The times., 1901-04-07
PUGlLISTS OF FORMER DAYS.
Gindiators Whose Names VIII Live
In PrIzeGghfing History.

| an amusement for refined people. and the
manly art" as exemplifed In the prize
| ring has always been looked upon as a
| dehasing spectacle. But despite their bru-
| tai characteristics prizefiShts have been
| patronized to some extent by men who
were neither rufIians nor fighters. who
! excused themselves for cOuntenaucing 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 G. Heenan. Barney Aaron. John
MorrisSey, and Il host of other fighters
appeared in the prize ring.
They became popular heroes with a
part of the community, and in the far
West particularly California, they were
| iOnizcd. Hats. collars. and other artt-
cies of mems wearing apparel were
named for them. Heeusn hats and
Sayers collars were popular at the
aspirants for the championship. and u
cane made to initiate irish blackthOru
was known as McCool shiiieIah
The fights in those days took place for
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, ''out there was more fun
for those who looked on-not quite so
much, though, for the fighters
In the early days OF the prize ring the
fighters ambition was to win prizes and
then become proprietor Of public house.
John Morrissey's baTroom in Troy was the
congregating place for long time Of the
fighting element of the country and ia
vOrfte resort for gamblers and disTeputa-
BILE people of all kinds. The place was
small and unattractive, but it was the
ambition Of other fighters 10 have just
such a place Men who were lower down
in the profession and could not aspire to
public houses became trainers, teachers
of boxing and wrestling, and many mem
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 iaurels. he married an
actress who had gained notoriety by ap-
pearing In spectacular plays. He was in
duced by his wife and her friends To ap-
pear on the stage in a part written for
him, but he WAS melancholy failure
as an actor and retired from the calling
after brief and thankless career Ills
old adversary, John MOrTissey, developed
ambition in the direction OF politics.
His associates in Troy and I.ansingburg
belonged to the class which in later years
made Ed Murphy the boss Of Troy and
the condition which they brought about
made Pat" Shea possible.
MOrrisSey came to New York and was
elected a representative of the FOTteth
and FOrty-firSt Congresses, where ne was
pointed out as the prizeighting 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
prizefighter has become prominent in
politics John l. Sullivan wanted TO go
to Congress and had hopes in the diTec-
tion of the chief magistracy of Boston,
but his political ambitions came TO grief
For several years prizefightinS was un-
popular and pugilists were not IN great
demand, but a revival came when indoor
fights took the place of the open air con-
tests. THE stage prizehght, said fol-
lower of the sport, gave the big fellows
an idea that they were actors. standing
up in ring in a cellar, in barn, or on
the green WAS more busineSSlike than
doing the tricks on stage flooded with
lime light The fights in the big halls
and athletic clubs also gave rise to speCu-
lation on the part of managers. Who
ever heard of priZefighter having
manager or press agent in the old days?
Nowadays they require those staff officers
nearly as much as they do a knowledge
of the art.
John L. Sullivan was the first promi-
nent fighter to make his appearance on
the theatrical stage after prizetightiGg
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 a play bill soon af-
ter he has won a 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 ZefighterS handsome salaries Tor
the privilege of using their names in con-
nectien with rum shops of the gaUdily
bedecked kind
The recent exposure of the bold and
systematic frauds which have been pTac-
ticed on the sporting" public by the men
who arrange prizefights has done much
to bring the profession into i'll repute,
even with the men who were its enthu--
SiaStic patrons Men who were looked
upon as champions were naturally
drawing cards at theatres where they ap-
pCared. but the fact that they simply
played part in gigantic scheme to roo
the people who paid TO see square
fights, and that victories and defeats were
arranged beforehand. have q tendency to
diminish the priZetghter in the gTos shop /
business where he floUrished in the days
of old.
Billy Edwards, who in his day gained
ring fame, was for years the
''bouncer" in New York hotel. Barney
Aaron follows the races regularly. Mike
Donovan, who is known in New OrI as
a square sport is now an instructor in
boxing. The priZeiightinS community
points with pride to the fact that Richard
Croker and Tim Sullivan. who have al
ways been patrons of the sport for pleas |
ure and for profit, were themselves once
fighters of no mean order.-New York |
Tribune.