The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-25
SPORTING NEWS.
John L. Sullivan In a Reminis-
cent Mood.
Tells How He Spent Over a
Million Dollars.
GIVEN AWAY 100000.
Paid $4,000 to Get Out of
One Fight Arrest.
Claims He Was Often Robbed of
Gate Receipts.
GIVEN AWAY 100000.

took his first shy at the ring. Running
through his personal papers to make an
estimate of his expenses, the big fellow
paused for moment over an entry
made a little over ten years ago Ihen,
with a sad shake of his grizzled heSlH
and apparently apropos OF nothlng' ne
said:
That's my court house. paid for it,
and if justice were done Would Dc
able to go down there and cart 1t OH. II
cost too much, anyway"
Pressed for an explanation of his in
coherent remarks, the once champion
of champions clinched his teeth tighter
into the butt of his cigar, paused refnln-
iscently for q moment and then pro-
ceeded:
well, you have asked how succeed
ed in spending a million dollars IN a
few years, and L suppose this story
viii serve to give you an insight mo
the business Here''-thrOwing a time
yellOwed paper across the table-yoG
see this entry where nave cilsISeu
myself with $4,000? That represents
the big end of the money received 1Or
beating Jake kilrain.
You will remember that I was ar
rested after the Richburg fight, which
took place July s. 1889. 1 was taken at
Nashville and logged back into Mis-
sfssfppi Well they needed court
house at Purvis. They had never been
able to put up one, and, knowing thaI
I had plenty of cash, they proceeded
to put on the screws. 1 gave up SlSoOO
in one jump. Purvis got its court
house all right.
Il have literally given away more
than $500. 600. I never took man IS
note in my life. I have lent sums Of
$1,000 and $4,000 more than once, ana
always held that if a man was not non
est enough to pay his note would have
no effect upon him. If they thought
they were beating me they We're mis-
taken. The money was a gift. dOn.t
consider that 1 am any man creul-
tor.
My first earnings in the ring was of
little consequence. 1t was Just ~ years
ago this coming New Years that de
feated John Donaldson. in Cincinnati
i liked to fight in those days, and in
order that 1 should not be disappo1nt-
ed I contributed $50 toward the purse.
which only amounted to SIS, making
my net gain for whipping Donaldson
just S26.
7 fought and whipped Paddy Ryan
at Mississippi City, February Z, lSS2,
and received for doing it 81, 500, which
was about half my due was robbed
of the balance. a
ION my way home I gave exhibitions
natl, Buffalo. Pittsburg and New York
and received $4,000 as my share of
these receipts.
For whipping Elliott I received 81
600, and when Tug Wilson stayed four
rounds with me al Madison Square
Garden was paid $4,000. A few weeks
in the show business brought me $l6,OuO
and when CAPTAIN Williams, in May,
1888, stopped me from giving Charley
Mitchell the final blow, was still able
TO add $4,000 to my bank account
Beating Slade, the Maori. was worth
another So, 900 to me. I put $4,000 into
a saloon in Boston and took out twice
that amount.
They were coming my way in great
shape about 1888. Two exhibitions in
which I beat big John Latin and All
Greenfield in Madison Square Garden
brought me $50, 00O and for 80 seconds,
the time it required for me to put Pad
q o Ill Il
like to work a few hours at that price
now. In 1856 I was with a minstrel
show doing the statues and received
5000 for my work. I whipped Frank
Herald in Allegheny City and earned
IS 600. A saloon in New York brought
me in $4,000. Another exhibition with
Paddy Ryan, this time in San Fran
cisco. was worth $500 to me I toured
with Pat Sheedy, and we had $4,000 to
divide. When 1 broke my arm on Patsy
Cardiff I was given $40. 900 as a balm.
Then I went to England and brought
S2S. 900 home with me. A benefit in
that brought me up to the fight with
Kilrain at Richburg, Miss, July 8, 1889.
I retained the championship and re-
ceived see, 600 for doing the trick. Then
I bought my court house.
Playing with Duncan Harrison in
Honest Hearts and Winning Hands [
drew 100000 which we divided COrbett
1903 for S45 o66 winner take all He got
SQUARE Garden started me off with $1,000
Boston we're worth S12. 600 and I took
$4,000 more out of the play The True
Nov, if you will make total of those
amounts YOU will have something like
down $4,000 for that courthouse. 100000
0j6 for Observation-Disclosures of LIQUID nature
and finally about $50 900 losses in gamb-
ling and speculatfOus. That dispOses of
half of it. and that half 1 should have
saved.
I suppose my legitimate living. ex-
penses have cost me about 500 600 and my
fights perhaps cost me 500, 900 in training
500 600 in unfortunate business ventures.
with fighter money comes easy and
ing for my battle with Corbett and lost
a stable of trainers following me and they
But it was being a good fellow that
broke me. I was the great and only John
enough money to last an ordinary man a
lifetime. was too easy. When some one
meant another basket of wine. When an
other would say that I never refused a
to lend him fifty. he got a, hundred.
Then, too, 1 was slow. I was slow in
getting to the box office The others got
there first and the first count Of RECEIPTS
was the largest Was 1 robbed2 Yes
me would be satisfied
However, I do not regret it. I had my
fling. and I paid for it. 1 haven't touched
a drop OF liquor for six months and am
not going to drink again. / feel as We'll
as ever and if I could lose a bit Of fat
I would have another try in the ring But
that is out of the question / am going
to try to make my business q success,
aud if I ever get another fortune, they
will have to break the United States to
break me My money will go into bonds.
Jim Corbett who wrested the champion
ship from Sullivan, has also known the
ups and downs of life. He spent $500
getting himself into shape to be ted
by Fitzsimmons, and lost $4,000 which he
bet on himself in that fight. He received
| $4,000 rom the purse and $4,000 as his
| share of the picture money. He said to-
/ day that his money. like SulliVan's had
/ gone in riotous living and in stalking his
! friends Unlike John L. however he has