The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-23
PRODIGAL FIGHTERS
THEIR NAME Is LEGION, AND
THERE ARE A FEW
OTHERS
FORTUNES ARE SQUANDERED

John MOrrissey, Ned Price, Charley
Mitchell and Few Others
Thought of the PrOverbiaI Rainy
Day - Sullivan Leads as u De-
stroyer of the Earnings of the
RinE-Dempsey's Downfall.
Fighters are proverbiaIly prodigal.
There are exceptions to all rules and
a few to this. John L. Sullivan holds
the record as q spendthrift, having
separated himself from fully 5000, 900,
if rot more, during his meteoric career
in the squared circle. Sullivan did
much good with his money, for many
dollar of it found it's way into char
ity funds, and not few hundreds, not
to say thousands, went to keep the
wolf from the doors Of those who had
befriended the big fellow in the days
when he was struggling for recognition
and, with it. fame and fortune. Sui
Ivan wasted thousands in a most
prOdigal manner. 1t was a common
occurrence for him to take a handful
Of coins and throw them into the
streets in order that the gamins might
struggle for them. But, with all his
faults, the only John LIS heart was
IN the right place.
HE PITIED KILRAIN.
After the battle at Richburg, Miss
where Sullivan defeated Jake Kilrain,
the pride Of Boston expressed a desire
to do something for his vanquished
foe. He was sorry for the defeated
man. The principals were hurried to
New Orleans, after the fight, and be-
fore Sullivan again met Kilrain. some
Of the unfriendly remarks of Charley
Mitchell reached the ears Of John L.
Mitchell had been Kilrain's chief es-
quire in the Rich6urg fight, as Kill
rain had been Mitchells at Chantilly,
Sullivan was angry. He was walking
S~eEn Canal street, in company with
g couple Of friends, when, suddenly,
and without a word of comment, the
BOstOnian gladiator ran across the
street and placed something in the
hands of two Little Sisters Of the
Poor, who were passing that way.
The good women were greatly surpris-
ed to find that the big stranger had
left with each a crisp new $500 bill.
{ Sullivan had intended that money for
Kilrain. After disposing Of it he said:
We'll, l feel easier now, and they Will
do better with it than Jake would
have, anyway"
MORRISSEY MADE MONEY.
1nGIe - d lSSCIlO " TIE eject CudI
John Morrissey wandered into New
York when a youth Of about nineteen
and drifted up to what is now famous
. or notorious, as 1.-The Tenderloin,"
= where he found the sort of people he
was looking for-fghters-and an
9 nCunCad that he had come to the big
city looking for trouble" and did not
care just how quickly it was inaugu-
rated. Morrissey had no sooner made
the announcement than he was &C
commOdated by half a dozen of the
bad men" who were in the place Nor
rissey had entered. The countryman
was bested, but he put up such a great
battle against what seemed hopeless
odds that he was taken in hand by
Harry Hill and was soon at the top
of the heap as bare knuckle fighter
MOrriSSey'S career was most remark
able. He was sent to congress, and
grew and remained rich. He was al
ways a sport, but was a man of rare
magnetism and respected for his pro-
blty. He went to New York to make
his fortune. That he never forgot. He
made it and he kept it,
LAWYER NED PRICE.
Handsome Ned Price is another ex-
ceptiOn to the rule that to be fighter
means to become a prodigaL Price was
one Of the best at the game of f1sticuffs
back in the days when the gloves were
little used. He made money in a quic t.
way, studied law, became thoroughly
cCnVersant with criminal practice, re-
tired from the ring to plead at the
bar, and grew rich ar respected. Price
could not resist an occasional ego"
with the stars of the ring, and a char
ity affair Of that sort invariably found
Handsome Ned Price one of the vol
p unteers. Price has boxed in recent
years with Jem Mace, Bill Clark (''The
Belfast Chicken'O and few other old
Stlmers-always, however, for Sweet
q charity'S sake" He amassed q consid-
cradle fortune-and kept it.
MITCHELL IS RICH.
Charley Mitchell once said to the
writer: 81 am in this business for
money. I am getting and keeping it..
When [ can make more money in some
otter business L shall quit this 1 do
rot like fighting. The man who does
isn't much. No man can be a gentle
man and a fighter for money. So soon
as [ begin to lose I shall go back to
England with what 1 have saved. I
can use it there in my business" And
he did. Mitchell is reputed to be
worth in the neighborhood of 500, 900.
He is the only one of the English
fighters who can show any money for
what they have done in the ring. A
few Of the others may have a few
thousand pounds, but a very few.
Mitchell has a beautiful wife and sew
eral bright daughters, of whom he is
decidedly proud.
DHMPSEY'S DOWNFALL
Jack Dempsey lost the first really big
purse for which he contended in all
the more than half a hundred battles in
s which he was a principal. That was
$4,000, and it was carried off by Bob
Fitzsimmons, and with It came the
downfall Of the famous ttNonIna rel