The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-01-21
FIGHTING JOE GOBURN

Early in May of 1858. the sporting
resorts of New York. especially those
frsquented by men of Hibernian
blood, were buzzing with excited COM
versadon. The civil war was raging.
Lee was threatening to invade the
North-as he soon afterward did. to
meet defeat at Gettysture -s1ad a
great battle had just been fought at
Charleston, in Maryland All Of the
talk was Of this battle, which, how
ever had nothing to do with the wa r.
The battle Of Charleston. fought in
Maryland. on the fifth Of May, 1853,
was sanguinary enough, but no guns
were used, although a. few spectators,
in their enthusiasm, did flourish 1ethz
al weapons In short, it was a ring
battle with Toe Coburns of New York
and Mike McCooIe Of St Louis as the
IcoTnbatants, and the heavyweight
cham pionship of America at stake
At that period the history of the
American ring was mainly a record
of Irish names-Yankee Sullivan,
lIohn c. Keenan,, John Morrissey
Jimmie Elliott, Mike McCoo1e and
among them When Heenan retired
the principal competitors for the
honors were Coburn and McCoole the
one representing the East. the other
the West.
although the republic was divided
against itself, and engaged In bit
ter civil strife. the renzied fanatics
of the pugi1istic- game were filled
with enthusiasm by the contest be-
tween the giant McCoo1e and Flight
ing Joep 5 Maryland, was the scene
of many or the greatest battles of the,
early period of American ring his
tory, was again a. pugi1istic Mecca
Mike McCoo1e had little put his
size to commend him to the followers
of the sport-that, and his gameness.
=
fullest extent in the Maryland con-
test, Tor. although ontclassed by CO.
burn in nearly every stage Of the con-
test, It was not until six1y-three
rounds had been fought that Mike
lCoburn returned to New York to
receive the pIaudits of his admirers,
end for few weeks he was a greater
hero than any general The man
whose name was thus added to the
list of American champions was ANA
tive OF County Armagh, ireland where
hes was born In 1885, but he came
to america as a boy and on attaining
his majority was naturalized as a cit
1zen of Uncle Sans country.
Coburn was about twenty-one
when he fought his first ring BATTLE
His opponent was Ed Price, long
popular pugfIfsf, and afterward equal
1y noted as a criminal lawyer and
dramAtfst. Price and Coburn fought
seventy TOun0G, l1ST1ngH% over three
hours, the fight ending in a draw. In
1857 Coburn took on Harry Gubben,
another aspirant to ring IaureIs, and
defeated him in less than half an
hour This affair was xor $500 a side.
For several years Coburn remained
I'm retiren1sRt, and 1T was not until
the title was left ownerless and was
claimed by Nike McCooIe that he re-
turned to the game, urged by his
friends. BY hfss victory over the St.
Louis man-nnammoth, Cobnrn became
this acknowledged champion, and
there. was nobody who dared try con
illusions with him. He determined
to go aftSr t5fe worlds title, and early
in 1854 he sent a challenge over to
England Offering TO meet Jem Mace. |
The English gypsy accepted the |
def, and Joe Immediately crossed the |
pond. The stakes were the then big |
sum OF $1,000, and the match attrAct-J
ed wide attention. Owing to the OPP
position to the game in England. it |
was decided to stage the affair on |
Irish soil. which was Of course much /
to zJoess liking. On the day before
the date set for the battle a meeting !
was held in Dublin to name a referee,
but a stormy scene ensued, and no
agreement was reached. Mace want
ed an English sporting writer Tor the
Bowler Jem and Joe were both OBJ
durate, and when, on the following
day Coburn and his party went out
with the ropes and stakes to pitch
the ring, Mace was far away. The
ring was formed. CobuFn entered, and
AFTER the an11D alated time had elapsed /