The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-04
Known as Scrapper From New
York to Frisco.
HAS FOUGHT 361 BATTLES
FOrty-Seven of Them Have
Been for Charity.
Topeka Business Men Back
Venture for Him.

It's fascinating. They don't quit it till
they have to-"
The speaker?
Several years ago-it wouldn't be po-
lite to say just how long-he was known
to the boys who played around the east
end of the East Sixth street viaduct as
Jimmy" Sullivan. His initials are j.
L. and he is a scrapper. He isn't the
original John L. despite the similarity
of initials, but he's known from New
York to Frisco as Spike"
Sullivan is spending most of his time
at the old home town now. He was
born in Topeka and for years he trav-
eled from one end of these broad, free,
United States of ours to the other,
seeking, fame, fortune and fights. And
ne has had considerable luck, he ac-
knowledges, finding the latter. "Spike''
as the glove fans call him, has partici-
pated in 361 battles, counting the pre-
liminaries in which he has engaged.
When Sullivan was a pretty husky
youngster he went to Omaha and while
there took part in a number of pre-
l1minary ring disturbances. 1t was
While picking up few coppers at this
that the fight fever got it's good grip
on him and the next thing you know
he is fighting Herrera at Bakersfield,
Calf, the worst of all native SON.
towns in the west. And Herrera was a
native son." Sullivan got a draw with
him which is equal to having almost
killed him in any town away from the
land of the orange blossom. The bout
went 20 rounds
From this time Sullivans ring career
is pretty well remembered by those
who follow the fight dope. He has
fought and whipped some mighty good
men He has also fought and been
whipped by some that We're not so good.
And he still has a kick that means
sunderland and return
He Drew With Caponi.
Tony Caponi, welterweight with
some little reputation hereabouts and
elsewhere, only got a draw in a 20
round mix with Spike 1t took Joe
Cans IA rounds of the hardest kind of
scrapping to put the Topeka product
best then. And one might go on for
sometime naming men who have mixed
it with Spike" many of them to their
sorrow A brief mention of a few of
them, however, will have to do in this
case. In the list are:
Jack Hardigan, Gene West, Johnny
Solomon, Mysterious Billy Smith,
Frank Erne, Tommy Dawson, Reddy
Gallagher, Martin Judd, RUDE Smith,
Jimmy Perry, George MeFadden, Jack
Kennedy, Plummer Baker, Patsey
Hogan, Clarence English, wild Cat
Ferns, Kid Zimmerman and Peddlar
Palmer.
Sullivan is modest, really right down
modest. This is neither humor nor
fiction. Modesty is something the aver
age fighter has little conception of but
in the case of the former Parkdale
youngster it is an existing quantity in
stead of the unknown. He will sit and
fan" for hours with some one he likes.
Fights galore will be discussed and
fighters dragged out for inspection and
examination. But Sullivan will not
tell of his prowess unless pressed to
do so. 1t is harder to get a list of
the men he has whipped than it is tc
get Rockefeller to testify about the
money trust.
1t is too bad Spike became a fight
er. He should have trained out for
the chautauqua circuit as a story tel
Ter. He would have made more coin
of the realm and his labor would not |
have been of the straining kind. If
you see a bunch of men holding their |
sides and laughing, and catch the word |
fight" you may know that the ZAP |
FOUNDER has just told them a new one. |
crowd has more fun hearing him |
describe some fight in which he either |
won or took the losers end then the |
fans formerly did when Cooley talked |
of basebs1 in Boston. And he'll tell |
you about the fight he lost as quickly |
as the other kind.
OF course Sullivan was in the fight |
game for the money. That's what they |
are all after. Yet there is nothing of |
the Wolgast wolfishness about him. He
has fought AZ fights in which the en-
tire receipts went to charity. These |
include Christmas and New Year bouts.
And he loves the game as well as the |
coin.
Rough Only in the Ring.
Another tribute to the scrapper and |
we'll pass the eulogy stuff. His talk |
IS free from the ruff stuff that often
the conversation of the
professional athlete. He's clean, en-
PERTAINING talker and can tell you any
thing he has to say in a manner which
does not require the closing of the
door into the society editors room.
Sullivan will probably shy at this
story He doesn't aspire to be held
I'D as a grand example of anything. |
But he's a mighty pleasant fellow who
likes the sport of the thing and knows
The scrapping game. That's why per-
nanent quarters are being sought for
he revived Topeka Athletic associa-
ion. That is why gymnasium is to j
De installed as soon as one is found. Il
That is why several business men are i
packing the venture and others are Il
paying him good sound dollars for box
ng lessons. And it is also why a lot 4
If men who formerly didn't take much Il
interest in boxing are now fight fans /
James Claim Is Denied
Cincinnati Jan. 4-Tlie National base |
all commission denied the appeal of Play |
n James of the Kansas City club of the
American Association that he be declared
Ton CO ,Ia <a-.l