Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-09-15
CORBETT WINNER
Sullivan, After a Long List Of
Victories, Meets His
Waterloo. =
James Coz ait Now Champion
Prize lighter of the
World.

New ORLEANS Sept. SIT has come at
last-the bitterest hour of John L. Sulli-
vans life. How often he had heard those
maddened howls of men frantic with 10y
over great triumph and had raised
his head proudly to acknowledge the
homage thus paid him. But now he could
not raise his head, the haring, dazzling
lights whirled wildly about him. and he
seemed to be in the vortex of q vast whirl-
pool lined with shrieking humanity,
spangled with glancing lights dazzling
and binding as the sun at monday. And
those deafening shouts that fell upon his
ear as ii they could drown the roar of Nj
agra, were so harsh, hateful and dis
cordant. Why could he not stand up and
at least wave his hand to his thousands of
worshipers as he had done so often? He
turns to raise his head. What is this that
touches his hot steaming facet Blood stained
sand, the sand of the ring soaked with
dred battles lying prone and helpless upon
it. Close beside him, in spite Of the Shrek
ing and bowling crowd outside the ropes,
he hears the words seven, eight, nine
out" aud then the loud twang of the gong
tells that
THE BATTLE IS OVER.
The battle is over, and as his dazed and
blinded eyes are gradually restored John
L. Sullivan tasted for The first time in his
long and brilliant career the wormwood
and coll IF 6afoot ha old do
feat brought DEATH and the nearest ap-
proach to their modern prototype
may have wished it had been
so with him. Who shall tell the
bitterness that came to Sullivan during
those few moments OF returning conscious
ness, when he awoke from that binding,
troubled dream, in which the smallest frac-
ton of seconds dragged themselves into
hours, to learn thai he had lost in these few
brie moments ali that he had priced in
lie? His unexamp!ed repute as boxer
had been ali the world to him. He was
vain Of it, nay, he gloried in it. This one
fight was to have been his last. He knew
we'll that he would not 60 on forever
knocking out the strongest and most skill
full boxers. His reputation after he had de-
feated kilrain was all that he had desired
to make, but the chance OF winning such
splendid purse had tempted him to enter
the ring once more, not for glory, Tor he
was
ACKNOWLEDGED CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
but his princely extravaganza in squander-
ing money upon his friends had let him in
such a condition financially that the
chance OF winning $685. 900 by one fight was
one which he could ill afford to dis
regard. 1t was only the torture
of training that had made him hesi-
tate. The thought of defeat had ~r
tor M moment entered his head. he naz
never recognized such possibility What
then, could have been the feeling 4 uyrer
desolation and hopeless ruin that csns TO
him when returning consciousness brought
to him realization of his position? The
long and to him the terrible martyrdom
he had suffered in training had all gone for
nothing and worse than nothing. The
princely sum he had wished to win was
now forever beyond his REACH and with it
had gone the name OF champion of cham
p;ons. Little boys as they played in the
street would no longer speak ct him as the
greatest OF men; all the thousand and one
little tributes that had been wont to tickle
his vanity were for Sullivan no more. There
would be
A NEW CHAMPION
for all this. Even those upon whom he
had squandered hundreds Of dollars when
in his glory would now forget him. This
was to be the end of career that John L.
Su. Iivan had ALWAYS looked upon as
the brightest OF the century. From being
the man whose name had been the chief
attraction for an audience which it had
cost more than quarter of a million to
assemble, he had evidently fallen to the
place OF de Gated pugilist. In the bright
days that were gone the newspapers had
exaspera,ed him by exaggerating his freaks
OF dissipation, now the newspaper would
pay no attention to his excuses; they would
leave him to the police and patrol wagon
should he drink too much. And yet, what
was Sullivan that he should not repeat
the tate that had overtaken nearly all
previous prize fighters? Scores who
had been famous in the ring had
died paupers. and few if any of the lucky
ones had ended their days far above the
reach of want. Sullivan, still strong and
in his prime as far as anything outside of
pugilism is concerned. will doubtless make
his way in the world. but if he would do so
he must devote his undivided attention to
business and let intoxicents alone. Other
wise he can hardly hope to escape the mel
ancholy fate that has overtaken other fight
ers who have fought once too often.
Many Deaths in Paris