Tom liver, his conqneror and successor,
also died poor. John Morrissey, AFTER
he left the ring, took to the turf, gamo-
ling and politics, and at one time IN MS
life he was, for fighter, a very rlcn
man. but he left his estate in very oad
wav and his widow Is living In
genteel poverty now. John Z. heenah
took to the turf after his fight with ION
King, and did fairly we'll as DOCK
maker on the English courses Tor
awhile. But his money went as easily
as # came, and he, too, died poor. Dom
mick Bradley was worth q few tnou-
sands when he died. but poor Johnny
DIVER hardly left sou markee. Joe
Coburn died poor. These men were all
champions in their day, and could, had
they exercised common prudence, have
lived well and left estates, but fast life
was too much for them, tough men as
they were.
v cry few OF the English champions
died rich, though as rule after retlr-
ing from the ring they settled down TO
being the keepers Of public houses, ana
as such were fairly comfortable in cir
cumstances. John Gully and Gentle
man JohneJackson were exceptions.
Gully took O-the turf, became rich and
was a member of Parliament. 1t was
TO rival him that John Morrissey went
to Congress. Jackson was the boxing
tutor of many OF England's mobiles, and
they took care Of him as long as he
lived. After his virtual defeat by Hee-
nan his appreciative countrymen, led
BIZ the then English Premier, Lord Pal
merston, subscribed q fund and pur-
chased an annuity for Tom Sayers,
which maintained him as long as he
lived. Jem Mace, the last OF the great
English champions, is still alive, and he
has to hustle in his old age to keep the
wolf from the door. Corbett, IL will be
seen, won't have to be very rich TO sur
pass all the thumpers except Gully in
wealth.
I see that Joe Lsnnon has sued Cor
bett for S., 900 for breach of contractin
not appearing at his benefit in Boston
as he agreed. From what l know of
| the affair I presume that Corbett
will set up in defense that he injured
one Of his thumbs few days before
the proposed benefit, and consequently
| be could not spar with credit to him
self. The men had very amusing
| quarrel over the telephone, Lannon be-
ing at the Adams House in Boston and
| Corbett in the World Office In New
York, arranging for his match with
Sullivan. 1 give you, my readers, the
| New York end OF the controversy, as
| happened to be with Corbett at the mo-
ment. If Lannon doesn't get the tooth
| ache until he fingers the $1,000 he
wants from Jim for this breach Of
promise his dentist will be out of JOB
| for quite while. Still, there is an in
terestiug story back OF this suit, and at
the proper time / will tell IL. 1t wouldn't
do to repeat it now, as it might preju-
! dice the case In court.
1t seems that Charley Mitchell has at
last succeeded in breaking into jail, and
| if Jim Hairs statement is correct he is
doing time" more on account Of what
we would call general cussedness"
than as a punishment Of the offense for
which he is specifically incarcerated.
| AS matter of fact, Hall claims that 1t
| was he and not Mitchell who struck old
man Savage and inflicted the injuries
| for the commission OF which Mitchell
was arrested, tried, and is now being
punished. This story differs materially
| from one given by Mitchell in letter
written to one of his New York admir-
ers, which 1 published In substance
| about six weeks ago. In that
letter Mitchell admitted having as
| saulted Savage, but he said that the
| severe cut on his head which the lat
ter received was caused, not by his
| fist, but by Savage's head striking an
! iron grating in his fall. An odd thing
about this affair is that Mitchell claims
that he could easily clear his skirts of
| the charge OF assault were IL not that in
| Al \ hou IN I'D
den Chambers, the author, and q well
| known London solicitor TO testify, and
then the fact that they were with him
on drunken spree would be brought
out, and this fact would do them great
social and professional injury. 1t
seems to me that while this explanation
may be perfectly satisfactory TO the
| solicitor, whose name has been kept
from the public, it does injustice TO
| Mr. Chambers. His connection with
| the affair is now well known In London,
| and consequently he must now be in
| coventry socially and professionally.
Hall brings the i'll news that Mitchell,
at the completion Of his term OF i'm
prisonment In England. will come to
this country and make it his home.
sincerely hope that IL we must have
Chawley inflicted on Us for the rest Of
his days that his Imprisonment may
work such reformation in his character
as will make him less Of a rowdy and
| bully than he was when here last. He
might have been one Of the most popu-
| lar pugilists that ever came from
abroad had he known enough to behave
himself fairly well, but success made
him arrogant, insolent and ipsuferably
Iulgar. II prisoners Of his character
are permitted to indulge in reading I
Il thot