The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-10
BARE KhUCKlE FIGHT
UNDER LONDON RULES
Presence Of Mitchell in This Coun-
try Recalls Battle with
Sullivan.
THIRTY NINE, ROUNDS
They Fought Until Both Were
Exhausted and Agreed to Call
It a Draw.
| THIRTY NINE ROUNDS

NEW YORK. April 9.-In these days OF
the boxing exhibition de luxe, when to the
music Of cheering thousands the gladiator
crawls through the patent-roped. canvas
padded, electric-fanned and lighted square,
clad in nice silk bath robe, 1t is some
times pleasant thing to bark back to the
days when men took TO the woods, ana,
stalking out a ring, beat each other with
their bare hands. The arrival of Charlie
Mitchell in this country and his proposed
trip to meet John L. Sullivan. now Ill at
his sisters home in Boston, naturally
brings UP one Of the greatest and last of
the old battles of the squared circle fought
on the turf.
Sullivan and Mitchell fought thirty-nine
fierce rounds, the greater part in driving
rain, at Chantilly. France. When the men
entered the ring. which had been pitched
in a hollow. the air was dry and cold. 1t
was March 9. 1889. Then men were dressed
in the costumes you see in old prints-long
tights to below the knee; socks and fight
ing shoes, armed with long spikes, such as
a runner wears to-day. They fought under
London prize ring rules, the round closing
with. but not until, knockdown. What
this means you may guess when ii is stated
twenty-five minutes.
When the men got to work the charac-
teristics Of each showed out. Sullivan,
grim, savage, towering, ready to give and
take tremendous blows. The big fellow
cared little for the defensive part of his
business. What he wanted was to hurt the
other fellow. Set his man before him and
he went to him Nike a fighting dog to his
neighbor in the pit. Never retreating, al
ways and forever swinging out those
mighty arms. Very likely 1t never occurred
to him that the other. by any chance might
hurt him. Fight That was what Sullivan
was there for. and fight he must. for there
was in him the fighting instinct which
would not be denied
Mitchell. trim. prettily curved a
statue; handsome in large-featured style;
full OF the thousand and tricks of the
English boxer; typical of the land where
boxing was born and fOurished hundreds
of years before. A quick, handy man. fast
on his feet, smiling, feinting and dancing
before the beetle-browed Yankee.
the soft turf. tearing it into strips with
their spiked feet, Sullivan rushing in with
those terrific smashes. Mitchell ducking,
sprinting, and now and then sneaking in a
snappy blow to the giants jaw or stomach
Naked-hsted. every blow bruised and cut
the flesh, and as they warmed to il Sui
livan's savage spirit awoke, and he made
tremendous efforts TO land a blow which
would end the business. Mitchell, cool and
wary, broke ground continually, the best he
could hope for. His plan of battle was 10
out. The cleverest big man of his day, he
began to grow careless and rather amused
at Sullivan's wild swings. He danced
about, smiling, drawing the big fellow on
and flashing him into rage. He spiked
| Sullivan in the leg.
BE gentleman. you blackguard!"
roared John l..
I'm too bloody clever replied Mitchell.
Charley came in again, smiling. Sullivan
swung a left, which went over the English
duel that right always the big mans best
| hand, swung about like the arm OF a
steam crane. 1t caught Mitchell fair be-
the English champion was picked from
the other side of the torn ring. 1t was a
great blow, too high, but with tremendous
| force behind IL. Under Queensbury rules the
man doesn't live who would have awakened
| this side of defeat. AS 1T was, they car
ried him to his corner and. game to the
| core, Mitchell was up, smiling crookedly
through his battered features, for the next
| round.
But he would have no more of Sullivan.
| Whenever the big fellow got him cornered
he dropped to his knee and so out of dan
| ger The rest Of the time he ran away.
It began to rain and biting wind
whipped it into the fighters faces especial
Il
and had the windy corner. The fighters
| shivered under this cold shower bath on
their perspiring bodies as If with an ague.
The ground, cut UP like battlefield, was
| growing quagrnire. The fighters In the
midst of round went to their corners to
scrape the clay from their shoes. Sullivan,
| the heavier of the two and the aggressor,
| suffered especially Every time he swung
| a blow and lunged forward his feet made
| long slides two feet more, in the slop.
| Still they went on, Sullivan sometimes COM
| plimenting Mitchell on well-directed
| punch.
THAT was a good one, Charlie" he
| would exclaim, angry, he would cry:
| Don't run, you coward, Stand up and
| fight mel!
So on, round after round. Sometimes
| Sullivan stood still in the center glowering
and desperate, while Mitchell walked about
the ropes. 1t began to grow dark. Both
men were becoming exhausted. Sullivan,
with a broken arm, shaking with the cold,
tired out with trying to reach his man,
| could do no more. Mitchell. glad to escape
| the knockout he nearly got. tickled. in
| deed, to get a draw, was done to turn
| also.
The referee consulted the seconds of both
men and the fight was called a draw.
4 II n - ~