The Globe-republican., 1895-07-12
JOE COBURN'S LAST PUNCH.
Tho Noted pugiiist's Life Fast Ebbinl
Away with Consumption.

Away with Consumption.
Joe Coburn, the once famous cham.
pion pugilist, is dying of consumption,
few days to live.
Coburn was Americas leading pugil-
list twenty-five years ago, and his career
from boyhood was Que of many excit-
ing incidents. He was born on July 4,
1884, in the County Armagh, Ireland,
and came to this country when s years
of age. He grew up in the Sixteenth
Ward, this city, and at the age of Is
years he became prominent as fighter
by whipping all the boys of k,e ward.
He joined the Volunteer Fire GHepart-
ment four years later, after learning the
trade of bricklayer. He was q mem
Der of Croton Engine Company, No 16,
at that time located in West Twentieth
street. While in the Fire Department
the fremen matched him against q
Brooklyn boy, whom he bested, easily
in four rounds.
Coburn first became notorious as q
fighter by defeating Awful" Gardner.
one of the cleverest men of his day, in
SIX rounds, with gloves, in Hibernia
Hall, on Prince street. He was then
looked upon as a coming champion.
About this time Ned Price. a noted
English boxer, but now a well-known
criminal lawyer, challenged any man in
the world to fight him. Coburn went
to Boston and arranged a match. They
fought at Still Pond, Mass, and after
three hours and twenty-five minutes OF
desperate fighting, the referee de-.
clared the battle draw on account Of
darkness. Both men were confined to
their rooms for two weeks from the ter
rible punishment they received. Co
burn issued challenge to fight Price
again, but the latter refused. This
was Coburn's first London rule contest,
and the battle was one of the greatest
ever witnessed in America up to that
period.
In the latter part of 1858 Coburn
whipped Harry Gribbin in half hour
ut Harper's Ferry, Va The bat
tie was for 81, 900 side. Hen Wrinkles,
the Western crack, was next beaten by
Joe in eighteen minutes, under London
rules, for 81 ZOO stake. Coburn was
then matched to fight Mike McCool, the
Terror of the Mississippi" for 50, 500 a
side and the championship of America.
He defeated McCool in one hour
and ten minutes. Coburn escaped with
out scratch. The battle took place
in the summer of 1863. He was
matched to fight McCool again a year
later. The battle was to have taken
place on the outskirts of Indianapolis,
but a sheriff appeared upon the scene
and arrested both principals. They
were sentenced to forty days imprison-
ment. After their release the match
fell through.
Patsy Flynn came over from En-
gland in 1867 and issued a challenge.
Coburn accepted. and they fought IN a
room for $1,000 side. Flynn lasted
two minutes and thirty seconds. A short
time after Coburn whipped Con Fitz-
gerald, a New Yorker, with two
punches, one in the stomach and the
other III the neck. His next important
match was in England, with Jem Mace,
for $1,000 side and the championship
of the world. Before making the
match, however, the Mace party pitted
Joe Goss, Tom Allen and Bill Rayei
against Joe to see what he could do. He
bested them all. Coburn tossed for
choice of battle ground with Mace,
which was to be within 500 miles of
London. Coburn won the toss, and he
selected the county in which he was
born. Mace finally forfeited the .e2OO.
Coburn returned to America and chal-
lenged Mace, but the latter wouldn't ac-
cept. Finally. Mace came to America
and opened saloon on Twenty-third
street, near Sixth avenue This was in
the spring of 1870. Mace, upon being
challenged continually by Coburn, re-
piled that he didn't comeehere to fight,
but to live in peace. Dan Noble, a
prominent sporting man, who subse-
quently died in prison in London, was
warm friend of Coburn's. He bet Joe
$50 that he was afraid to go over to
Mace's saloon and punch him in the
face. Coburn accepted the wager in an
instant. Coburn met Mace and tried to
draw him on to a fight. but Mace de-
clined. Coburn finally called him cur,
and then blackened his eye by a blow
of his fist. Mace could do nothing af-
ter this but challenge Coburn. Joe
was only too glad to meet his old rival,
and match was speedily arranged.
They met at Port Dover, Canada. AT
ter fighting one hour and fifteen min
utes, and neither having struck blow,
the Sheriff and posse of deputies ap-
peared and ordered them of Canadian
soil. Dick Hollywood, the referee,
commanded the men to meet at the
Reade House, Erie, Pa, at o'clock
the following morning. Coburn, on
arriving at the Hotel, went to Mace's
room and offered to fight him then and
there. Mace refused to do anything
but what the referee ordered. Holly
wood then named Kansas City as the
place of fighting. Coburn declined,
as it was violation of the rules, which
called for the battle ground to be
within 500 miles of New York. The
men were matched again for $1,000 q
side and the championship. The bat
tie took place at Bay City, Miss, in the
latter part or 1872, and during a terri