The San Francisco call., 1910-06-05

7 was great day for such as love to count them
selves wise beyond the run.
It was this way, they figured: Sullivan never
] had the courage to fight mouse more rounds
than he could count upon his fingers and would
be worthless if carried any distance. Kilrain was
fast clever and prolong the interview, being
best at the fag end of a long battle Ergo, Kilran
must win greatly to the profit and satisfaction of the
sapient
But other points OF wisdom were eagerly whispered
about the crannies of New Orleans where the fight
loving had gathered July l. 1889. The champion
had been living well, altogether too we'll it appeared
In training he had seemed actually to be swathed in
fabbness Moreover that broken left arm had never
properly been tried since the accident two years
before Again, time and place gave promise of in
tense heat which could not fail to be irksome the
heavy Sullivan and sapping TO his strength Still
again, Krain had been trained by Charley" Mitchell
who had stalled off the big fellow so successfully And
last Sullivan never did amount to much anyway So
there you were
OF the reasons so laboriously collected by the
knowing ones, the attractive had to do with the
brevity OF all OF Sullivan's fights It was an ndis
putabe fact that up the Mitchell sprinng race at
Chantilly had ever stayed more than nine
rounds with the champion. And it quite posi-
bic that if opponent could manage to keep clear
OF that dubbed right until Sullivan was blown and
weary the greatest hitting fighter the ring has
seen might henceforth be powerless. 1t was pos
sible because no one was in a position to prove
the contrary.
Meanwhile the great majority of boxing enthu-
siasts throughout the country including most of those
fortunate enough to be hand at New Orleans,
held fast by their faith in John l. Sullivan They did
not believe that the man to succeed him had yet
appeared. If he had they were confident that he
did not exist in the person of the present claimant
Jake" Kilrain was born at Greenpoint, L. l., Feb
ruary 9, 1889. He was OF Irish parentage and his
real John Joseph Kiion. Having begun
his muscular training in a Boston rolling mill, he
first became known to the sporting public as crack
amateur oarsman. In 1888 he the Junior single
scull championship OF America and afterward
turned TO new worlds to conquer He had always
been handy with his fists and began to attract at
tention when he made serious bid for fame by
defeating Joe" Lannon, fighter of some note, for
a rather vague title the championship of the east
By the time Kilrain ready to issue his series
of challenges to Sullivan in 1887 he was known as
hardy, courageous and really first class boxer But
before the defiance bore fruit he gained still further
in reputation by a venture TO England This was
the first time since the days of 'Jem' Mace that
the championship OF England had been disputed by
an asprant to the worlds title Mace, with whose
career the two honors ceased to be Synonymous, had
regained the greater in 1870 subsequently relinquish
ing it here Since then the boxing game had fallen
into evil repute the water until the national
title was revived by Jem" Smith, who defeated
Jack" Davis in 1885 Kilran challenged Smith and
the match was made After terrific battle for
$4,000 and the championship of England draw
declared on account of darkness, 100 rounds having
been fought under the London prize ring rules.
KILRAIN IS HAILED
Kilrain's stock went booming after this exploit
He made himself at least half champion, and that
in the home of pugilism. When he entered the ring
he would carry with him the equivalent of the best
claims England could make. More than ali else, he
had proved that he could keep going for battle of
great length, that he possessed endurance we'll
gameness. He hailed the next logical op-
ponent of Sullivan, and the champion, who had not
paid much attention to him before, had to meet the
demand Their articles, which shortly signed
called for $4,000 side and the belt