The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-05-08

HIKE were gang nights IN Troy during
l849, the kind that used to rage in the streets
of American cities iercely as any factional
row of middle age Italy. Few persons were
interested save the good citizens of Troy, who
thought doefully upon their shattered windows but
out Of the furry of clubs and brickbats came man.
It was John Morri5sey.
John Morrissey never cared much for cudges and
flying missiles Nature had endowed him with
frame of ron gigantic fists the qualities of hon
esty shrewdness and the force of the leader Instead
OF marshaing his cohorts of the uptown gang in the
,leaving of rocks upon the downtown gang he took
a cleaner, more effective and congenial way
OF impressing his immediate Ciews upon his oppo-
nents Within year, having then attained the age
Of IT, he called and conquered in single combat
one after another, nine of the enemy The thing
done quite casually and with no other reason than be-
cause he preferred a standup fight his breakfast
and the arbitrament of fists that of rocks. When
is the "downtowners" were crushed, if that
meant anything, and John Morrissey great
in what sporting circles of the country could boast Of
Tpperary the county of his birth, and while he
engaged in his vanqushng of the nine he worked
first in paper mill and later in an iron foundry,
where one OF his fellow employees was John c. Heenan,
who afterward made such an ambitious bid for pugil-
isc fame. In 1850 he found himself stranded in New
York, with S. in his jeans, ready to fight anything
that stood two feet. Nothing of that class being
forthcoming, he joined the gold rush and slowed
away the mail steamer to Panama.
Escaping righteous wrath by slipping ashore at the
ishmus, he tried his S. against faro bank ran it up
to 500 and then lost his last cent A steamer was
about from the other side for California tick
cts quoted at 81 500. With companion Cunningham
he evaded the armed sentries and slowed away
second time Three days they discovered
and were about to be set ashore at the end of the
-Acapulco-when the steerage mutinied.
Who'll stand by me7" asked the captain.
slKET.
forward.
"Can you fght?" asked the captain.
why, sir" said Morrissey "in a manner of speak
ing its my trade" So the two overawed the mutt
neers and earned their passage to San Francisco,
Morrissey using the steerage training camp.
After an unsuccessful venture to Queen Charlottes
island in search of gold Morris5ey came back to San
Francisco, penniless, to find that styl
ing himself George Thompson was announced as the
general challenger for the puglisc title of California
and $1,000. This windfall Morrissey hunted
up hackers and put away Thompson and his $1,000
in IL rounds. Then he returned to the east chal-
lenged Tom" Hyer the champion of America, and
assumed that title himself when Hyer forfeited
Taking the management of public house in New
York, Morrissey became the center of local sporting
interest and led checkered and active life for some
years, finding fights, scratch, pitched or rough and
tumble wherever opportunity presented. During
this time he gained his nickname of "Old Smoke"
While engaged in trifng discussion with customer
named Mccain, Morrissey knocked over stove and
fell PROSTATE upon the glowing GOALS where his adj
versary pinned him. Mccain repeatedly asked him if
he had had enough, while the champion roasted and
smoked in torment Morrissey's answer was to twist
himself free when he proceeded to settle Mr. McCann
in convincing manner
THE SULLIVAN CHALLENGE
In 1853 he challenged by Yankee Sullivan
who had suffered defeat at the hands of TON" Hyer
for the title and $1,000. Morrisscy accepted with
alacrity He just turned %, rugged, compact
clean musced gladiator in perfect condition spoil
ing for trouble. Fighting the breath of life
10 him. The prospect of a setto with such man as
Sullivan filled him with delight Here, last, was an
opponent worthy of his best efforts, calling for every
ounce of his fine young, red blooded strength.
They met at Boston -Four Corners, 103 miles from
New York. on October r. The place was we'll
chosen for by some strange oversight it was tenn
porariy outside the jurisdiction of all authority Mas
sachusets had ceded it to New York and New York
had failed to accept To Boston Four Corners ac-
cordingy swarmed 5000 fight followers, sure of
good sport and freedom from interference.
Morrissey was the first to drop his cap within the
ropes and to climb through with his attendants. He
stripped at about 10 pounds. Yankee" Sullivan and
his assistants appeared shortly before o'clock and
final preparations hurried through with Sulli-