Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-31

Gould and Fisk had a big battle on with
old Commodore Vanderbilt over the con-
troll OF the Erie railroad and risk wanted
a good game fellow ~ = sort OF bodygusrd
who could scrap himself and furnish a
tough gang at short notice. O'Brien, in
this capacity, made good on more than one
occasion and Fisk paid him well for his
pains.
BIsneh waIsh's Father.
Fatty Walsh. once a leader Of the old
Fourth ward, was another fighter when
in his prime. Back in 1859 Walsh was
matched TO meet Thundcrbolt Mike Nor
ton for $1,000 a side, which was big money
in those days. The match created a SEN
sation because Of the prominence Of both
men in pugilistic as well as political cir
cieE. In fact, there was SO much excite
ment over the mill that Mayor Tiemsnn
had the men arrested and bound over TO
keep the peace. to the great disappoint-
ment of their friends and followers. Walsh
was afterward elected to the assembly and
later was made warden Of the old Tombs,
where he served for many years. Norton
became famous as one OF the Coney Island
pioneers. He built a hotel at Norton's
Point and made It a popular resort by
running the first steamboats, to the island,
long before any of the horse or steam
railroads reached there.
You remember Boss Mclaughlin. who
passed away in Brooklyn several years ago
at the ripe old age OF 80? He ruled all OF
Kings county as a political leader for forty
years without a break until Pat McCarren
succeeded him. We'll, Mclaughlin was a
hard man to defeat in q fist fight in his
day. and many a mill he won just back
of the hill on Fort Greene, which in those
days was a popular place for Brooklyn
fighters to settle their differences.
One of McJaughIin's Fights.
"one day the old Boss got into a wrangle
with a big fellow named Brady. and they
agreed to meet on the turf the next morn
ing back Of the big hill. Al the appointed
hour Mclaughlin was on hand with his
friends. but Brady failed to show up. Sew
eral nights later Mclaughlin met his man
on Myrtle avenue and demanded an ex-
PLANTATION. Brady's reply was not entirely
satisfactory. so the Brooklyn Boss landed
a corklng right handler on Brady's jaw,
putting him down and out. Mclaughlin
waited for Brady to get up, but the latter
remained insensible. Then the Boss be-
! came alarmed and ran off for a doctor, as
he thought that he had killed Brady. When
Mclaughlin came back with the sawbones
Brady was not there, for he had hurried
away to a friends house in the neighbor-
hood. Later in the night the Boss heard
OF Brady in a saloon, and, rushing in,
he grabbed his beaten foe by both hands
and told him how delighted he was to see
him alive and well. Mclaughlin used to
tell this story again and again to his old
friends at his Willoughby street headquar-
ters. The old Boss attended nearly all the
big fights in his time, and up to within
three or four years OF his death he was
often seen at the ringside. =
1T was John Morrisey's ability as a
pugilist that sent him TO congress and
made him a political power when he mixed
up with statesmen. John, however, soon
tired of politics and opened up several
gambling houses at which he made con-
siderable money. His old rival and bitter
enemy, Bill Poole, who was so cowardly
murdered by Lew Baker and his gang. was
a big man in the old Ninth ward politics.
He could elect or defeat an alderman, an
assemblyman or a state senator with the
following at his beck and call.
'of course fistic ability among political
leaders nowadays ia not so essential as 1t
was forty or fifty years ago. in the days
Of Morrissey, Poole, Tweed, Mclaughlin
and others, but IL you will look around
town you can see a few leaders who have
regulations as fighters even today. Mind
you. l do not claim that because a man
is a good pugilist he should become a
leader, not by a great deal. He must have
brains, too. With the physical and mental
abilities combined, however, a man has
a oarn.k - -
districts where voters are rough and ready
and require a leader who can fight with his
fists as well as with his gray matter.
Many a primary election has been won by
Drawn. not brains, / am sorry to say.
How Size Helps.
Suppose big Tim Sullivan was a small,
weak-bodied fellow, would he have ever
have reached the position he holds on the
lower East Side? Not much! why, Tim
had to go through the district like a fine
tooth comb and wallop the kickers into line
before he got absolute control. Sullivan
doesn't go around with a chip on his
shoulder, but he's there with the goods
when the time comes, just the same. Next
to being a political leader big Tim would
have made a great professional champion,
for he's got all the qualities that are re-
quired of a man TO fill the bill. Yes. big
Tim has fought his way,up from a news
boy by his clever head work and hard
punching.
There's our genial sheriff, Tom Foley,
too. | remember a few years ago when
he could have whipped any prize fighter
in the ring. For that matter. it's danger
Gus even now for some OF these alleged
scrappers to get in Foley's path, yet a
more kind-hearted, peaceful man never
walked on Broadway. His district has been
a hard one to handle, and like Tim sulI-
van he had to show his voters that the
fist was as mighty as the brain before
they became good and faithful followers.
This was apparent when Foley made his
memorable fight against Paddy Diver for
the leadership.
senator Jim Frawley. another East Side
leader is an old amateur boxer OF the
prosperous days of the Manhattan Athletic
ciuo' He's well up in the art Of self-de-
7 tense Fra PIE 49,