The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-04
SULLIVAN AND CORBbIT,
BY THE MEN THEMSELVES.


|KsYY PARENTS CAME FROM THU
lAM county,of Kerry, Ireland, and set.
Akx tied at the Highlands, near Bos
ton. where, ON OCT Ii, 1858, I Va,
born. Ny school days are still worry frest
n my mind. and 10 are the boys with
whom ! fought many N interesting s'mill''
n those carly trough and tumble days."
Tho first school ! went to was or Concord
|trset, and from that I graduated to ths
Dwight grammar school. OF which l have
many happy recolleetions. In fact thu
principal, James Page, Ia still as familiar t.
|hy mind as in tho oldsn days whom HI
Rould rsprimand ~ boys for aoms slight
nfraotion Of the school rules. Then fol.
owed a course at ComsA's business college
Ind . brief stay Al the Boston college, an
institute connected with the Church Of thu
immaculate Conception.
In those days did a great deal of boxing
- amateur club tournaments, bus nevsl
brstentiously until I was 90. In fact, ]
lave never kept track of the glove fights Of
hat period, bat they were suffioient to keeE
ne In splendid condition and to develop
II the st enRth my system was capable of,
Tom Farley was among the carly friends
Who believed that / would obtain champion
hip honors in the tistio arena. and it wal
With him I made my first memorable trip
was about the time of the proposed fight
between Joe Goss and Paddy Ryan fol
$1,000 and the championship Of America.
went to Erie to see that, and met Prof.
ohm Donaldson, Of Cleveland, at Buffalo.
Later my first challenge to fight any mau
b America with gloves was 40.
|spted by him. In December, 1880,
no met and fought with gloves. HI
Later another fight was arranged, and tool
place Dec. 20, 1881. III a room in Cincinnati.
As my friends know, Donaldson kept out Of
each most of the time. but no~twithstAnd-
|ug his xunning powers ! finished him IN
en- rounds. This victory brought mo into
RATIONAL and intei national fame, for Don
lldson la been regarded ~ n OF the best
boxers living.
Il was shortly after this thai l came to
my pugilist in four rounds. Marquis OF
bueensbsrry rules. Steve Taylor was one
81 my first victims and two rounds were
nouah for him. l was then matched ia
light John Flood, a New York heavy weight.
Ind that battle, a. all the world knows, was
ought ON May 16. 1881. On a barge which
lad been towed ny the Hudson river. nearly
|ppozite Yonksrs. In eight rounds. which
listed sixteen minutes, ! finished Flood.
Among tho witnesses Of my fight with
Flood was Paddy Ryan and his friends.
khortly after they began making desperate
forts to get on 4 contest with me. In the
Meantime l visited Philadelphia and Chi
ago and added another group of victories
10 my list. So up to this time l had
Knocked out or bested GOss, Rookie. Don
lldson, Taylor, Flood, Crossley, MCCARTHY
|eal skill in the heavyweight class. Ryan
Il this tims claimed the championship, and
lfter long dickering between hackers the
Ryan fight was finally arranged. the arti-
lies having been signed Oct. 5. 1881.
That fight occurred at Mississippi City
Feb. Z, 1882, on the lawn of the Barnes ho-
|el, situated on tho Mississippi sound. and
Fas Witnessed by an immense crowd, which
lad come from all parts Of this country,
canada and even England, I believe there
we're $4,000 people there. Well. nine rounds.
bought in eleven minutes. ended one of the
fights my friends say they ever wit
leased, really had Ryan whipped with
Inc knock-down blow in the htst round
Ind for the rest of the fight no was Rroggy.
\ telling blow in the third round sent Elm
10 grass again. but he showed wonderful
lluok, and in the ninth round his friends
1hrew up the sponge and Paddy Ryan's star
lad sat.
Then a lot Of alleged prize fighters en-
leavored to bank on the reputation / had
kained and made all kinds of absurd offers.
Early in May, 1882. l arranged for my great
bicnic, which occurred at Washington park.
New York. July 4 Of thatyear. 1t was there
repeated my -four round" offer, and
amos Elliott, q fighter of some note. came
Into the ring and tried conclusions. He
Vas finished in three rounds. lasting some
hing like seven minutes. On July II.
1882, Jim Collins. better known as Tug
Wilson, managed by lint of dropping and
lvoidinR punishment to last Though the
Our three-minuts rounds.
After my very successful tour through
|he country l returned to New York and
he fight with Charley. Mitchell was ar
anged. II took place in Madison Square
harden. May 4, 1888. and was to be a foul
ound affair. For two rounds and a hall
Mitchell took a good deal of punishment
Nd when I had him grogay before the third
|ound was half over, the police intsrfered
he house was ono Of the largest l ever
pared before.
l next bested Slade. and in September,
1889, went on a nine months sparring tour.
puIluR tulb tANiO ! CH0IOu V1,UOO ~ 0uy
han who would stand up anu face me fol-
our three-minute rounds. l must have
net over fifty pugulists, but the money waa
lever Won.
The sparring contest with Latin, AL
Greenfield and Jack Burke were of minor
n tefest. Then came the six-round boxing
pntoh with Dominic MoCaffrey at Chester
bark. in Cincinnati, August 90. 1885, OF
which l was declared the winner.
I mot Erank Harul1 in DiNtSburr Saok>n,
Der 20, and after two rounds had used up
by opponent SO that the officials interfsred
nd saved him from q conlplets knockout.
The match with Patsy Cardiff occurred
January IL. 1886. in Minneapolis. and wau a
hight for points. or this / was also de.
(lared tho winner. In November. 1856, ]
shocked out Paddy Ryan for the third time,
his time in three rounds.
Shortly after this l Left for Europe.
khere I was introduced to the prince of
Wales and other English notabilitiss inter
listed In 1stiana. On March 10, 1883, oe-
buried the fight with Charley Mitchell-ii
light II can be called. 1t came of on Baron
kothschild's training ground near Chan.
lilly, and wal fought for $500. under Lon
Ion prize ring rules. These enabled
Mitchell to run around the ring during the
rounds which we're fought, and
ht the end, when the affair was declared a
Rraw. he had very little wind left in him.
II WAS not q fght, fos Mitchell never faced
|ne nor dared TO meet my blows. More
pver. it was fought during a dsizzling rain.
In July, 1881. at Richburg, Miss, l me,
lake KilrAin and knocked him in out in
rounds. l had really beaten
bim in tho sixth round, and after that SIM
ply demonstrated TO my friends that l had
iii The power Of endurance necessary for q
|efy long fight.
CATER this fight I began a theatrical en-
kaRsment, appearing Nil over this country
Ind Australia in the play Honest Hearts