The herald., 1893-01-22
PuCIL|sTs, PAST AND PRESENT,
The Story of the American Ring
Up to Marlborough in 1850.
From Tom Hyer Down to Heenan,
the " Benicia Boy" KS
Tohn Morrissey's Rise from Steam boat
Deckhand to Congressman -The
Checkered Career OF the First
OF the Figh In Sulllvans.

OF the Figh ing Sulllvans.
1t is 40 years ago since first heard
about prize-fght, although l never
saw one until some years after that; and
II | could have my own way perhaps l
might wish never to have seen one at
all. But the old Adam is very strong in
all of us, and the antipodean poet was
not far nut of the way when he wrote:
"For good undone and gifts misspent
And resolutions vain.
'Tis somewhat late to trouble
This know:
should live the same life over
II had to live again,
And the chances are go
Where most men CO."
xxx
There is nothing exhilarating in a
prize-fght, more especially when the
gladiators are of the higher order OF
boxers. The hilsrity that pervades
sparring exhibition, especially when
two awkward "coons" get the gloves on
and go at it with ewing ging blows and
entirely devoid of Science" is pain
fully absent from a prize-tight under
heavy pressure of betting You look
about you to find yourself in the midst
of motley array of pugilists, bunco
sharpers, watch-Atuffers, pickpockets,
faro dealers and dog fighters; aud if you
have one-half the self-respect that your
mother gave you when che brought you
into the world, you will wish yourself at
home. The death-like silence of the
place while the principals are in the
ring; the loud stamp of their feet as
they step forward TO land blow, and
the loud breathing that accompanies
each blow as the contestants grow tired,
must be indelibly fixed upon the specta-
tors mind, even if he never cav but one
fight in his life.
Then comes the sad and sickening
spectacle of two human beings beating
one another till their ewes are closed,
their lips swollen out OF all shape and
their noees flatteued like oysters. The
one who is finding his strength going
from him, beginssto step ur rsteadily and
strike wildly, while his better disciplined
antagonist plants blow alter blow into
his face and knocks him senseless. Then
the betters on the lucky man rise to
grasp the victor's hand, while the
seconds and bottle-holders eof the de.
feated mar are left to drag q
manned and bleeding mass of
humanity from the ring as best
they may. There is, after all, sub
stratum of the higher humanity in the
colored pugilist, Peter Jackson, who
says, and sticks to it, that he never
knocked out" man If he could help
it.
x*x
But to 60 back to the argonautic era
The first fight l can recollect is that
which took place early in 1S49, just
about the time we began to hear about
the gold discoveries in California. be-
tween a New York butcher boy named
Tom liver. and an Irishman named
James Sullivan, whe 5ore the nickname
of "Yankee" Flyers father had fought
the first prize fight ever fought in Amer
lea, and had whipped man named Tom
Beasley. Naturally the son took to the
fathers lines OF life, and became bar
room fighter at 20. At % he whipped
big Irishman named John McCleester.
who was better known as "Country"
McCluskey, in battle that lasted over
120 rounds. Between that time and his
meeting with Sullivan (who was not an
actor, by the way) there was lapse OF
nearly four years. Hyer WAS at the very
least four inches taller than Sullivan,
and also had the advantage in reach.
These men f,ught on the - day of
February, at Harper's Ferry, Va, as
the laws OF New York made prizr fight
ing penitentiary offense. Hyer won
after severe battle which was fought
in snow nearly ankle deep.
x*x
/ shall never forget the excitement
that pervaded New York when the news
came that Tom Hyer had won. Notices
and transparsncies were to be eeen illu-
minating the fronts of all the grogshops
on Broadway, from the battery to Union
square. One OF these represented Hyer,
with Sulivan's head under his left arm,
punching him in the y es with his right.
and the inscription was: San Important
Verdict in Cbancery." Others resd:
"Young America Vindicates Her Right"
''The American Game Cock Vanquishes
the Sydney Duck;' "Tom Hyer, the
Defender of Our Flag" "Our Country'S
Flag Is Rising Hyer," and all such
things as that. There was great deal
that was, Tor all that, manly and COM
mendable in Tom Hyer. He opened a
gambling house. made some money and
tried to meet the appreciation and So
ciety of gentlemen. Reverses overlook
him along about 1860 and he got broke.
He was then too old to go into the ring
and as politician he never was sue
cess About this time John Morrssey
had come back from California. where
he had been numerically thrashed by
an Englishman named George Thomp
son. but got the money on foul. The
fight took place on Goat island, right
above the station where they paint the
buoys that mark out the channels about
the bay.
Morrissey was the blackest looking
white man you ever saw. His hair was
s as coarse and curly as il taken from the
back of Newfoundland dog, and you
could have made blacking brushes from
his beard This man had worked about
the stove foundries of Troy and Albany
since he was IL years old, and was
s'shoulder-b bowed in consequence OF
heavy lifting. For all that he was no
ordinary fighter. He was man on the
style of Joe Goddard, not much of a
boxer, but able to take punishmsnt like
q glutton. He was about 5 feet 10 inches
in height, with the chest of an OK and legs
like 7-octave piano. They tried hard
to get up fight between Tom Hyer and
him, but Tom knew the Irish elemen,
too well to go into it with an under
stand ing that there should be any steam
I~o& k;oLa+o o01I ~, coo <lx1 G II.