The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-21
LAST FIGHT WITH
 BARE KNUCKLES Sullivan and KiIrain BattIed
 Twenty Years Ago FEATURES OF THE MILL
Visit to Ring Side in Mississippi Att tended by All Sorts of Hard ships and Large Expendi-
 ture of Money.

New York.-"The last championship fight with bare knuckles was that bum affair between John L Sullivan and Jake Kilrain for the heavyweight title at Richburg, Miss, on July s. 18S9," said the old New York sport while discussing fistic events of 2J years ago. q often think what Holsters we old fellows were to give up about thousand bones to see two has-beens paw each other for 75 rounds in the broiling sun down in Mis- sissippi Why, I can see better fight any night in New York for $1 or so and with all the comfort of a well-regulated club.
 "Of course, I was in right with the Sul- livan push on that eventful occasion and one of the chosen few who left Cincin- natl on the speedy John l.. Special which made such lightning trip to New Orleans The big fellow and his party stopped at the old Barnett House at Gin cinnati after his trip from Muldoon' s farm at Belfast, N. Y,, where he d trained or was supposed to have trained. We were tipped off at Cincinnati that Governor Lowry of Mississippi would pinch Sullivan and all hands when they passed through the state at Meridian. A reward of $500 was offered for Johns arrest. so the railroad people sent us whooping through old Mississippi at top speed.
 There was a hot bunch of sports aboard that fiier. Among those I recall were Charley Johnston and Jimmie Wakely, Sulllvan's packers; Billy Null doom, Mike Cleary, Jack Barnett, Tom Costuello, Sheriff Molloy of New Ro- chelle, Major Hughes, Joe Coburn, Phil Lynch, Tim Murphy and a whole regi- ment of newspaper correspondents. Fun With the Natives. we left Cincinnati on the morning of July 3. and were greeted with rousing ovations at every point we stopped. The big fellow got tired shaking hands with rubes along the line, so we got Sheriff Molloy, who bore a striking resemblance to John l.. to fmpersonate the fistic hero The sport sheriff and the rest of us had lot of fun fooling hayseeders at every stop.
 We pulled up at Genilly station, just a mile outside of New Orleans at 10 3( on the morning of July f. A party ot l friends was there waiting for the big fellow with a carriage and proceeded tc take him to Mrs. Greens private board ing house, while the rest of .-.e bunch remained on the train and put up later al the St. Charles hotel We found that hostelry filled with dead game sports from all parts of the country. Bat Mas terson was there with a gang of alleged gun fighters from Denver to look after Kilrain's interests. I bet a couple of hun. dred with Bat, giving him 2 to on Sul- livan. and picked up all told about a thousand iron men from the Kilrain crowd.
 Money and Guns and Booze. Everybody seemed to be well heeled with dough and guns, and the wine flowed in streams. None of us seemed to be anxious for the hay that night and we didn't turn in until long after mid night. It was a case of talk fight all night long-nothing but fight and fight CTS. What bunch of New Workers there was around the St. Charlesl Why, you'd the hotel corriodr I noticed Frank Ste venson. Gus Tuthill, Jack McAuliff, Brooklyn Jimmy Carroll, Dick Roche, Jack Dempsey. Billy Bennett, Pat Flan- igan, Steve Brodie, bnhy O'Brien, War reni Lewis, Jimmy Colville. Matt Clune, Jerry Dunn, JiE<~ Kennedy, Liney Trr- cey, Jim Dunne, Peter J. Donohue John B. Mccormick, Martin Bowling, Ed Plummer, Al Smith. Aleck Brown, Tom Donohue, Billy Edwards, Phil Dwyer. Joel Rnaldo, Pat Farley, Eddie Connors, Billy Glinsman. Jack Cosack, Howard Hackett. George Dickinson, Doc McDon- ough. Pat Keenan. Judge Patty Diever and punch or others.
 We just hung around New Orleans in the sweltering heat for four long days and nights guzzling mint juleps and wine galore, waiting for the tip to the battle ground. It came to us Sunday night. July 2, and the next morning bright and early we were on a train that took us to Richburg. for which we paid sl5 per head. We arrived on the ground at about o'clock in the morning. There o ho,, carrying a camp stool under his arm from the train. Those who followed in the second and third trains had a hard time to even find standing room near the ropes.
 At the Ringsde.
 Tt was 24-foot ring with the finest inch and an eighth Manila rope strung twice around the enclosure There were eight heavy pine posts driven many feet into the firm soil. Whew! It was hot that morning when the sun burst forth with all its fury. Every man was hat less and coatless, and those with um- brellas were lucky, inceed. It was just 120 degrees before the fight began. and the New York delegation suffered the tortures of hades as the wine and the ju- leps ooZed out of their skins We didn't have to wait long. however. for the fight CTS soon made their appearance within the roped square. Kilrain came first, fol- lowed by Charley Mitchell and Mike Donovan, who were his principal sec onds. Bat Masterson was his timekeeper and Denny Butler his umpire. Sullivan had a whole pack behind him-Billy Null doom, Mike Cleary, Joe Coburn, Jack Barnett Major Hughes. Liney Tracey and Dan Murphy. Tom Costello was the big fellows umpire. John Fitzpatrick, who was afterward elected mayor of New Orleans. was the referee. Sullivan and Kilrain each put up 5000 in Fitz- patricks hands on the result.
 Sullivan appeared as big and as slow as brewery wagon horse. Kilrain was pale and had a washed-out look. Jake started the ball at the call of time by rushing at Sullivan and throwing him with cross buttock. This greatly sur prised John and his bunch, and Wakely. turning to Muldoon, said:
 Sullivan looked over his shoulder at Wakely and growled
 !" If that's his game, I'll fool him!'
 Tn the second round John did throw Rilrain. but in very bungling manner, for even Mitchell grinned and Wakely said:
 Why in hell don't you fall on him?''
 Samples of the Fighting.
 ''In those two rounds few blows were struck and 1t was about even. Tn the third Kilrain rushed in again. clnched and punched Sullivan below the belt and finally went down with a slight blow in the neck The referee. cautioned Jake about fouling. Sullivan lost first blood