The Washington times., 1907-07-21

to pull of a fight Take my nRnt Win
jim Flood on a barge in the Hudson
river as a bad sample OF what we used
10 go up against. That was in 1881,
the purse was $50, under London prize
ring rules, two minute rests, and one
ounce gloves.
All the New York crowd had Flood
ney. and they had 1t framed for
him 10 win, even 10 a fixed referee TO
make sure. Billy Madden was my
manager, and he has often said he
never expected to get off that barge
alive. We wouldn't stand for the fixed
referee. sticking out for Al Smith, and
a fair show. We finally got Smith.
Madden warned me to keep away
from the ropes during the fight, be-
cause II i got within arms reach OF
the tough crowd OF Flood men l might
get an eye gouged out with cane by
some of the thugs that lined the ring.
Floods strong play was to cripple
his man by throwing him and giving
him knee and elbow when he went
down. Early IN the fight Madden said
10 me. after Flood had made several
trys TO dump me over:
John he can't throw you; why don't
you give him the toss to the fioor?''
Because" says ]. Il want him 10
know that I can lick him without
throwing him
In the eighth round. when 1 had
Flood going the crowd started 10 cut
the ropes so as 20 make IL easy to
Kick and gouge me to save their man,
but Al Smith swore that u they cut
into the ring. he'd give the fight to
me Smith took his life IN his hands
in saying that. but il went. and 1 fin
ished Mr.. Flood We managed to get
homo alive.
Madden's Hard Battle After a 2o-Mil
Walk.
Madden was one Of my early friends.
He was with me as manager one year,
at The end of which l was champion,
then me and Madden had a growl and
NC parted. He has followed the game
from the bare knuckle days TO the
present time OF fakes. He was a
fighter himself. and his first real
battle was in the same ring at Bay
St Louis. Miss. where Joe Coburn.
the Irish lad" and Jem Mace. OF
ENGLAND. fought in 1872.
Just before the COburn-Mace fight.
and tickets on the train out 10 the
ringslde were selling at $40 per He
was nineteen years Of age. and. deter
mined 10 see the fight, he walked
twenty miles of muddy. rotten roads.
When he got TO the ringside there was
q collection taken up OF 500 for a fight
between any two men present. Mad
den. at the end OF his twenty-mile
walk, hungry and dirty. jumped into
the ring He was faced by Tom Hart.
and Madden got Gown 70 business!
Hart took an awful beating. and he
was helpless with both eyes closed.
when Jack Ford. a bad man. who
was in Harris corner. took hand.
You son of a gun" says Ford 20
Hart. pulling big knife. eve bet s.
on you. and II you don't go IN and lick
that kid I'll cut your gizzard out
Hart couldn't obey orders though.
and Madden won. or the purse Of
$40, Madden got $3.50, for they held
cut on him at the finish.
What Gen. Phil Sheridan Thought O
John L.
Gen. Phil Sheridan once said to mo
that II I'd been along with him in the
war ned made me a soldier worth
while
with a couple of troops Of men like
you on good horses" said the little
general. I'D guarantee to go any
where and do anything"
A Confederate colonel I met IN
Louisville gave me the tip that II he
hae n couple OF hundred men built
on my plan in the war he'd guaran-
tee to ride into washington before
getting stopped
! don't know anything about that
kind Of fighting, but it's your one best
bet that II l was old enough 10 be in
that war you'd see me come out with
a record or I'd come out dead. But
what's the use OF that kind OF scrap
ping? II the nations would agree 10
pick a dozen of their boxers to settle
arguments with their fists you'd get
Just as much satisfaction and there
wouldn't be half the damage done.
With the right price OF admission there
would be money 10 Six up the bloody
noses, and we'd lick the world at that
kind OF O war.
No, not any murder under the name
4
OF firearms has murder in HIS heart
He supplies the means 70 make sud
den death easy. told a fellow who
has all kinds OF money made out OF
firearms that he ought 10 be ashamed
TO tell about how nc got II. I told him
that ne had a lot to answer for be-
cause he'd made sudden death cheap
and handy. He laughed good and
hearty and had a good mind 10 give
him poke.
Tribute to the Great Mike Kelly
Ball Player.
There are some great little men play
ing ball today. and l haven't knock
for any OF them. but there's never
been a ball player the equal Of Mike
Kelly. Lord have mercy on him. He
could think quicker. make up baseball
tricks faster, and put more ginger into
game than any man that ever wore
spikes. Mike was full Of spunk. he
could sing a song, tell a story, and, al
though always earnings big money. he
never had a dollar.
Mike was with me when I fought
John Donaldson in Cincinnati in 1880.
There was only one chair in the place
where the fight was pulled of. and
Donaldson sat on that. while / sat on
the edge OF trunk. Kelly was puff
Ing cigarette smoke in my face before