The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-21

Defeat in 1868 at the hands of Joe Co.,
 burn disheartened Mike McCoole and de- cieing to quit theA ring game for all
 time he went back to his former job as boatman along the Mississippi. McCoole however, could not conquer his love for fighting and he mingled in rough and tumble contests during his odd moments ! in St Louis, Cair6, Natchez and New 1 Orleans. Easy victories in those con tests revived belief in his fistic prowess and in 1866 McCoole emerged from re- l tirement and fought Bill Davis of Cali fornia for 5000
 The meeting brought together two men who knew little about the scientific end of the, game, but who were marvellous as regards brute strength. It was an endurance contest-&nd a bloody one. Both suffered merciless beatings, but the staying power of McCoole was a trifle greater and he won in the thirty-fourth round when Davis collapsed
 Aaron Jones. who had battled Tom Savers twice in England. challenged Me Coole and the battle was fought on Oc- tober sl. 1867. in Busenburk Station, Ohio. Jones. who had a reputation for being a foul sand vicious fighter, tried gougng tactics in an effort to win. He had both of McCoole's eyes in bad shape. but, just the same, Mike scored in the thirty-fourth round, beating Jones so fearfully that Jones was carried insen- sible from the ring.
 The success of McCoole in this match
 F1If l .tsx another meeting between McCoole and Coburn After considerable parleying the bout was arranged to be fought in Cold Springs Station, Indiana, on May 21, 1868, for S19,0G0 side bet and the cham pionship. But the bat2e never was staged.
 Coburn, together with his sparring part ner was arrested just as they were about to drive up to the battle ground and were thrown into jail Mccoole, arriv- ing on the scene a little later, attempted to make his escape, but he was captured and jailed with Coburn. The two fight CTS were convicted on the charge of breaking the law of the state of Indiana and served 40 days in prison,
 a Soon after he was freed, McCoole chal- lenged John c. Heenan. but the latter declined to meet him. Just about that time Tom Allen, who had been perform D1S Ill rather SDeGtdCuidTA IdSIiiOt dS pugilist, challenged McCoole for a sioo0 side bet and for the championship of America. McCoole accepted the challenge and the two men fought on Fosters Isl and, near St Louis, on June ,. 1869. Me Coole won on a foul in the ninth round.
 Allen immediately afterward insisted that McCooles victory was fluke; that he had not committed foul Some of Aliens friends went so far as to charge that Allen had been framed" by the referee Allen dared McCoole to meet him again, but it wasn't until nearly four years afterward that they were re- matched
 On September 2S, 1873. McCoole and AL len fought on Chateau Island, St. Louis, for $2000 side bet and the championship of America, Coburn having retired. In that contest Allen showed himself to be the far superior pugilist and knocked out McCoole after 20 minutes of fighting, Me- Coole then declared:
 I'm far too old to do any more fight ing and I'm through with the ring game. I was foolish to take Allen in that last contest after layoff of over four years.''
 A month after that fight McCoole got into an argument with Patsy Mavery, St Louis pugilst, and bitter quarrel ensued It resulted in McCoole whipping out a revolver and firing point blank at