Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-10-11
this section OF tho county very much.
stock suuerirg for water.
REACHED FOR THEIR GUNS.
Muidoon Tells of His Experiences
with John L.. sullivan.

10 talk OF the manu- ne hhu IN nAlls SUI
Ivan up for his final victory. l know
Muldoon pretty Intimately. ard believe
he has talked as freely with ME on the
subject has with any one; yet fnd
he does not caro- to talk r!ngsidc affalrn
very much now. He has retired from
the professional arena. ToloFably wen
fixed I'm this worlds goods is Mu.doon.
lie lives like a sensible prince, with his
mansion. his horses. his dogs. his books
and friends.
couldn't help thinking OF this the
other evening as we were sitting together
OH "Bnly's' porch. talking OF the forth
corning fight between Corbctt aud Fitz-
simmons. In that connection he gave me
some OF the vital facts OF the Sullivan
Kilrain fight at Riehheld, Miss. He told
know he took sullivan when he was in n
most unpromislng condition and took bin
against the advice OF professional physl
clans and leading athletes and removed
him from Boston to his farm mp IN Bel
fast, Genesee county, n. Y, Sullivan
proved gurly, hard to manage. unnpprc-
lciRtvc and hullhended. II was q perllous
Job TO get the "hig fellow" n condition
for the Kilrain battle. but Muldoon did
II successfully and sullivan whipped the
last man he was ever destined 10 whip
as champion pugllist Of the world. That
vans last tight, as Muldoon knew 1t
would bo and as he told Sullivan It was,
Auuldoon was right. You can't pull Il
man UP from sheer Illness, aud then on
top OF that patch him up for such fight
ns Sullivan gave Ktlraln, and not know
that man pretty we'll. And II you know
Nluldoon, he IL most thorough ~ every
thing He intimated to Sullivan IN n
kindly, friendly sort OF way that he had
better not again strive to defond the
championship; but twas no use talking.
sullivan did Just as he pleased. You re-
member the tramp Denman Thompson
wrote into THE Old Homestead" The
tramp told Josh Whitcumb he had arrived
at his present condition through trying
TO have his own way" Honest old Josh
remarked:
"wel YOU look as II you'd had it,
So rs with sullivan. lie looks as u
he'd had his own way, and feels 40. too,
i've no doubt. But no nominations. They
= do no good. I've story to narratc.
= There were some incidents about the
famous battle between Sullivan and XII
rain that have never born printed. This
Z ls because no ono but Mulloon could tell
, them and he wouldn't. He isn't telling
J them now am.
There was mcmcnt of fearful intcn-
slty the night before tho fight, when sui
livnn came very near cucouutcrlng a man
who, like one Of those old Roman war
riors. had his, honor AT stake, and was
1 ready to defend 1t with his life.
That Roman was Muldoon, and this IS
o the way he defended his honor
1--WE had gotten down there" said Mul-
doom. sullivan, Mike Clenry and myself.
the night before the fight and had gone
TO bed. There were two beds In my room.
sullivan occupying one, tho other.
. Claary had an adjoining room. In the
4 middle OF the night ! 0awoke. | glanced
= over TO Sul!lvan's bed. II was empty.
. l jumped up and as dil 80 l saw Cleary
, lying under my window,
u what are You doing thorc?' asked.
I, lie replied II was too warm to sleep in
:. bed. so lie had lain on the door.
a "'Whrre Is sullivan ] asked.
- "T don't know ho replied. sleeplly.
Then ! went into the other room and saw
:. sullivan sitting on tho side OF Cleary'F
y bod. lilo was dressed only In his under
. shirt
t. What are you doing hcro?" asked
a He made no reply at hrst, then lie said
II was too hot for lin to sleep ard he
K, was walking around I told him TO go
y back TO bed, lie nrcta primblne mud
= started into our room. Suddenly / OIL
I served the edge OF the mattress on
I, Clc1ry'a bed was raised. / went over and
a pushed my hand between the mattresses
= felt bottle. I pulled It OCT ard put II
to my nose. It was liquor. ! never lost
!, ny temper quicker In my life. HAD SUI.
a Ivan begun drinking this last night AT
this critical monCnt wns he going TO do,
10 bauch the whole work ] had expended
IN upon him? I hurried into the other room
ID sullivan was sitting ON the edge Of his
10 own bed. demanded TINT he let me smol
A his breath. 1t was without talnt. lie had
N gotten none OF the liquor. SIN I felt un
. safe and was very much wrought ZIP by
m the discovery. I felt the time had CONF
"a when ! must take heroic measures VIII
re this fighter I took a chnir In front o
"A him md told him In language "a plGlr
If as he ever listened to In his life just wha
n, I thought of him. | recalled to his mlnt
a tho way he had done in the past and VIVA
nj u fool he had made of others who hat
No handled him. | hate to lose my tempCl
a, AMI l guess I ain pretty nasty talkol
IA when | do. This night was mad to my
IA morrow. Sullivan sat down with n dul
al grin on his face, looking at mo in a sleep,
a. sort of way and at last ho said
TX "'You've thought this all out, amt yer ?
NJ l told him had thought enough TO rtrnn
IA gle him before / would allow him to u
al into that ring next lay and lose the fight
an At this he sneered, and of course tina
IA made me madden than ever. | dln'
is strike him, as he reported at tho time"
J.. "Would you have done so2" | asked.
-, Nfuldoon looked far away ncross tn
No. lawn to where the street lamps wer
60 blinking, ard l saw his mouth set a bi
or ss he replied;
a. 81 don't know what might have done
Al ] was very mad and my honor as
~ | trainer was at STAKE ana l tn'hk n Ncfl
q. groat deal of my honor"
a ~ don't suppose you were afraid o
q, hlm?"
II, Aluldoon shifted In his chair little AM
said very quietly as he says everything:
II mo. I'm not afraid Of anybody"
~. believe that's right too.
H. Muldoon continued:
ns II knew Sullivan was in condition Il
Ia whip Kirain / had gotten him Their
az when every one said I couldn't / hai
le backed this with my knowledge OF XII
In rains ring tactics, with which am per
Az peotly familiar, and Kilraln is one OF tn
fairest and gamest men who ever stoo
M up In ring; and hnd also backed
i'd with my money. Every drop Of my Iris
az BIZ cd was upl ia made Sullivan for
rn winner. and he had to. He wanted {
10 dash in and whip Kilrain in ten rounds
no l told him before lie went into the rim
nd that he couldn't do that He demurred
He didn't want long fight In such no
ON sun. I told him he was trained TO Ugh
M three hours, and fight thnt time he must
IN And fight thnt time he did And he won
r. And he couldn't have won soonerl
At ''Covld Sullivan have whipped Corbct