The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-14
CONNOLLY THE ONE-EYED
DEAD-BEAT WHO NEVER PAID
TO WITNESS PRIZE FIGHTS

Stories of the Man Who, Though Pen
niless, Was Known to All Ring Fol-
Iowers-Barreds OFT Time After
Time, but Always inside When the
Trouble Started.
While Ryan and Carter were battling
I'D at Fort Erie last Monday night one
of the most celebrated ring followers
in the world was missing. In a little
undertaker'S room out in Chicago lay
the dead body of "One-Eyed' Connol-
ly. who in his time saw every fight Of
importance and never paid penny to
get within the gates. No sporting man
who has patronized glove contests will
ever forget this odd character, who,
with his ready wit and unlimited gall,
made himself known from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, says the New York Sun.
Connolly was an Englishman, whose
rich cockney accent never left him. He
was a fighter himself once. though not
always in the squared circle, his left
optic having been clawed out in one or
those rough and tumble baTroom at
fairs which Connolly reveled in when
ever he got a chance. But that was
when he was young and of daring
disposition, for in later years he was
in constant dread of trouble and was
! actually a peacenlaker on several oc-
casions It was on the way to Carson
City to see the Corbett-FitZsinl1non
fight that "One-Eyed was in the DOLL
ing pot all the time. By some inys-
FERROUS means he had secured rail-
road ticket through to Carson, and was
so proud Of it that he showed 1t to
everybody on the train. Among the
passengers was a well known fighter,
and his pupil, coloTed pugllist. The
crack fighter had a ticket for himself,
but his pupil was without one. They
boarded the cars at Virginia City, NeY.'
and soon Connolly came into their
coach with the remark:
q say, me boy, I've got ticket al
the way to Carson, We know!
Let's see It'll" demanded the fighter,
with a growl. Connolly handed the
ticket over, and the pugilist, after IN
specting it carefully gut it in his pock-
ct. One Eyed asked for it forthwith,
but the fighter told him to git. one
Eyed then begged, -inplored, threat
ened. cried, jollied and, in Tact, resort
ed to every known method OF persu3-
sion without avail. The puglllst simply
said:
"Cit. nowI Git quick. You amt got
no ticket! You never had one, seeE
The conductor came along and ask
ed for the tickets. The fighting man
handed over twoj one for hlmselI anu
one for his pupil
where's your ticlSet?" asked the
conductor, pointing his finger at Con-
molly. 5 -
was no use. He had no money, and no
bodv would come to his assistance. 50
the conductor stopped the train ana
Connolly was thrown off into snow
bank. But he got upon car truck
and when the train pulled into carson
One Eyed" arrived with the Dig oele-
cation of sporting men as PROUD as
peacock. 1t was the toughest KIM ol
2 nTopeSition to beat the big Hgnt, fof
nan Stuart. the promoter, was so close
that even the sheriff had to pay for ms
friends. But Connolly was not at all
discouraged. He went to Stuart ana
said:
know the man that is goln' ter sen
1000 counterfeit tickets OUTSIDE the
IN give $780," replied the promoter
Of the big mill.
well" said Connolly drawing closer,
Il don't know his name, but he's got
agents ter work for him and he SEE
that he's dead safe. IF you will let me
stand Just inside the gate I'll spot him
when he comes through and you can
do the rest
All right" exclaimed Stuart, who
was clutching at the air with the idea
of capturing the men who would thus
cut into his business. You stand
here"
So "one-Eyed'' was stationed next to
the main gate watching like wen
drilled sentinel. But he didn't watch
long, for he saw the crowd gathering
81 wiz, do
the best seats would be taken. he hur-
ried up to the ropes with the other
people and sat down in a place where
men who had paid 800 each for the
same privilege logged elbows with him.
When the fight was over "One-Eyed"
told Stuart that the man, evidently
frightened off, had not put in an ap-
pearance and that no counterfeitS were
sold after all. He got enough money
from Stuart to get back to Frisco and
had a jolly time on the way. One
Eyed" always pointed to this as the
greatest achievement of his career and
whenever referring to it he never fall
ed to say:
For I'm the man that beat our
friend Dan Stuart"
It was at the LenoX A. G., this city,
the night of the Corbett-S harkey fight,
that "One-Eyed" ran up against some
merciless doorkeepers. No matter what
excuses he offered they would not list
en- to him and ordered the police to
throw Mr.. Connolly out into the street.
The order was obeyed to the letter
upon several occasions, but each time
like the cat, "One-Eyed'' came back.
With an eye like that of a hawk Mr..
Connolly soon caught a glimpse Of Tom
O'Rourke, the clubs manager.
'I say, Thomasi I say, you knoWi"
yelled Mr.. Connolly. Are yer goin ter
leave yer old pal out in the cold world
like this? Eh?'
O'Rourke was moved to tears, so the
bystanders said, and, with wave of
the arm, said:
Let him enter, but if he makes any
noise out he goes"
Il thank e. Thomas!" was all One
Eyed could say, as he went into the
big arena and was assigned to what he
termed "a cheap seat, among the cheap
people"
Z say, Thomas!" said Mr. Connolly
later, as the house began to fill up,
isn't this beast of a place for me to
sit, yer know, all the evening? can't
see, yer know!''
stay there, or get outl" O'Rourke
rejoined warmly. But Mr.. Connolly, as
soon as O'Rourke's back was turned,
got UP and deliberately walked down
into the box seats where men were
paying $s5, $50 and $50 each to be near
the ring. O'Rourke found him there q
moment before Corbett and Sharkey
shook hands, but the manager was so
completely unnerYed by the exhibition