, 1900-06-29
CHAMPION PUGILISTS.
NEARLY ALL HAVE DIED IN
POVERTY.
John Morrisssy Loft His Widow In
Want, Although Worth ~, OOO 900
Once-Hssnsn and Yankee Sullivan
Also Poor. .

49, aihb NhdlIplonS ldltlI AMOUNT
to much in the pugilistic business
after they once suffer defeat. Like
John l.. Sullivan, who has been on the
retired list ever since Corbett defeated
him In Il rounds at New Orleans in
1892. they are thenceforward consid-
cred old men, though still so young
that in most callings they would be
spoken Of as in the prime Of life. OF
late years nearly every pugilist too
old to tight" n more has retired"
TO some sort of a retail drinking shop.
This has become so common that the
from any ex-champion. though it was
by no means the in%variable rule in
the earlier, more brutal, days Of bare
knuckle fighting. John Jackson, who
was the British champion 100 years
and more ago, taught boxing after he
had retired from the ring, numbering
among his pupils nearly all Of the
young sprigs Of fashion and scions of
aristocracy in England. He was II
al his death. in 1s45, and an expensive
monument surmounted by a lion
%couchant. and guarded by a s%culptured
gladiator holding a wreath, was put
up over his remains at Brompton
cemetery. Few or no other British
pugilists have died rich, though the
last resting place Of three Others are
marked by impressive monuments.
They were Tom Crib, Tom Spring and
Tom saysrs.
Two exprize ring champions have
gone into politics. and amassed wealth
after leaving the fistic arena, though
neither had much money when death
called. One of these was John Gully.
the Englishman, and the other was
John Morrissey, the American. Gully
got into parliament, and for a while
enjoyed the respect and friendship Of
many Of England's most exalted per-
sonages." He made a part of his
wealth out of racing, and the remain
der In various speculative enterprises
some Of which turned out disastrously.
In his later years he was in constant
tear Of the workhouse. but he didn't
fall 30 low as that.
John Morrissey's post prize-ring
days were far more spectacular than
Gully's. Morrissey retired a cham
pion. having defeated Heenan, and
having sensibly refused to fight again.
Morrisssy numbered old Commodore
Vanderbilt among his closest friends,
and by following the commodore's ad-
vice was able to- win heavily in Wall
street. Morrissey also made money
in wads and rolls In the two gambling
houses which he established-one in
New York, In Broadway, and one In
Saratoga. Morrissey's political rise
began early in the sos. For years he
was so strong that he had a virtual
monopoly vs. to gambling there, which
he took advantage of by levying trib-
ute on all the establishments Of his
fellow boss gamblers in town. He was
sent to the house Of representatives In
1886 by the Democrats. and in the fight
between Tweed, the Tammany boss,
and Tilden. sided with the latter. At
one time Morrisssy's fortune was g.
OOO, 900, and ha is said to have made
$500, 900 In one deal In Harlem" en-
tered into on account Of a tip from
Commodore Vanderbilt. The death of
the commodore was the beginning Of
bad luck for Morrissey. He tried spec
ulation on his WI hook, but without
Vanderbilt to tip him on found it i'm
possible to buck up against Jay Gould
and the other expert Wall street op-
orators Of that day. Still Morrissey
kept up a brave front as long As he
lived, for till death he was supposed
generally to have much wealth left,
The late william R. Travers and 3D.
ward Murphy were. his executors. On