The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-23
JOHN l.. EASY no HANDLE.
Only Necessary to Hit Hin on the Head with
a Club TO Make Him Obey.

Somebody was telling me the other day
that Squires, this fighter from Australia, is
a hard man to handle. not because he has
any bad habits, but because he ispigheaded,
said a veteran trainer OF prizefghters.
They say that about,a all the new men.
Compared to the old time men the
fighters Of to-day are as easy to prepare as
docile children. The worst Of the old
crowd was John L. himself. He admits
it himself now He was enough to drive a
Trainer to the ~bughouse.
John l.. always overestimated his
strength and staying powers. He used to
say, Give me a haircut and a rundown and
I'll be ready for that fellow or, All l want
is a kidney stew and half an hours sleep
and III put that one away
"Ill tell you a little story about John L.
that hasn't been printed. 1t was after he
was matched to fight Slade. Jimmie
Wakely was his manager then, Jimmie &C.
leoted Bill Muldoon, then the champion
wrestler. but for many years past a physical
Rehabilitation. as think he calls himself
now, to train Sullivan for the battle.
'Muldoon looked over a number of train
ing grounds, hoping to find as the most
essential thing a spot where there were no
groggeries within fifteen or twenty miles.
He finally hit upon Sharon Springs in this
State and catching John L.. in a yielding
humor a week or 30 after the articles were
signed he took the big punoher up there. ,
"Muldoon was always just a leetle bit
afraid Of John l.. and he handled the champ
pretty gingerly, which was precisely the way
that John l.. should not have been handled
by anybody hoping to get the proper kind
Of control over him.
@Mpldoon started in with hard work on
John L. at Sharon Springs, but the big fellow
was mighty grouchy and peevish and sew
eral times he started to mix it with Muldoon.
At such times Muldoon, a man Of tremendous
strength in those days, had to clasp John L..
around the body, holding his arms to his
sides, until his peevishness, due to his hatred
of training, had worn itself out.
One afternoon only three weeks before
the fight was to come off. Sullivan disap-
peared from his Sharon Springs training
quarters. The little town was ransacked
for him. but the big fellow couldn't be
found.
-Muldoon instantly concluded that Sui
ivan nae made his escape to New York
on the afternoon train. SO down to New
York Muldoon hustled after him.
He first visited Jimmie Wakely, John
LIS manager, and told him Of the big
fellows escape. Then he began to prowl
around New York on a hunt for his man.
"Wakely organized a band OF scouts,
too. and started a systematic search for
the champ OF all the champs. Even the
cops on the main beats we're tipped of to
keep an eye out for the big fellow.
Along toward iG O'Clock on the night
Of the fourth day OF John LIS disappear
ance a friend Of Jimmie Wakely's rushed
into Jimmie's saloon and old him that
John L.. was holding a little personally
conducted carnival for himself in the cafe
OF a Broadway hotel,
Now, it happened that the only living
man Sullivan was afraid OF was Jimmie
Wakely. Wakely was, and is. a small,
chunky. ~taciturn man; but there wal al
ways something about him. probably his
quiet, reserved manner n his reputa-
ton for doing things with a heap Of sud-
denness once he had made up his mind
that caused John L. 20 lave a whole lot Of
respect for his manager.
when Wskely was tipped of as to where
Sullivan was the little manager of the big
fellow didn't say a word, but stepped into
his office, took from his desk a blackjack
that somebody had given TO him for use
as a p~aperweight and strolled around to
the Broadway hotel at which he'd heard the
big fellow was cutting up.
He found Sullivan sitting around a
table with a bunch OF boon pals, all OF
them engaged in making rings on the table
with the bottoms Of their glasses and talk
ing lG1d, s.vira - much 9 .
~.
sitting, pulled the blackjack out Of the
pocket OF his sack coat and handed Sullivan
a terrific wallop with il right on top of the
head. Sullivan just lolled back in his seat
a rag, limp and dead to the world.
"'Pick the big stiff up and carry him TO
a room!' commanded Wakely.
"Three or four Of the crowd took hold
OF the all in John l.. and carried him to
a room up on the first floor. They laid
him on a couch. Wakely left him there
alone and locked him in the room.
AT S o'clock the mex morning Wakely
and Muldoon entered Sullivan's room and
found the big fellow frantioally pushing
the button. The button had been dis
connected, though, in accordance with
Wa aGeSD o. ord piped Fi Down 5hf ins a = o1 he saw
s'Get ready for Sharon Springs, john
said Wakely, quietly, pulling out his watch.
You've got five minutes.
SULLIVAN. Iltth III a lulllDt HuIDDly IN |
timated that Just n e~yeopener, anyhow, |
would be about the correct thing under
the circumstances
mot on your lifel' replied wakely, briefly.
Come on
THE big fellow followed the little man
downstairs and got into a closed carriage
with him and Muldoon. They caught the
train Just in time, and Wakely went
along this time. He stayed at the training
quarters for one day, and all that he said
TO John L. when he was starting back for
New York was this:
''You get ready for that mill, now, you
big tad, or.you look out for mel
Sullivan trained right then, and what
he did 10 Slade is a part OF the annals OF
the game.
1T was a heroic dose that Wakely handed
out 70 HIM, but the old man admits now
that Il was just what he needed, and needed
bad. Wakely and Sullivan have Always |
remained the best OF friends and Wakely I,
came TO the front for the old mar many |
a time after that when John l.. was down
and out