The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-08
AAIERCA'SFIRST CHAMPION.

It will be Just three-QuarterS of a century tomorrow since Tom Hyer be- came the first recognized pugilistic champion of America by defeating John McCluster. Hyer was the son of Jacob flyer, the American Father of the Ring" ho defeated Tom Beas- ley in the first prize ring battle fought on this side of the Atlantic. The lat ter contest was pulled off in 1916, just century ago, and went only few rounds.
 Before the flyers, father and son, introduced ring tactics and rules to Americans, there had been many fights of a rough and tumble nature, attended with circumstances of cruelty and horror," as one old writer phrased it, but these ,gouging, kicking, knock ck-down-and-drag-ou affairs were not of a character to be dighified with the name of pugilism.
 While Jake Hyer is sometimes re- ferred to as the first American cham pion, most lists begin with his son. Tom Hyer. Like so many of the Eng fish bruisers of an early day, Tom was butcher by trade, and worked at the old Washington Market in New York before he started fighting. The |son of Jacob was a fine fellow and accomplished more than any other man to make pugilism popular in Ameri4a. AfteA Tom had fought and won a few battles he opened sporting house in Park Row, and had a big following among the better class of sports. He soon had a rival in Yankee Sullivan, an Irishman, who had fought several battles in England before coming to America. Sullivan opened a booze palace in Division street, and the Irish-Americans f1ocked to him, while the American party stood by flyer. fy In 1S41 flyer issued a challehge to fight any man in America, thinking Sullivan would respond. Yankee didn't take up the def; but sent one of his pals instead. This was John Mc- Cluster or McChiester-hisn name is spelled both ways in the old sport books-but who was better known as Country McC1osky. He was a giant and a bully, and terror in New York. McClosky went to. Hyer's bar and of- fered to, fight then and there. Tom refused, declaring that he wanted a ring fight and not a, barroom brawl, and a match was made for Sept. g, l1841. On the date set a big crowd of New York sports accompanied the | fighters to CaldwelPs Landing, N. Y., l where the ring was pitched. McClosky was loud-mouthed and turbulent, de- claring his intention of wiping up the earth with Hyer, and his Hibernian admirers wagered their last dimes on him.
 | The battle was desperate one Mc- Closky. although bully, was not a coward, and he fought like a demon,
 with little regard for rules. Hyer was vastly his superior in skill and generalship, and held the mastery from first to last. McClosky was given terrible drubbing, but it was
 until 101 rounds had been fought that he admitted defeat. The battle lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes
 Yankee Sullivan was so enraged by McClosky's defeat that he went to
 Hyer's place and forced fight then
 and there. The Irishman got the
 worst of it in this melee. A match
 was then made. They fought at Rock [, Point, Md, and flyer won in 17
 minutes. Sullivan was so badly dam.
 aged that he had to taken to a Balti-
 more hospital for repairs, and liver
 was kept in ail until his enemy recov-
 cred.
 Tom Hyer, the first American
 champion, went the way of, many ot
 his successors. A giant, six feet three
 inches, superbly developed, he lost to
 John Barleycorn, dying at the age o1
 A of a disease induced by too much
 drink. In his last years he was large.
 ly dependent on the charity of the
 butchers of New York,