The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-07
PUGlLISTS OF FORMER DAYS.
Giadintors Whose Names VIII Live
In PrixcGghting History.

Prizehghting never took high rank a.
an amusement for refined people. and tn,
manly art as exemplified In the prize
ring has always been looked upon as
debasing spectacle. But despite their bru
tai characteristics prizehghts have beer
patronized to some extent by men who
were neither ruffians nor fighters. who
excused themselves for countenancing the
contests by saying that the sport was
scientific. Ring contests with bare
knuckles became popular in England
more than two centuries ago. and men
| with ambition to excel in the roped ring
gave exhibitions OF their knowledge OF
the art of self-defence in the early days
of the Republic, but it was not until
early in the SOS that the sporting element
OF the country became deeply interested
| IN ring fights. Tom Hyer, Tom Sayers
John c. Heenan. Barney Aaron. John
| morrissey. and a host of other fighters
| appeared in the prize ring.
| They became popular heroes with a
| part of the community, and in the fer
| West. particularly California, they were
| Honized. Hats. collars. and other arti-
| Giles of mems wearing apparel were
named for them. Heenan hats and
| Sayers collars were popular at the
| time when these two pugilists were
| cane made to initiate irish blackthorn
was known as McCool shilelah.
| The fights in those days took place for
\ the most part In the open air. The ring
side was the turf. and at large fights
rude benches were put up to accommo-
date the people who came from near and
far to witness the contests.
There was less scientific fighting in
those days said an old man who had
been a fighter himself and who is still
an enthusiast, but there was more fun
for those who looked on-not quite so
much. though, for the fighters
In the early DAYS of the DriZp ring the
lighters ambition was TO win prizes and
then become proprietor of public house.
John Morrisseys barroom in Trey was the
consregating place for a long time of the
lighting element of the country and 8 IA
v0rite resort for gamblers and disTeputa-
bic people of all kinds. The place was
small and unattractive, but 1t was the
ambition of other fighters to have just
such a place. Men who were lower down
II: the profession and could not aspire to
public houses became trainers teachers
bers of the fraternity who were unable
to attract sufficient attention were COM
PEELED to work like ordinary mortals in
shops and factories. The stage had no at
traction for the prizefighters in the early
days of the sport in the United States.
When John G. Heenan was at the height
of his glory. young. handsome. and crown
ed with prize ring laurels, he married an
actress who had gained notoriety by ap-
pearing in spectacular plays He WIS iu-
duced by his wife and her friends to APP
him, but he WAS a melancholy failure
as an actor and retired from the calling
after a brief and thankless career. His
old adversary, John Morrissey, developed
His associates in Troy and Lansingburg
belonged to the class which in later years
made Ed Murphy the boss of Troy and
the condition which they brought about
made a Bat Shea possible.
MOrrissey came to New York and was
elected q representative of the FoItieth
pointed out as the prizefighting member.
He became the owner and manager of
several political gambling houses, and in
1871 took his seat in the New York State
Senate. representing the Fourth district
His immediate predecessor was John Fox.
who succeeded William NJ. Tweed. Nor
rissey died in 1873, and since then no
prizefghter has become prominent in
politics. John L. Sullivan wanted to go
tn Congress and had hopes in the direC-
ton of the chief magistraey of Boston.
but his political ambitions came to grief.
For several years prizefghting was I'M
popular and pugilsts were not in great
demand but a revival came when indoor
fights took the place of the open air con-
lower of the sport gave the big fellows
an idea that they Were actors. Standing
up in ring in cellar, in a barn. or on
the green was more businesslike than
doing the tricks on a stage flooded with
lime light The fights in the big halls
and athletic clubs also gave rise to specu-
idtIDn on tAe part OF managers w no
ever heard CT prizefighter having q
manager or press agent in the old days?
Nowadays they require those staff officers
nearly as much as they do knowledge
of the art.
John L. Sullivan was the first promi-
nent fighter to make his appearance on
the theatrical stage after prizetighting
became popular, and since that time the |
prize ring has been looked upon as a step
ping stone to the stage. and it seems to
be in the regular order of things to see |
a pugilist's name on play bill soon af- |
ter he has won victory. The public |
house is still his ambition, and, mindful |
of the drawing qualities of a well-known |
fighter, rum sellers and brewers have |
given priZetghters handsome salaries for |
the privilege of using their names in con- |
nection with rum shops of the gaudily !
bedecked kind.
The recent exposure of the bold and |
systematic frauds which have been prac- |
ticed on the sporting" public by the men
who arrange prizefghts has done much |
10 bring the profession into Ill repute, |
aven with the men who were its enthu- |
'iastic patrons Men who were looked
upon as champions were naturally !
lrawing cards at theatres where they ap-
lcared. but the fact that they simply
,layed part in gigantic scheme to roo
he people who paid to see square
ights, and that victories and defeats were
rranged beforehand. have tendency to !
finnish the prizefighter in the grog shop
BUSINESS where he ilourished in the days
# old
Billy Edwards, who in his day gained
considerable ring fame. was for years the
'bouncer' in a New York hotel. Barney
aaron follows the races regularly. Mike
who is known in New York as
square sport" Is now an instructor in
oxihg. The prizeiightins community
oints with pride to the fact that Richard
'roker and Tim Sullivan. who have all
says been patrons of the sport for pleas
re and for profit, were themselves once
ghters Of no mean order.-New York
'ribune.