Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-04
CHARLEY MITCHELL ENGLADS FAMOUS FIGHTER DIES COLLEGE TEAMS ST.
ENGLAND'SRHNG
CHAMPION DIES;
HIS FIRST FIGHT
Great Draw With John L. Sui
Ivan; Bare Knuckle Bat
tie; Boxing History

Hove. England, April 4,-Great
&ritains greatest ring battler, Char
ley Mitchell, is dead. He was one
time middleweight champion of Eng
land. Death was due to locomotor
ataxia.
Mitchell was born at Birmingham,
England, November "a, 1861. AL
though he fought many ring battles
against big men like Sullivan, Cor
bett, Cardiff. McCaffery Kilrain and
Burke. Mitchell was a middleweight
pugilist, never turning the scales at
more than 154 pounds when in per-
feet condition. His remarkably fast
footwork and sllillful boxing offset
this disadvantage in weight, and he
proved to he equally effective as a
puhisher when fighting either with
or without padded gloves.
First Ring Battle
Mfitchells first ring battle was with
bare knuckles when at the age of Is.
he knocked out Bob Cunningham at
Birmingham. the bout lasting almost
victories during the two following
the continent.
After winning the middleweight
and heavyweight championships of
England in 1882, Mitchell came 10
America in 1883 with the intention
of challenging John L. Sullivan. The
stature of the "Brummagen Lad" as
he was then called, did not impress
the American followers of pugilism,
but when Mitchell met and defeated
Mike Cleary, a New York heavy
weight, in three rounds, he was
quickly accepted as an opponent for
Sullivan. These two met at the Madi-
son Square Garden in a four-round
glove fight under Marquis of Queens
berry rules, on May IA, 1888. The
British boxer surprised the 10000
spectators by meeting Sullivan's ter
rife rushes in the opening rounds,
and after some heavy exchanges he
scored a clean knockdown with a
perfectly timed right smash to Sui
livan's jaw, sending the Boston man
to the ring floor amid the widest
excitement.
Sullivan's First Knockdown
This was Sullivan's first experience
of a knockdown by an opponent,
and it happened toward the close of
the first round. Sullivan rushed and
uSllGu lllt NlSAIOI A4llS Allt SFA-
ond round and threw Mitchell over
the ropes twice. Sullivan, with left
swings TO the jaw, knocked Mitchell
down twice in the third round. and
with another left he had Mitchell
hanging over the ropes when the
police stonped the bout.
Mitcl-A always insisted that he
wou,4 have been able TO continue
had the police not interfered. and
he never ceased to challenge Sullivan
until the latter consented to another
encounter, which took place five
years later at Chantilly, France, on
March 10, 1883.
This was Mitchell's greatest ring
effort. They fought with bare
knuckles for $4,000 a side, and the
bout lasted three hours and II min
.Ates. Mitchell drew first blood in the
efghth round, but Sullivan got the
credit of the only knockdown during
the fight, which was declared a draw
by Referee 3. ]. Angle, of London.
After James J. Corbett had won
the worlds championship from Sui
livan in 1892, Mitchell challenged
him for the title, and at Jackson
willie, Fla. on January 20, 1894, Cor
bett knocked out the Englishman in
the third round. This was Mitchelrs
last fight in the ring, as he returned
to England and engaged in business
there up to the time of his demise.