The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-23
sPoRToeRAPHY.
BY "Gravy."
Remember Billy Niger, Old "s.reator
rueIar.

.'s"'shoe' oitiy MycFs va otredtor
cyelone"
Billy Myer. the "Streator Cyclone"
There's a name that will recall fond
recollections Of the vanished past to
many an old-tine fight fan-memories
OF days when dead game sports"
abounded in the land, and the limit
was the sky. Billy Myer, whose name
Ia forever associated with that of Jack
McAuliffe because OF bis two memor.
able battles with the lightweight
king. was born In Strcator, ILL.,, forty.
five years ago today, February rs,
1850. In his ring days he was known
as the "Streator Cyclone" and it was
a title he well deserved.
Myer was a carpenter in his fathers
shop In Streator In his younger days,
and he. was about twenty.three when
he fought his first ring battle. His
first battle with top.notcher was in
1887. when he fought Harry Gilmur.
IN Wisconsin and knocked him out
In the NTH round. Gilmore was d
good man and only few months be.
fore he had fought Jack McAuliffc
Tor the title at Lawrence, Mass. The
Manufactured bout was with
sktn:tight gloves, and the champion
was badly battered and almost blinded
when In the trenty.elrhth round he
landed blow that broke Gi.more's
nose and forced him to quit.
Myer's defeat OF Gilmore gave hin
national reputation, but Gilmore,
hackers were not satisfied, and dc.
manded return match. All Ken.
NEEDY, Streator magnate, offered to
put US $4,000 for Billy, and this was
covered by Joe Woods aud Jim Black
or Minneapolis. The village OF North
judson was the scene OF the second
bout between Myer and Gilmore.
Both men were literally backed and
more than $4,000 was wasered on
the result. 1t was q private affair, but
several o!d-time sporting celebrities,
among them George Sller, Otto Floto'
"Parson" Davies, "0no.Eye" Con.
molly. and a. few Others. Mver
knocked Gilmore out in tho irst
round. H''" isf''.'i. -
Aftert that Myer went to Mime.
apolis and whipped Danny Needham,
afterward famous welterweight, and
he was then considered ripe to fight
Jack McAuliffe for the lightweight
title. Irish Jack accepted the chal.
lenge. The battle was staged at
North Judson, and sports from all
over the country, as we'll ns a big
bunch Of Illinois fans, gathered for
the event. The citizens and coal min.
ers of that section Of Illinois has
raised fund said to run into. the
hundreds OF thousands to wager on
the Cyclone" a number OF tho
famous sports OF that period were on
hand, ready to bet their rolls on Nc.
Auliffe. Jimmy .Colville, Dick Roache,
Billy West. the famous minstrel aud
Phil Dryer each bet $4,000 on the
lrtshman. Harry Ballard, of'the Chi
cago lnterOcean, was stakeholder,
aud he handled about $40, 900, Mike
Mcdonald was the referee. McAuliffe
broke his arm, but be game!y fought
through sixty.four rounds in order to
save the money Of his hackers, and
In the end It was called a draw.
Several hundred miners, some OF
them armed with clubs and slunE.
shots. were at the ringside. and they
constantly threatened .McAuliffe, but
Jack kept to the center OF the ring
and escaped injury from Myers
threatening supporters. -1s,
After that bout Myer knocked ont
Jack Hooper at Alexandria, Va, but
In 1890 he was himself defeated BY
Andy Bowen, the New Orleans mu.
latto, who was afterward killed in a
battle with Kid Layigne. He made
q better showing In second bout
with Bowen and then knocked out
Jimmy Carroll in forty.three rounds
at New Orleans. t7'2
In 1882 McAulifte gave Myer al.
other. chance at the lightweight title.
The fight was pulled Of In New
Orleans. as the drst bout OF the great
pugilistic carnival In which ccrbett
defeated Sullivan and George Dixon
whipped Jack Skelly. This time Nc.
Auliffe was easily the master OF the
"Streator Cyclone" and knocked hin,
out In the fifteenth round. That prao.
teally ended Myers ring career. as
he fought only one or two more bat.
ties. ~ III