The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-24
JOHN LAND KING EDWARD
SULLIVAN TELLS OF HIS SOCIABLE
AFTERNOON WITH FORMER
PRINCE OF WALES
HE DID NOT BEND THE KNEE
Former Champion Acted as If He'd
Met New Friend, Who Felt
His Muscle and Saw
Him Box.

The time 1 met Edward was at prf-
vate boxing exhibition. He was Prince
of Wales then, says John L. Sullivan in
the New York World. 1 went over to
England in December, 1857, to fight Char
ley Mitchell You remember how the
people treated me-cheered me till they
were raw and pretty nearly mobbed me
in the street trying to shake hands as 1
got out of q COACH and blocking the
streets for hours waiting for me to come
out of the house 1 was in.
1 suppose the Prince of Wales must
have heard of all this, for one day the
princes private Secretary-Lord Clifford
L think, was his name-comes and calls
on me and asks if I'll go and box for the
prince in private, because it wouldn't
be quite the real thing for his nibs to go
to public boxing show.
1 was never too proud to do a good turn
for any good fellow, and I'd always
heard that the Prince of Wales was one
OF the albright kind; so I told him Yes,
III be pleased to favor the prince any
time he says, and now 1 want to ask him
a favor. There's a brilliant young Amer
lean journalist here in London, friend
of mine, want him to go with me-
Lord Clifford was the politest man you
ever saw, and he began to explain how
sorry he was that my friend couldn't 60
That's all right" 1 says You
needn't bother. Just tell the prince
that l won't spar. Where l go nv friend
goes. That's ALL
BOTHERED ABOUT HIS CLOTHES,
Being strange in that country, and not
knowing their ways, l asked nv friend
what l ought to wear He tells me: "a
long frockcoat and gray trousers and a
plug hat, because it's in the afternoon"
hot Il
be the right thing for ordinary people.
But this Prince of Wales is no ordinary
man. He is liable to be a king some
day. It's only right to show him re-
spect by wearing a full-dress evening
suit
And that's what did, and I made Jack
Ashton, my sparring partner. do the
same thing. poor Jack! he's dead now.)
And I've since been told by experts tina.
evening dress was the right thing.
When we got to st. James barracks
the Earl of Pembroke and another swell
guy meets US at the door. They were
on to me in minute but they put up
a kick about letting in my friend.
My name is John l.. Sullivan, and
the Prince of Wales is waiting to see
me-" 1 told them. This young gentle
understand me?"
Lord Clifford (f 1 have the name right
came over to meet me.
His highness," he says, sis waiting to
see you.' So 1 left my friend talking
with some of the lords and went with
the secretary. We found the prince at
a small table in a corner There was a
dozen of his friends around, most Of
them standing and a few sitting down.
1 understand they were all lords, and
dukes and so forth. You ought to see
them rubbering when we came I'D
Now, any one who says King Edward
is chesty has another guess coming. He's
as pleasant as the best American poll
tician you ever knew and you can't
go much further than that. AS soon as
we got near the table the prince looks
up and smiles. l smiled back at him.
There wasn't any real need of an intro
duction, for we knew each other by rep
utation all right. But Lord Clifford
takes me by the arm and says: Your
highness, allow me to resent Mr. John
L. Sullivan, of America"
Well, 1 was in a corner for a second
or two. I'd read about people kneeling
before kings and princes, but none of
that for mine. 1 never knelt to any
man living and never could king or no
king. But, say the Prince of Wales is
a man, all right. He never tried to put
on any dignity with me. He pushes over
chair and says:
Mr.. Sullivan, this is a pleasure"
PLEASED to meet you, says. How
is the health?"
From the minute we were old friends
We began to chin like long lost brothers
The prince was short man, with bright
eyes and good, fresh color. His hair
was a little shy on the top and he wore
full beard cut to point. He was
little bit too big for his height but he
looked to me as if hed be pretty good