Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-07
LAST BARE LNUCKLE FICHT
When Sullivan and Kilrain Battlsd
Twenty Years Ago.
FEATURES OF THE COSTLY MIL
Wait 90 n RinEuide is Mis.Issippi
Attended ny An sorts Of Hard
ships and EntaiIine Elk
penditure OF Bis Money.


penditure OF Bic Money.
NEW YORK. March 6.-"rhe last cham
pionship fight with bare knuckles was
that bum affair between John l. Sui
Ivan and Jake Kilrain for the heavy
weight title at R%ichburg. Miss, on
July g. 1889" said the old New York
sport while discussing flstic events of
twenty years ago. 81 often think what
Holsters we old fellows we're to give up
about a thousand bones to see two has
beens paw each other for sevsnty-five
rounds in the broiling sun down in Missis-
sippi. Why. l can see a better fight any
night in New York for q or so and with all
the comfort Of a well regulated club.
"Of course. / was in right with the Sui
Ivan push on that eventtul occasion and
one Of the chosen few who left Cincinnati
on the speedy John l.. Special which made
such a lighting trip to New Orleans. The
big fellow and his party stopped at tthe
old Barnett House at Cincinnati after his
trip from Muldoon's farm at Belfast, N.
Y. where he'd ralne or was supposed to
have trained. We were tipped off at cincin-
natl that Governor Lowry Of Mississippi
would pinch Sullivan and all and when
they passed through his state at Miridisn.
A reward OF $500 was offered for Johns
arrest, so tho railroad people sent us
whoop-ine through old Mississippi at top
speed.
There was q hot bunch Of sports aboard
that fIier. Among those ! recall were
Charley Johnston and Jimmie wakely, Sui
iivan's hackers: Billy Muldoon. Mike
Cleary, Jack Barnett, Tom Costuelio. sher-
iff Molloy of New Rochelle. Major Hughes,
Joe Coburn. Phil Lynch. Tim Murphy and
a whole regiment of newspaper correspond
ents.
Fan with the Natives.
I'VE left Cincinnati on the morning OF
July 3, and we're greeted with rousine
o~vations at every point we stopped. The bis
fellow got tired shaking hands with rubes
along the line so we got Sheriff Molloy
who bore a striking resemblance to John
l. to impersonats the fistic hero. The
sport sheriff and TIE rest Of US had a lo
Of fun footing hayseaders at every stop
w pulled UP at GENTLY Station. JUS
a mile outside Of New Orleans, at 1913
on the morning of July T. A party o.
friends was there waiting for the biz
fellow with a carriage and proceeded t.
take him to Mrs. Green's private board
ing house, while the rest of the buncl
remained on the train and put up late
at the 81. Charles hotel. We found tina
hostelry filled with dead game sports from
all parts of the country. But Mastersoi
was there with a gang Of alleged gun
fighters from Denver to look after XII
rains interests. I bet a couple of hun
dred with Bat. giving him 2 to 1 on sulli
van, and picked up all told about a thou
sand iron men from the Kilrain crowd.
Money and Guns and Booze.
Everybody seemed to be well heeleN
with dough and guns, and the wine flowe'
In streams. None of us seemed to b
anxious. for the hay that night and VI
didn't turn in until long after midnight
1t was a case of talk fight all night long
nothing but fight and fighters. What
bunch of New Workers. there was aroun'
the st. Charlesl Why. you'd a though
you we're on Broadway In the hotel cor
ridor I noticed Frank Stevenson, Gus Tut
hill, Jack McAuliffe, Brooklyn Jimmy Car
q roll. Dick Roche. Jack Dempsey. Bill
Bennett, Pat Flanagan, Steve Brodie
, Billy O'Brien. Warren Lewis. Jimmy Col
, VILE, Matt Clune, Dick Roche, Jerry Dunn
Jim Kennedy. Liney Tracey. Jim Dunn
, Peter j. Donohue, John B. Mccormick
: Martin Bowling, Ed Plummer, Al Smith
Aleek Brown. Tom Donohue, Billy Ed
wards. Phil Dwyer, Joel Rinaldo, Pat Far
ley, Eddie Corners, Billy Glinsman. JAG
. Cosack, Howard Hsckett, George Diekin
, son. Doc McDonough. Pat Keenan,. Judg
! Paddy Diever and a bunch of others.
: I'VE just hung around New Orleans !
a the sweltering heat for four long day
q and nights g~uszling mint juleps and win
d galore, waiting for the tip to the battle
ground. II came to us sunday nigh
= July Z, and the next morning bright an
early we were on a train that took us I
'Richburg. for which we paid SIS per heac
We arrived ON the ground at about.
o'clock in the morning. There were abol
a thousand fight fans, each carrying
camp stool under his arm from the trail
: Those who followed in the second and thlr
: trains had a hard time TO even find stsnC
ing room near the ropes.
o At the RinEsIde.
cit was a twenty-four-foot ring wit
the finest inch and an eighth Manila rop
e strung twice around the enclosure. Their
d we're eight heavy pine posts driven man
/? feet into the firm soil. Whew. 1t wa
Is hot that morning when the sun buri
II forth with all It's fury. Every man wa
n hatless and coatless, and those with un
N brellas were lucky, indeed. 1t was jus
a 1879 degrees before the fight began, an
II the New York delegation suffered the to-
lures OF hades as the wine and the iuieE
II ooZed out of their skins We didn't hay
to wait long, however, for the fighteI
soon made their appearance within II
Al roped square. Kilrain came first. 70
lowed by Charley Mitchell and Mike Dol
ovan, who were his principal second
Bat Masterson was his timekeeper an
Denny Butler his umpire. Sullivan had
" whole pack behind him-Billy Muldoo
: Mike Cleary, Joe Cubarn. Jack Barnet
y Major Hughes, Liney Tracey and Ds
Murphy. Tom Costello was the big fs
70 lows umpire. John Fitzpatrick, who WI
u afterward elected mayor OF New Orlean
" was the referee. sullivan and Kilra
a. each put up 81 900 in F1tzpatriek's ham
on the result
sullivan appeared as big and as slo
- - hrauvarxr UaGan hOrsp Kflrafa ~