The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-04
ONE OF SULLlYAN's YARNS.
John L. Gave Decision to the First
Fighter That Recovered.


New York. Jan. 4-.Ever hear of a |
fight I once refereed at Harry Hills |
years ago?" queried John L. Sullivan
to a frew friends who were talking
over old-tirne fistic encounters. We'll, |
it's peach continued the former
heavyweight champion. you know in
those days the game was all to the
good There We're plenty of corners, all
anxious to get crack at me.
Il don't exactly remember who the
fellow was, but / think he was an |
Englishman, who had come from over
the pond expressly to put the gloves on
with me- He was a husky-looking guy, |
with big muscles, and had the reputa- |
ton of being a killer in his own coun- |
try. That is. he had beaut of a right
hand that could cure all kinds of in
somnia with one dig if it landed on
the right spot.
well, everything was arranged for
us to meet. I was feeling fine that
night, and l was ready to give the
duck all the fighting he wanted. Some
how the English pug got cold feet and
wouldn't go on. All the persuasion in
the world had no effect, and he funk
ed. I was so sore that I made up my
mind to knock his block off, even If l
did not do it in the regular old-fash-
Toned way.
1.-THE guy showed I'D all right He
came to the place and made a grand
stand play that he was in no shape to
meet me. he SdlQ ne WANTED t1iIle 10
train. but was ready to show what he
could do if substitute could be had.
Well. thought it over and said to
Harry Hill to let him have chance.
So another big man, fellow about the
Englishman's own weight, was paired
against the mug from over the sea-
They were to have it out for four
rounds. I promised to meet the Eng
hshman if he showed any Fdnd or
form. The crowd was a bit sore be-
cause the Briton refused to meet me,
but I squared matters by consenting to
act as referee
I'm the first round the Englishman
started rOugh-houSe tactics and had his
man on the go. In the second it was
the other way, but the foreigners was
gritty and stood the walloping fine. The
third was a hummer. They punched
each other all over the ring. The Eng
lishman was Aoored twice, but got up
gamely and hung on till the end of
the round. 1 took q kind of liking to
him for his courage, but in my heart
/ wished his opponent would eat him
10.
THE fourth started off with a jump.
with the foreigner having all the better
of it. He nailed his opponent with both
hands and it was cinch that I would
be forced to give him the decision.
While the scrap was at its height 1
wished something would happen SO that
I could give the local man the fight.
And something did happen Quicker
from right hand counters. I started to
count 'em out, hoping that the local guy
would get up in time He didn't move
muscle; neither did the Britisher. The
ten seconds were up and both were still
dead to the world.
"I was in a fix, and in my mind I
was figuring what to do. Fifteen min
utes passed and neither fighter showed
any signs of coming to. Well, was
puzzled and
What did YOU do? What did you
do?"
What did I do?" returned the big
fellow with a grin. why I gave the
decision to the fellow who got up first.
1t wasn't the English mug, either"
Jimmy Carroll, who was in the party,
said that two battles with similar end
ings occurred which are now fifistic his
tory. One was between Frank Bos-
worth and Denny Killen at Philadel-
phia, and the other between Jack Files
and Tommy Chanler at Chicago.
And how did the referees decide in
those scraps?" Carroll was asked.
"Just as John L. did. The first man
who scrambled to his feet prepared to
continue was the winner"