Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-02-07
BURLINGTON THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1918
JOHN |. SULLIVAN
DIES IN GOTH YEAR
One of the Most Picturesque
Characters of Prize Ring
History.

Arlington, Mass, Feb. s-John L. sulli-
van, formerly the heavyweight champion
of the United States, died at his home
here yesterday.
Sullivan, who was SO years Of age, had
lived on q farm here for the last ten
years. He was taken i'll with heart
trouble three weeks ago, but his health
quickly improved, and lie went to Boston
yesterday. Saturday morning he arose as
usual and planned another visit to the
city, but during the forenoon had an
attack of the old trouble. from which he
failed to rally He died at noon.
Suliyan's wife died some months ago,
Sulivan's old fighting spirit remained
with him to the end. The first fainting
spell left him unconscious for ten min
utes, and when he rallied George NJ.
Bush, friend who lived with him,
was applying icebags to his head. Bush
! told the former champion to keep quiet,
that he had sent for a doctor.
II don't want any DOCTOR" John L.
said. i've listened to a lot of them in
my life, and know I am all right and
can doctor myself"
| He protested when DR.. Ram, who had
been summoned by Bush. told him he
had better go to bed for couple of
hours. When DR.. Ram left Sullivan
beckoned Bush.
us the bathroom warm, George?" he
asked. yes? Well. that's fine. I want
to take a bath"
Ten minutes later he was dead,
William Kelley. a 15-year-old boy, who
had been adopted by Sullivan, and Bush,
his faithful friend, were with him when
he passed away.
John Laurence Sullivan was one of the
most picturesque characters in the history
Of prize fighting. For more than ten years,
from the time he defeated Paddy Ryan
in 1882. in n bare knuckle fight under
the London prize ring rules, until he was
defeated by James j. Corbett, in 1892, his
personality and methods of fighting COM
pletely dominated sporting circles in the
United States.
In the annals Of pugilism in this coun-
try two notable distinctions were his; he
was the last champion Of the United
states to fight under tho London prize
ring rules. 1t was largely through his
achievements that the championship title
was made prize of great monetary value
In the early days of his career. $1,000 a
side was looked on as a great sum. He
received only $50 for the fight that made
him national character in hsticuffs and
won him the right to challenge Paddy
Ryan for the championship
His friends ranged all the way from
the ordinary fight fan" to many mon
Of social and financial distinction in the
United States, and 1t is said he was on
cumming terms with the late King
Edward VII. of England.
He began his fighting career soon after
he was seventeen. when as the Boston
Strong Boy" he took part in amateur box
ing contests in several cities in Massa-
chusetts. IL Sulllvan's customary pro-
cedure in his early youth could be called
boxing. Tactics, strategy, plans Of cam.
paign were all swept away when John L.
hammered his ruthless. undertaking way
to the front. His style was atavistic. a
return to the simple, primitive principle
of battering an opponent into insensibility, |
His success coupled with his free manners,
certain social triumph and his subse- |
quent position as a semi-public character
proclaimed him sort of dignitary in the |
sporting world.
After his nine-round fight with Paddy |
Ryan, on the strip Of greensward on the |
Gulf of Mexico. the word knockout" was
manufactured by Billy Madden Sullivan's
trainer, to describe the effect of his blows |
when properly delivered.
His hardest fight was with Jake Kilrain. |
1t was fought near New Orleans and |
lasted for 70 rounds. That was the last |
championship contest in the United |
States to be fought with bare knickles, |
under the old rules.
That fight practically decided the USE |
lessness of trying to beat Sullivan by |
combating him In his own sledge hammer |
style. A S9-round fight with Charley |
Mitchell. a wary and skillful boxer, |
seemed to show fighting managers that |
the great John L. might be vulnerable |
to a man who could box we'll and stay
with him long enough to wear him down. |
The opportunity to try this method on |
the champion fell to James ]. Corbett. |
The purse was $4,000 and the stakes |
$4,000. The fight that was to end John
LIS championship was fought before the !
Olympic club of New Orleans. When |
the fight was over there was new cham |
pion Of the world. Sullivan was "a Mt |
the time of his defeat.
Sullivan said himself that he made |
$2.O0O.OOO in the fighting business and that +,
he spent s1,OOO.COO of it in buying drinks
for himself and his host of admirers
He had knocked out 200 men, of one
sort or another. In his fighting career.
and finally he said that in saloon in |
Terre Haute. Ind. in 1906 he gave the
BLACK Bottle" his greatest enemy. the |
knockout wallop. On the occasion of
the decision with regard to the BLACK
Bottle" he said:
If ! take another drink, 1 hope to
choke, SO help me God" He never took
another, but kept up his fight for tenn
perance by lecturing occasionally on the
evils of drink for those who have ath-
letc ambitions.
He was born in Boston October Is, 1883.
and passed the latter years of his life
on farm which he owned near West
Abingdon, Mass He was twice married.
His first wife was Annie Gates of Center.
Vile. r. l.. whom he married in 1882.
but with whom he lived only a few
months and from whom he obtained d.
vorce on the ground Of desertion after
26 years. At 81 years of age the former
champion took as his second wife Kate
Harkins of Roxbury. who was his sweet
heart years before when he was "The
ROstOn Strong Row"