The Alaska daily empire., 1918-03-15
TohnI,.asXl,epH McJames J.CorbcH
Copyright. 1918, by King Features Syndicate nc)

As the throng gathered around the ringside Poerter swaggered to a place near Sullivan's corner. Wearing a high silk hat, an overcoat of fash ionable cut, he made rather strik- ing figure. When the fight was about to start, Poerter walked over to Pony Moore, father-in-law of Mitch ell, and said:
 "I'm here to see that John l.. Sullivan gets fair play. And here are a couple of friends" Whereup- on Poerter took out revolver from each overcoat pocket, ''who are go- ing to support me to the absolute limit. You might tell the Manches ter men who are here to get Sulli- van that if they start anything they will have to finish it with me-
 And then Poerter went back to his seat which was near Sullivan's cor ner and from that spot witnessed the contest. Word that ar American was there, doubly armed and ready to sacrifice his life to see that John l.. got a square deal overawed the toughs and their plans to rush the ring were abandoned,
 It was on March 10, 1888 that the battle was fought; biting wintry day with the turf at the outset hard and frozen The men, stripped to the waist, suffered much from the chilling blasts. To add to their dis comfort, a drizzling rain set in, the frozen ground softened and the mud chung to their shoes.
 As was his custom, John l.. as sumed the aggressive with the first call of time. And he kept it up for twenty rounds. Perhaps never in his career did the great American rush with greater fury than he did at Mitchell He went out to finish the great English fighter fin jig time but he failed. John L. beamed be- yond 220 pounds when the battle be- gan He outweighed Mitchell some thing like 50 pounds, but much of it was useless. hindering flesh.
 The fight hadn't gone very far before Sullivan awoke to the realiza- ton that his failure to train had ruined his chance for. victory The old-time speed was gone from his legs and there wasn't the same old power in his mighty swings. He reached Mitchell often enough with his famous right handler and Char lie went down again and again. But the Sullivan punches, unsupported by the splendid muscle of other years lacked their sleep producing effect And always the game British war rior was ready for the next call of time.
 Mitchell fought through those ear Iy rounds merely on the defensive. Few brainier warriors ever lived than that British battler. Knowing he couldn't stand toe-to-toe with the ponderous John L during the early rounds, Charlie played the "get away and wait game. He figured that | Sullivans condition was such as to make it impossible for him to keep up the whirlwind aggressiveness. And Mitcehlrs calculations were cor rect.
 | All through the battle Jack Bal dock known as one of the toughest men in the Birmingham district. and 1 who was acting as one of Mitchelfs 1 seconds, taunted Sullivan. He call. ed John l.. the foulest names that he could think of All this served to increase the fury of the Ameri can Whenver John l.. made miss it brought more jeers from Baidock and John L. was like wild man in his efforts to reach Mitchell with solid smashes If ever there was man the mighty Sullivan wanted to flatten. that man was Charlie
 Mitchell.