The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
SUlLIVAN'S RING FOE
is DEAD IN NEW YORK
John Flood Once Had Aspirations
to Become Champion of the
World.
FOUGHT ON A BARGE
In the Eighth Round Sullivan
Knocked Flood Out with
Terrific Swing.
FOUGHT ON A BARGE

NEW YORK, March 19.-John Flood. who
fought John l.. Sullivan twenty-five fears
ago and gave the man who was then cham
pion of the world one of the hardest con-
tests of his career. is dead. Flood and
Sullivan fought eight vicious rounds with
bare knuckles on May Is, 1881. before a
large crowd of sports. a barge which
had been towed up the Hudson river OPP
posite Yonkers.
In the eighth round Sullivan gave Flood
one Of his terrible right-hand swings, for
which he afterward became famous. and
the latter was carried unconscious from
the ring. 1t was thought then that Flood
would die, so terrible were his injuries. and
after he recovered he declared he would
never fight again. He kept his word.
At the time of his death he was captain of
the Twenty-frst election district OF the
Twentieth Assembly district, and had many
friends among Tammany politicians.
The fight with Flood was the first one of
Importance that John l.. sullivan engaged
in at the beginning of his career. Flood
was twenty-six years old at the time, and
had been defeating all the local heavy
weight boxers in New York city. He was a
very powerful man, and was considered a
good match for Sullivan, who was then be-
ginning to show championship form.
Bob Smith was Floods manager then
and BILLY Madden was training Sullivan.
The two managers met in April, 1881, and
arranged the fight to be pulled off on the
barge. which was procured by William II.
Borst, who offered purse of $1,000. =
Both men were in prime condition when
they boarded the barge at New York and
We're pulled up the. river. A crowd of SOC
men were on the barge, but the whole
thing was conducted so quietly that the
police did not get wind of the affair until
1t was over.
Flood and Sullivan each weighed in the
neighbOrhoOd OF $50 pounds when they en-
tered the ring. Flood was seconded by
Barney Aaron and Dooney Harris, and
Sullivan by joe Goss and Billy Mad
den.
As soon as the first round had begun il
that the fight was to be a fierce
one. In the third round Flood was sent
down for six seconds by the champion and
his quick defeat was predicted by the spec
tators. He surprised them, however, by
making grand rally in the fourth round
and driving Sullivan around the ring by
very fast lighting. Sullivan showed some
distress at the end of the round and Floods
stock doomed considerably.
In the sixth round. however. Flood was
foored again and he was very weak in the
seventh The eighth and last round was
the fiercest of them all. The men swayed
back and forth while exchanging swings
that would almost have felled an OK, and
finally Flood fell on his face unconscious
from one of SullivanS swings on the jaw
Flood was knocked out for more thar
five minutes. When he regained his senses
he attributed his defeat to having eaten toe
hearty a supper. He was in pitiable con.
dtion and had put up such a game fight
that the spectators contributed a purse oil
SOS TO him. Sullivan giving So OF the 81 0T
purse Flood also received $3.50
Flood left the ring forever. His ambition
had been to be champion of the world, but
after his fight with Sullivan he realized
he could never attain that prominence
while the latter was in the ring. With tn,
money he obtained. from the fight he opened
small hotel in East Twenty-third street
and kept it for five years. Then he wen1
into politics and was put on the genera
committee of Tammany Hall.
At the time of his death he was employed
by Fiss, Dorr & Carroll, horse dealers, in
East Twenty fourth street, as a private de-
tective. He had many friends among tn,
old-tine pugilsts, and was also FRIEND
of Charles f. Murphy, Tammany leader
Mrs. Margaret Flood, his widow, and hi:
children, John, aged sixteen; Mary. four
teen; Margaret, eight, and William, one
year old, survive.