Evening journal., 1916-05-09
new ORLEANS COMES
BACK As SPORT Town
Old City Resumes It's Place
as Foremost PugiliStic
Center
MANY BIG FIGHTS
WERE STAGED THERE

Thanks to Tommy Burns, Toriorich
and other promoters, New Orleans has
again assumed the place It has long
held as the foremost pugllstic centre
Of America San Francisco. Los An
geles. Louisville, New York and other
cities have at times robbed the Cres-
cent city Of its sportive 1aurels. but
the old Louisiana metropolis has now
pulled a come back" and served no.
tice upon IFS rivals that IL is hence
forth to be rcckOned the American
center of the fistic game
II was on May 6, 1886. that the first
great ring battle was pulled off in
the vicinity or New Orleans. This
fight was also the first affair Of its
kind OF a truly international flavor to
be staged on this side Of the briny.
As described by contemporary writer's,
however the contest was scarcely a
credit to New Orleans or to the game.
and Il left a bad taste in the mouths
Of the true blue sports for many years
TO come
Jem Deaf Burke. the champion OF
England and Samuel ORourke. the
claimant 10 the Irish championship.
were the combatants on that day 80
years ago. when New Orleans won its
place on the pugilistic map-a place
that was. however only a black
smudge. Deaf Burke had been dis
playing his manly form in New York
and Philadelphia theatres when Ne re-
ceivcd challenge from ORourke.
who was then running a saloon in
New Orleans. after having fought and
won IA battles on this side. Sam was
doing big business, and refused to
consider a battle for anything less
than thousand dollars. The Deaf
Tn, although a champion. had never
seen so much money in one bunch. but
the money was raised by two New
Orleans sports. James Caldwell. own
er Of the ST. Charles Theatre in Camp
Street. and William Brandram. an
English cotton buyer.
The Irish OF New Orleans were
strong for ORourke. although Burke,
the English champion, was Of Irish
descent A description OF the affair
says:
From an early hour swarms OF
men-CreOles. half-breeds, French
gamblers. Yankee sharps. Irish
roughs. and rowdies of every nation
ality under tho sun. fockod out Of
the city for the rendezvous on the
banks OF the Mississippi There was
hardly a man there who did not have
rufiian stamped on his face. and
scarcely one hut was aimed-some
with pistols and bowie knives, others
with bludgeons and slungshots.
There. were only three rounds
fought. In the second Mickey Carson,
who was seconding O'Rourke. slipped
behind the Deaf TN and pushed him
into the arms of bis opponent. who
threw him. In the third round the
Deaf I'm caught O'Rourke q smashing
blow on the mouth and there is no
doubt that he would have soon knock
ed Sam out had not Mickey Carson
again got in the way. Jem could
keep his temper no longer. and with
straight left he caught the second
full on the nose, and down he went
like ninepn. Then the Fat was
in the fire. The wild Irish mob cut
tho ropes in a dozen places and en-
tered the ring. The Deaf Tn stood
! his ground for a minute. knocking
over two or three, when Jem Phelan
cried. Run, Burke. run; they'll kill
you Jem took TO his heels and dash
ed through the crowd with a bowling
mob at his heels They would have
caught and killed him had not a
friendly sportsman helped him to get
on a horse and ride away. TO the
theatre, whispered Caldwell. and hide
there. Naked 10 the waist. Burke
galloped away to the city. where he
sought refuge in the theatre At the
ring there was a free fight and lots
OF blood-shed The police concealed
Burke for three days and then snug
gled him aboard a north-bound Missis-
sippi steamboat"