The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-25
FlRLYDAY SLUGGERS
Yankee Sullivan's Reputation
Like That Of John L.
:, D VANDERBILT WHIPPED HIM.
v.aitieal Parties Used to Hire Pueilists
= srssk Up Parades and Meetings
me Manly Art on Shipboard.

4be absorbing interest manifested by
] - public in the late fstic encounters at
- Orleans, which far exceeds any in
! t.ves. ever before betrayed in such exhibit
aans In this country. leads me to recall the
,eriod in which Yankee Sullivan figured
= champion. For some ten years he bore
~ reputation Of being the ablest boxer in
America, whittier he emigrated after van
euishing the best fighters in England and
ir.sad. saw him often on the streets of
New York between 1s4o and 1850, and in
1 1kss when arrived in San Francisco, one
] 4 the FIRST saloon signs that attracted my
! attention was that of Sullivan Il Multi
IN, on Merchant street, near Kearney.
6ulfiyan's height was about five feet nine
hches, and his weight 160 pounds. Few
men possessed eountenances as UMPIRE
assessing as that of Yankee Sullivan.
whose natural responsiveness was enhanced
~ broken nose, the bridge of which had
Isen demolished before he crossed the
Atlantic for America.
Yankee Sullivan's style of fighting diff
fred materially from that of pugilists OF
the present day. His point Of attack was
The eyes alone, very rarely giving body
blow. Instantly upon striking his antag-
onist in the eyes he would drop to the
round. thus avoiding a return blow.
there was no knocking out in his fights:
Il was simply hitting in the eyes until the
other fellow could no longer see, when he
vas forced to cry Hold enoughW The
sponge was then thrown up and the fight
mded.
6pry as cat and equally quick, Yankee
Sullivan received few blows but gave
many. The largest and strongest men
we're pitted against him and all met the
same fate until he encountered Tom Hyer.
One of his most notable fights was with q
drayman named Secor, who possessed q
herculean frame and was nearly twice the
Gse of Sullivan. Though Secor had been
shooled by the best boxers of his time in
New York, and was thought q match for
Sullivan. he did not succeed in striking the
latter single blow until his sight was so
nearly gone that he could only perceive
feeble rays of light through the nearly
closed lids. This enraged Secor while it
made Sullivan incautious. Bounding
toward his diminutive antagonist, Secor
dealt him q blow on the breast that sent
him whirling over the rope among the
spectators. The next moment Secor' eyes
were completely closed and Sullivan was
soon back in the ring receiving the con-
gratulations of his friends.
While Yankee Sullivan was thus whip
ping every man who dared meet him in the
ring, Tom Hyer was acquiring some ce-
lebrity as an amateur boxer. He had al
ready met and beaten several noted
bruisers, among them Bill Harrington,
who. though not professional pugiiist
the and Hyer were butchers), was con-
sidered match for Sullivan or any of his
friends. Spelling for fight with Tom
Hyer, opportunities were sought by
Yankee Sullivan to insult and thus force
him into the ring. One night Sullivan
followed Hyer into an oyster saloon and
provoked aquarrel, when Hyer gave him
, humping such as he never be.
fore received: in fact, it kept him
IN bed for some days. This encounter
created quite sensation. III the press and
elsewhere People were surprised and
pleased to learn that . young and un-
trained fellow The was little more than
hoy) like Tom Hyer had whipped q
veteran bruiser whom everybody thought
invincible, and VINO had made himself OBJ
noxious by his bullying propensities. As
soon as Yankee Sullivan recovered from
his wounds he sent formal challenge to
Hyer, hattering himself with the belief
that. under the rules which then gov
erned prizefghts, his youthful antagonist
would prove an easy victim. The challenge
was promptly accepted, TO the surprise
and fear of many Of Hyer's friends. At
the appointed time and place they met.
each accompanied by his friends.
Three or four rounds II cannot now re-
call the exact number) sufficed to satisfy
Yankee Sullivan. After showing that he
was as skilled in the ''maniy art of self
defense" as his antagonist, Hyer got Suli-
livan's head in chancery and pummeied
him until he was glad to yell "enough."
He acknowledged himself fairly whipped
by Hyer and never after sought to
interview him in the ring or out of it.
There are points of resemblance in the
lives and experience of Yankee Sullivan
and Hyer and John l.. and Corbett which
will not fail to arrest the attention of the
reader. Pugilistic history repeated itself
IN the late encounter at New Orleans.
Tom Hyer was regarded rs . handsome
man In face and form, measured just six
feet, and, when he fought Yankee Sulli-
van, was only q years old. The man he
defeated was about 81, and in his prime.
Soon after this fight Hyer started .
saloon in the Bowery and gradually
dropped out of sight. Sullivan kept q
saloon III Chatham street until 1872, when
ne went to California and formed a part
nership with Billy MuIiigan, Mexican
war volunteer. in a saloon and gambling
house. He died in the quarters of the
vigilance committee in San Francisco In
iso5, and ii was said that he committed
suicide through groundless fear OF being
hanged. Musligan. his partner, two years
.a'er became raying maniac, terroriZed
the city for day or two, then blew his
brains out with revolver.
Inc principal occupation Of the pugilists
2 N New York city, in the time of Yankee
sullivan, was fighting for the two political
parties. Like the free lances of the Mid
ee Ages, they sold their services to the
highest bidder. regardless of principles or
party affiliations Thus Sullivan and his
associates would be found fighting for the
loco loco Focos in one campaign and tor the
"higs IN the next. Under the orders OF
saeir employers they would repair 10 and
mesk up the meetings of the opposition,
sssssat and dispsrse professions, intimi-
gate voters NJ the polls. etc. Each of the
we parties finally and permanently Sc
.ssea large body of bruisers. who were
mays prepared for assault or defense.
anu this ultimately led to doing away
ssn The services OF the hired bands OF
ruifans