The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-08
/.
NOW ANCIENT Events
RECALLED BY ROCENE
Days of Professor Willie
Sullivan and Maurice
Thompson Revived.
BUTTE FIGHTER WINS
Intrepid Battler From the
Big Camp Too Much for
the Soldier Boy.
BUTTE FIGHTER WINS
by r. T. Rocene.)

April %, 1912 was a big day, or rath-
or red letter day. for Missoula in
the line of sports. On that day the
Union association season was opened,
with the Highlanders scoring a victory
over Butte at Campbell park in the
afternoon, but Butte came back and
won all the laurels in the evening when
Maurice Thompson knocked out Willie
Sullivan of Fort Mssoula. There had
been several little sparring entertain
ments pulled off at the fort, with Sui
Ivan as the main actor, but the bout
between Sully and Maurice was the
real thing in the fighting line Sully
was better sparrer than scrapper,
while Maurice's motto was to go and
get them, even if he took a hundred
punches during the performance 1t was
the reintroduction of the fight game
in Missoula, and the game that came
into popularity that night outlasted
baseball in the Garden city and was
popular until a year or SO ago when
interest died out.
'o'CSSoi "itIC ouIhSdHs
Willie Sullivan, a well built soldier,
with some experience in the fight game
had been whipping all corners with n
straight left, and after he had shaded
'Switchman' Ilamhlin. another local
boy. he began to look for new worlds
to conquer. He found them. but his
career stumbled on the find Tom Son
tag, the well known wrestler, who was
making his headquarters in the Gar
den city at that time, thought he saw
furnish amusement for local sports by
bringing the ambitious Sullivan and
Maurice Thompson, of Butte, one of
the best known characters in the his
tory of the prize ring in the Treasure
state, together Tom sure gave the
Missoula fans a treat, but those who
didn't attend exceeded those who did
by such a majority that Sontag lost Il
hundred dollars on the exhibition.
The fight was preceded by a battle
royal, put on by n quintet of colored
boys. which Mas worth the price. of adj
mission itself. The "uullud gcmmen"
sought literally until the last man was
out, but they had company as all the
spectators were exhausted with gIec at
the end of the contest between the
Africans.
In Good Condition.
Sullivan, who later boxed quite :: bit
around Spokane and on the coast. and
who also conducted gym out west
for a while, was in fair shape for the
battle, while Maurice came down from
the mines in good condition, as he had
trimmed off Did Freeman of Helena
just a r. Wwecks before. Of course,
Maurices heydays were over at this
time though he did fight Dick Hyland
the next summer. Both men weighed
about 40.
Doc Flynn, intrepid adviser of
Maurice throughout his ring career
and little Collie" Druhot, the Butte
pitcher, were in Thompson's corner
while trio of khaki boys swung the
towels for Sullivan.
Sontag hired an orchestra TO furnish
entertainment in between the bouts.
and just before the bell rang. Maurice
did IA fancy step or two to the tune of
the merry Widow Waltz" just to
show how light hearted he was.
Round One.
With the bell for the first round,
Maurice and his renowned green tights
flashed over into SuIIs's corner while