The morning times., 1896-03-11
FIGHTERS OF THE PAST
They We're Fully the Equals of
the Present GIadiatOrS.
SULLIVAN-KILRAIN BATTLE
John LIS Awful Rage-Hls Punish
ment of Kilraln in the Third Round.
His Mighty Right worked Like a.
Piston Rod Into Jake's Side-Mitch-
ell Fled the Ring.

The great amount of talk prevailing now
| as TO the prowcss OF the lighters OF the
present day naturally includes compari-
| sons Of the Corbetts and FitZsimmonSes
| with the Sullivans, Ryans. and Knrains.
The younger generation is inclined 10
think that the pugilists of the present are
vastly superior in science and strength 10
the old fellows whose suns have set.
The record does not warrant this opin-
| ion. There is no Dempsey now; sullivan has
| no successor per sc, and the present horde
of paper fighters and bum actors contains
not single Heenan.
Neither do latter day fights evidence the
strength, skill and endurance OF the great
battles Of the past. TwO-thirds of the con
tests Of the present result IN either fluEes,
lay-downs, chance blow knOCkouts or
draws. II WAS not so in the past The old
fellows were too scientific 10 get caught
by chance blows, too honest TO lay down
and too gritty to accept d draw.
The time La Blanche, tlIe=Aarinc, knocked
out Dempsey by a chance blow, which
really was am unfair lick, furnishes the only
insta nee IN this country where such blow
counted in a fight between lirSt-class men.
Yet poor thiTd-rate Peter MahCF, who
was whipped before he put UP his dukes
in front of Fitzsimmons in Mexico the
other day, now SAYS his defeat was Occa-
stoned by chance blow.
GREAT BATTLE AT RICHBURG
They may talk about Corbctt or Fitz-
simmons being able 10 beat Sullivan in his
best days, but no man who ever saw the
Boston Boy in action under London prize
ring rules viii say So" said local sport
ing man who has witnessed nearly all OF
the great battles in the squared circle. He
then gave a graphic picture OF the mill
between sullivan and Kilrain at Richburg,
Miss.
Though both principals TO the fight are
still living, they have closed their active
careers, and the particulars OF their meet
ing al Richburg have been almost, IL not
entirely, forgotten save by cOmpilcrs OF
sporting history.
The gentleman in telling the story said.
The first round was very brief. The
men had hardly gotten 10 the scratch
when they went down. Sullivan was un-
derneath. Mitchell and Nike Donovan,
Knrain's seconds, rushed in aud carried
their man 10 his corner. CleaTy and Null
doom, sullivan's seconds. rushed out TO
render similar service TO the champion. He
lay spTa wlcd out on the ground.
" Let ME alone, he beloved. striking
out with his fists, as he Law. He got up
and walked to his corner. The green
blades of grass were sticking TO his
shoulder, and he was like mad bull when
his seconds tried TO touch them. He re-
fused TO sit down, and, by the way, until
about the fOrtieth round, he continued
TO stand up in his corner, refusing a
seat.
He stood there, splitting in the palms
of his enormous hands. waiting for the call
of time. Almost at the word he rushed
forth like man befrenZied. with such a
look on his face as have never seen on
faI In d.
time with Sullivan on top.
He gave Kilrain the 'hip-that is he
fell so that his hip came across kilrain's
abdomen, knocking the wind out OF him
So enraged was he that he fought against
being pulled OFF,
SULLIVAN AND KILRAIN CLINCHED.
When time was called for the third
round he rushed again 10 kilrain's Cor
ner and grappled with him. / can see
Sullivan now, as the pair stood clinched
there together. KiIrain's left was under
Johns throat. The champion stood for
moment looking over his opponents
shoulder, as If looking for a hard place on
which to throw his man
"Kilrain apparently thought so, too Sud-
denly Sullivan drew back his right, and
the next minute there was crash as his
big fist was driven into kiirdin's left side
Immediately over the heart. 4 gain and
gain he drove il in rs ii with piston rod
Kilrain's left arm was as il paralyZed- He
made fearful efforts to draw the arm down
10 protect the vulnerable spot At each
effort his face was cOntorted by pain.
Inch by inch he got il down and finally
interpoSed the elbow. Sullivan won the
fight right there In the succeeding rounds
the effect of those body blows was per-
ceptible. The skin on the left side was a
iivid red and began to puff up When in
the ring. Kiirain would perCepIIbly vince
and favor that side whenever sullivan
would make move toward it,
AT last in the seventy fifth round, when
Sullivan knocked his man out, his appear
ance was so frightful that Charlie Mitchell
did not stay to take care of his man. No
sooner had the fatal ten been counted
than 1 could see Sullivan searching the
ring side with his eyes as il looking for
someone.
His fists were still clenched and he
looked desperate. Mitchell apparently saw
the attitude, for he fled precipitately. /
will always believe, that had he entered
the ring to aid Kilrain he would have been
attacked"