The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-29
JOHN L. EASY TO HANDLE.
Only Necessary to Hit Him on the Head
 With a Club to Make Him Obey.

Australia, is 8 hard man to handle, not because he has any bad habits, but because he is pigheaded," said veteran trainer of prizefghters. 'They say that about all the new men, Compared to the old time men the fighters of to-day are as easy to pre- pare as docile children. The worst of the old crowd was John L, himself. He admits it himself now. He waz enough to drive a trainer to the bug house.
 "John L. always oveestimated his strength and staying powers. He used to say, Give me haircut and a rub down and II be ready for that fellow or. All want is a kidney stew and half an hours sIeep and I'll put that one away
 "Tll tell you little story about John L. that hasn't been printed It was after he was matched to fight Slade. Jimmie Wakely was his manager then. Jimmie selected 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.
 l ''Muldoon looked over number of training grounds, hoping to find as the most essential thing spot where there were no grogeries within fifteen Tor twenty miles. He finally hit upon Sharon Springs in this State and Icatching John L. in a yieldtay humor la week or so after the articles were signed he took the big puncher up there.
 l "Muldoon was always just little bit afraid of John L. and he handled the champion pretty gingerly, which was precisely the way that John l.. should not have been handled by any body hoping to get the proper kind of control over him,
 'Muldoon started in with hard work on John L. at Sharon Springs, but the big fellow was mighty grouchy and peevish and several times he started to mix 1t 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, utnil his peevlshness due to his hatred of training, had worn Iitself out.
 "One afternoon only three weeks be- fore the fight was to come off, Sullivan disappeared from his sharon Springs Itraining quarters. The little town was transacted for him, but the big fellow lcouldn't be found.
 "Muldoon instantly concluded that Sullivan had made his escape to New York on the afternoon train. So down to New York Muldoon hustled after him.
 He first visited Jimmie Wakely, lJohn Us manager, and told him of the lbig fellows escape. Then he began to Iprowl around New York on hunt for his man.
 "Wakely organized band of scouts ltoo, and started systematic search for the champ of all the champs. Even the cops on the main beats were tipped off to keep an eye out for the big fellow.
 'Along toward 10 o'clock on the might of the fourth day of John LIS disappearance a friend of Jimmie Wakely's rushed into Jimmies saloon and told him that John L. was holding a little personally conducted carnival flor himself in the cafe of a Broadway lhotel.
 Now, it happened that the only liv- ling man Sullivan was afraid of was Jimmie Wakely. Wakely was, and is, Ia small, chunky, taciturn man; but ltnere was always something about Ihim, probably his quiet, reserved man. lner and his reputation for doing things with heap of suddenness lonce he had made up his mind that lcaused John L. to have a whole lot of respect for his manager.
 When Wakely was tipped off as tc lwhere 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 lhad given to him for use as paper weight and strolled around to the Broadway hotel at which he'd heard the big fellow was cutting up.
 "He found Sullivan sitting around 6 table with bunch of boon pals, al of them engaged in making rings or the table with the bottoms of theil glasses and talking loud
 "Without saying so much as a word Wakely walked up to where John l. was sitting, pulled the blackjack ou of the pocket of his sack coat ant handed Sullivan terrific wallop witt lit right on top of the head. Sullivan ljust lolled back in his seat a rag limp and dead to the world.
 Pick the big stiff up and carr1 him to a room!' commanded Wakely
 Three or four of the crowd tool
 hold of the all in John L. and carried him to room up on the first floor They laid him on a couch. Wakel! left him there alone and locked hin
 in the room.
 "At o'clock the next morning Wakely and Muldoon entered Sulli
 vans room and found the big fellow
 frantically pushing the button. Tn
 button had been disconnected, though !. in acordance with Wakely's orders
 given the night before.
 "John L. piped down instantly h.
 saw Wakely.
 Get ready for sharon Springs John,' said Wakely, quietly, pullinl out his watch You've got five min
 utes'
 Sullivan, meek as a lamb, humbl, intimated that just one eye opener Lanyhow, would be about the correc