The evening times., 1900-01-02
WHY SULLIVAN Is POOR
The Man Who Won Million With
His Fists spent Half of It on His
Friends - Paid for the PurNis
Court House The Fighter often
Robbed-Made Money on the stage.

Robbed-Made Money on the stage.
Because a man knocks a million dollars
out OF the world with his fists IN a tribe
less than twenty years il does not neces-
sarily follow that he can afford TO build
court houses for impoverished counties,
particularly if his conyivial friends lave
the wine habit firmly fastened upon them.
John L. Sullivan. sitting in the office of
The Inferno" his new place in Broadway.
reviewed with me yesterday his career
since he took his first shy into the ring.
Running through his personal papers to
make an estimate OF his expenses, The
big fellow" paused for a moment over an
entry made a little more than ten years
ago, just after he had won his memorable
battle with Kilrain. Then, with a sad
shake Of his grizzled head, and apparently
apropos of nothing. he said:
That's my court house ! paid for II,
and if Justice were done / would be able 10
go down there and cart it of. 1t cost too
much. anyway
Pressed for an explanation Of his inco-
herent remarks, the once champion Of
champions clnched his teeth tighter into
for a moment. and then proceeded.
Well you have asked how / succeeded
in spending a million dollars in a few
years and / suppose that this story will
serve to give you an insight into the bus
mess. Here, throwing a time-y -yellowed
paper across the table, you see this entry
where have charged myself with SlS,ooO.
That represents the big end OF the money
/ received for beating Jake Kilrain. /
aaA.a G.ar1r II
mine down in Mississippi
You will remember that / was arrested
after the Richburg fight which took place
July s. 1889. l was taken at Nashville and
lugged back into Mississippi Well they
needed court house al Purvis They new
er had been able TO put one up. and know
ing that / had plenty Of cash they pro
ceeded TO put on the screws. / gave up
$4,000 in one lump. Puryis got lis court
house all right.
still what was $4,000 in those days?
If that was all that ] have ever been rob-
bed Of would be a wealthy man now l
have literally given away more than $780,
O0O. l never took a mans note in my life.
have lent sums of s.. goo and SIC. coo more
than once. and always held that if man
was not honest enough to pay his note
would have no effect upon him. II they
thought they were beating me they were
mistaken. The money was a gift I don't
now consider that ] am any mans creditor.
My first earnings in the ring was OF
little consequence. Il was just nineteen
years ago this coming New Year that /
defeated John Donaldson in Cincinnati I
liked to fight in those DAYS and IN order
that ] should not toe disappointed ! con
tributed so toward the purse. which only
amounted TO SIS making my net gain iuT
whipping Donaldson just SIS
Money Came Easy.
Il fought and whipped Paddy Ryan. at
Mississippi city. February = 1882. and re-
ceived for doing il $500 which was about
half my due I was robbed of the balance
on my way home ] gave exhibitions al
Chicago Detroit Cleveland. Cincinnati.
Buffalo PittshurE and New York and Te-
ceiyed $-s.sCe as my share OF the receipts.
For whipping Elliott l received $500.
and when Tug Wilson stayed four rounds
with me al Madison square Garden J was
paid $1,000 A ieW weeks i'm the show
business brought me Slo.Gt". and when
Williams in May 1888 stopped me from
giving charley Mitchell The final blow ]
was stilI able 10 add $4,000 to my bank
account Beating Slade the Maori was
worth another Sl2 Gee to me. I put So coo
into saloon in Boston and took Out twice
that amount.
Then the former champion sbc,ahel
more OF his winnings and said.
They were coming my way I0 great
shape about 1888. Two exhibitions in
which I beat hig John Latin and All
Greenfield. in Madison square Garden
brought me So Gee and for thirty seconds
the time il required for me fo pgt Paddy
Ryan out. I received s. COO Z would like
10 work few hours a. that rate now.
In iHS5-'SG ] Was with minstrel show.
doing the statues. and received So 900 for
my work. J whipped Frank Herald In Al
legheny City and earned $1,000. A saloon
in New York brought me in S15 000 An
other exhibition with Paddy Ryan. this
time in San Francisco. was worth S15009
to me ] toured with PAT Sheedy and We
had $S0G0G To divide. When ] broke my
arm on Patsy Cardiff [ was given $4,000
as a balm Then / went TO England and
brought SIS e00 home with me. a benefit
al Boston added 5000 10 my total. and
that brought NE up to the fight with Kill
rain AT Richburg Miss. July s, 1889 I re-
tanned the championship and received S26,-
coo for doing the trick Then / bought my
court house.
4 Fortune From tbc Stage.
Playing with Duncan Harrison in
Honest Hearts and Willing Hands,, | drew
500 600. which We divided. Corbett and I
lOOSUt IN NtN OIlPdDN september 4. 49,,
for S45 0o0, winner take all He got il.
However, my benefit in Madison Square
Garden started me off with $4,000 again.
Two seasons in The Man From Boston
were worth Sl20, GOO. and 7 took $50 coo
more out Of the play The True American
Now. ii you viii make total OF those
amounts you viii have something like a
million dollars. How did spend il? Well
put down SlS.000 for that court house.
$500 Geo more given away; then add an
other 5000 600 for entertainments of a Ii
ouid nature. and finally about $50. 600 losses
in gambling and speculations That dis
poses Of half Of il, and that half | should
have saved.
Il suppose my legitimate living expenses
have been about S2O0 GOO. and nv fights
perhaps cost me $l000 900 in training and
kindred expenses. | have sunk about
s200 coo in unfortunate business ventures
with q fighter money comes easy. and
it goes the same way. ! spent $1,000 train
ing for my battle with Corbett. and lost
S20, o00 betting on myself I always kept
a stable OF trainers following me- and they
were heavy expense.
But it was being q good fellow that
broke me I was the great and only John
L. say my boy. that title cost me enough
money to last an ordinary man lifetime
j was too easy. When some one would
say thst ] MAS The only one, IL meant an
other basket OF wine. When another would
say that ] never refused friend a dollor,