The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-12

ring. Richburg is only a small town
and the ring had been pitched in a lit
tie piece of wood country, about quar-
ter of a mile out of town.
Il can remember that scene as if I
had fought the battle yesterday. AS
told you, this man Fisk owned a lum-
Der yard and he had built up great
rows of seats on all four sides of the
arena. These were damned with excl
ted men. yelling greetings and bets at
each other across the ring. There were
big trees all around behind the seats
and there were lot of men perched up
in these.
sides, like the bulls eye of. target on
the black background was the green
ring. It was pitched on the turf, Of
course. There was the inner ring, where
the timers and seconds and a favored
few were permitted to stand.
IT heard a great yell when we were
about a hundred yards from the arena
and I knew that Kilrain was entering
the ring We pushed through the crowd
at one of. the entrances and made our
way to my corner. l got as Dig a yen
as Kinrain when I took my seat.
''Then, Pony Moore, Charlie john
son. Jimmy Wakely, Al Smith, Harry
Hill, William Harding and Richard +.
Fox, Pat Sheedy, Matt Clune, Billy
Mullov, John Broderick, Major
Hughes, John Sullivan, Frank Hall and
half a dozen other well known sporting
men of that day came up to my corner
in twos and threes to ask me how felt
and what I thought my chances were.
told them 1 thought could win sure
THE betting was then even money,
and there was certainly money in bales
coming out on both sides. 1 walked
over to Kilrain'S corner and shook
hand with him. We made bet OF
$1,000 there in the ring
Both of us were stripped to the
with long tights our
legs and the heavy spiked boots that
were worn in fights on the turf faSten-
ed to our feet. I went back to my cor
ner and sat down. Then 1t was no.
ticed that John Fitzpatrick, who was
afterWard mayor of New orleans,
would be referee. Bat Nasterson held
the watch for KiIrain and Tom Costello
was my timekeeper. Charlie Mitchell
and Mike Donovan were in k1Iraln
corner. and Billy Muldoon and Mike
CIeary in mine.
a heavy silence fell over the big
crowd. Tt was a perfect summer noon
day when the seconds and timers
climbed out of the ring, the word was
given and the great fight was on.
KiIrain Was Game.
'eFIe was a game man, was Jake Kill
rain. He did not fight the stand up
battle that expected, but he gave me
a terrible fight. When we moved to
each other, he came at me with a
nuicIx left I knocked up his arm with
nv left and cOuntered lightly under his
heart with my right as he danced
back. I rushed in after him, hitting
with my left, and before knew how 1t
happened. he back heeled me cleanly.
The back heel is delivered by catching
a man as he comes in, putting your IeIt
arm around his body, your right lore
arm across his throat and your right
heel behind his left. Then with a sud
den heave you can throw him over on
his hack This was the trick that Kill
rain worked on me for the nrst fall OF
the battle and the crowd reared
"As I was going to my corner 1 salo
to him:
Well, III give you enough OF that
I'm the next round got to his body
with a couple of hard rights and took
a. nasty left under the eye as the round
opened. Then seeing a chance 1
ora bbed him around the body. 1t near
" shook the wind out of him and 1t
was me that got the cheers, as we went
Il nearly. ended the fight in the third
round and it would have been better
for him if I had. 1t happened this
xvav. We spared around for little
while. me anxious for another chance
to get my hands on him. He knew
mat he had no show when it came to
wrestling and was careful not to close
He was making pretty good play with
his left for my face. After he had
landed a few times I slipped one OF
hos leads and he drew back thinking
that I was going to close. Instead,
brought my right over his arm as hard
as I could and it landed full on his
law. He went down like ten pin and
rolled over. His seconds grabbed him
and carried him to his corner, while
the crowd was roaring for Sullivan,
Sullivan.
well. my memory is hardly good
enough to tell how the whole fight
went BY rounds and an old scrapbcok
!, which 7 had every account could
and of every battle ever had, was lost
in a fire some years ago, so will have
to go slow.
1T was a hard fight Sometimes ne
back-heeled me or cross-buttockeo me
FOR a fan. but round after round end