The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-01-10
JOLTS FROM "JOHN L."
His Greatest Fight the One with Kilrain- Seventy
Five Rounds of Terrible Work Described
By the Victor.
BY I.
BY John L. Sullivan.


In my last letter I promised 20 tell
Of the fight with Jake Kilrainaat Rich
burg, Miss, in July 1889, which was my
longest and greatest battle. Jake de-
serves all the bouquets that came to
him for his grit in that smash swap,
for although he did not fight the stand
up battle I expected, he showed that
he was game from his heels to his
head. He gave me terrible fight, all
right.
When we got the word to open up,
we swung together like a couple OF
healthy bulls. He landed quick left
toward me, but knocked up his arm
with my left and countered lightly un-
der Jake's heart with my right as he
danced away. rushed him, hitting
with my left and before knew how it
happened, Jake back-heeled me clever
ly.
The back-heel is something you don't
see in the ring today. 1t is delivered
by catching a man as he comes in,
putting your left arm around his body,
your right forearm across his throat
and your right heel behind his left
foot. Then, with a quick heaVe you
can throw him over and down on his
back. I went down for the first fall
of the fight and the crowd roared for
Jake. AS I jumped up and went to
my corner, I said to Kilrain:
$50 you want to wrestle, do you!
Well, I will give you enough Of that. "
I got to his body in the next round
with a couple Of rights, while he pasted
me with a nasty left under the eye
| nnanpH
Seeing my chance I grabbed him
around the body and put him down
on the turf with a thud that nearly
shook the wind out Of him. AS we
went to our corners the cheers were
all for me.
In the third round nearly ended the
fight, but If had 1t would have saved
Jake a lot Of time and trouble, but
his gameness pushed him along for all
that was coming to him.
Forty Rounds of Awful Punishment.
It happened this way In the third:
We spared around for awhile, me anx-
ious to get my paws on him, ne trying
to keep me off, for by this time he knew
I had him when it came to a wrestle.
He made several correct plays for my
face, landing a few times, when I slip
ped out lead. Jake drew back, think
ing 1 was going to grapple him. In
stead, T brought my right over his
guard and landed full on his jaw.
Jake went down like clothes pole
and rolled over, kicking. His seconds
grabbed him and lugged him to his cor
ner and began to get him in shape for
the next quadrille, while the crowd
yelled "Sullivan! Sullivan!' loud
enough to tip off the militia as to
where we were.
My memory is not good enough to tell
how the whole fight went by rounds,
and scrap book which had Which
contained an account Of all my fights
was lost in a fire some years ago, SO
T will have to skip some Of it and touch
only the main points. 1t was hard,
wearing fight. Sometimes Kilrain
back-heeled or ross-buttocked me for
a fall, but round after round closed
with Jack going down from blow
or a throw. His face was badly cut
and his body welted and bruised from
my blows, while my nose and left eye
were swollen by the time the twenty
fifth round was reached. :.
I had been playing for Kilrain's
heart and every time he led with his
left 1 tried my hardest to land on
that same spot again, under the heart
Constant pounding on any one spot
Is the most wearing form Of attack, and
Jake's flesh around the heart, for
space about six inches square, was
cut and bruised by the time the
thirtieth round was reached.
I had taken many heard punch
and some tough falls during the battle
and before the fortieth round Jack
began to land on my stomach. My
seconds had given me tea with Whlskey
in it as a strengthener, and there was
too much whiskey, SO that by the fortl-
eth round my stomach was upset and
T was vomiting after I had gone back
to my corner and Kilrain wanted tc
call it draw.
! John L. wouldn't Call it a Draw.
I'LL give you all the draw you want, u
I yelled at him, and the fight went on
In a round or two, I came back
strong and began to go after Jake hard
He got so he would drop as soon as my
hand landed on him, and Of course
that would close the round. This
went on for a dozen rounds or so anS
T was still landing on that spot under
the heart Pretty soon the flesh ano
skin were pounded loose from his ribs
and a bunch Of it was hanging like q
big tumor.
and he certainly proved it in that fight
! Although beaten to pulp, he came
back, round after round, for more
He couldn't hit hard enough to hurt
me any more, but every time he got the
call he came out Of his corner, e1thel
to be knocked down or thrown, anc
carried back.
All the latter part Of the fight the
betting had been coming my way anc
at this time nobody would bet nlckle
on Kilrain. He was sure beaten mar
and those who had been cheering fol
him in the early part of the fight hac
shot their bolts and were silently
, watching their gallant fighter coming
} to his last round.
The end came in the 18th round
Jake came out of his corner, game az
a bantam, badly punished, his }legs
wobbling under him, face crushed ane
cut, his body leaning over to protec.
that place on his left side where ie
been hammering so long. rushed him