The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-05

win the big bets which Londonites had placed on their countryman.
 But those fellows reckoned without one American; criminal and fugitive from American justice. but withal a stanch admirer of John L., and a man who in- sisted On fair play in the Mitchell Sul- livan contest. That man was none other than Billy Poerter, internationally known as B bank robber and one of the most , dangerous desperadoes in American his- tory. Poerter, in London when the match was made, had heard about the plot to menace John l.. with show of revolv- CTS and knives at the ringside So he went along with the crowd that made tho trip from England to France.
 As the throng gathered around the rirgside, Poerter swaggered to a place near Sullivans corner. Wearing a high silk hat, an overcoat of fashionable cut, he made a rather striking figure. When the fight was about to start, Poerter walked over to Pony Moore father-ln-law of Mitchell, and said:
 I'm here to see that John l., Sulli- van gets fair play. And here are cou- pie of friends whereupon, Poerter took a revolver from each overeoat pocket,
 'who are going to support me to the ab- solute limit. You might tell the Man chester men who are here to get Sulli- van that if they start anything they will have to finish 1t with me"
 And then Poerter went back to his seat which was near Sullivans corner and from that spot witnessed the con test. Word that an 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 bat tie 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 discomfort, drizzling rain set
 in. the frozen ground softened and the mud chung to their shoes.
 As was his custom, John l., assumed the aggressive with the first call of time. And he kept it up for 20 rounds. Perhaps never in his career did the great American rush with greater fury than he did at Mitchell. He was out to finish the great English fighter fin jig time"--but he failed. John l.. beamed beyond 220 pounds when the battle be- gan. He outweighed Mitchell something like 60 pounds, but much of it was use- less, hindering flesh
 The fight hadn't gone very far before Sulllvan aWoke to the sad realization that his failure to train had ruined his chance for victory. The old-tme speed was gone from his leg and there wasn't the same old power in his mighty swings He reached Mitchell often enough with his famous right handler and Charlie 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 warrior was ready for the next call of time.
 Mitchell fought through those early 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 Sullivan's condition was such as to make it impossible for him to keep up the whirlwnd aggressiveness And Mitchell's calculations were correct
 All through the battle Jack Raldock, known as one of the toughest men in the Birmingham district, and who was act ing as one of Mitchelfs seconds, taunted Sullivan He called John l.. the foulest names that he could think of. All this