New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-02-03
King
Of Them All
As a Fighter
Remarkable Career of Man
Who Faced All Corners
in Hinged Circle
By Fred Hawthorne

Q1cQ mere at his nome to-day from
heart failure, after an illness of about
three weeks. He had two sinking spells,
the first of which left him unconscious
for ten minutes. He rallied and spoke
upon getting out of bed. Ten minutes
later he died.
Sullivan died firm in the belief that
he was champion of the world up to
the time Jim Corbett laid him low at
New Orleans, in 1892. Although the
records dispute this claim. John L.
would never admit that he was only
champion of America. And there were
few who cared to dispute him, face to
face.
Discussing this subject. three or four
years ago, Sullivan cornered the man
talking with him, and declared himself
as follows. "Well, now listen to me,
Young Teller. l licked Paddy Ryan for
,he championship of America. didn't
!? And then, after going through all
the rest of 'em, 1 licked Jake Kilrain
for the championship of the world with
bare knuckles, didn't ?"
Page Whipped John L.
According to "The Sporting Annual"
Sullivan was born in Boston, on Octo-
Der rs, 1858, and was thus a few
months short of reaching his slxtleth
year. Although Corbett is universally
credited with being the first man to
whip John, the honors really belong to
Jimmy Page, who was Sullivan's teacher
in Boston school. The future heavy
weight champion did something to dis
please the teacher, and Page took him
right out before the whole class and
laid down the law where it would do
the most good.
Sullivan's first appearance with the
gloves was at an entertainment in Bos-
ton, where he went on at a moments
notice with hardy citizen named
Scanne1l, who announced to the audi
ence that he was there to knock out
any man who came up on the stage.
John l.. peeled off his coat and rolled
up his sleeves, and they went to it.
The first blow was struck by Scan
neil, who hit John a mighty wallop on
the jaw. Sullivan came back with
right to the tip of the chin that sent
Scannell flying through the air and
over the top of piano on the stage.
The fight was all over.
Sullivan's first appearance In public
was in 1873, in Boston, when he
knocked out "Cockey" Woods, local
celebrity, and from that time he grad
ually began to climb toward the
heights. The first battle in the record
books in which Sullivan figured was
tened in two rounds. There was none
to stand before the "Boston strong
boy" in those days, and Sullivan went
right along knocking 'em dead.
In 1881 John came to New York, with
Billy Madden as his manager, and is
sued the following challenge: 81 am
ready to make a match to fight any
to $4,000, at catch weights. This chal-
lenge is especially directed at Paddy
Ryan, and will remain open for month
if he does not see fit to accept it,"
Tipped Scales at 1870
Sullivan at that time tipped the
scales at about 1870 pounds and was
marvellous combination of bone and
muscle. His face was lean, with promi-
nent cheek bones, and the Sullivan
glare" soon became famous. Even so
skilled a rngster as Paddy Ryan, whom
John l.. fought for the American title
at Mississippi City on February Z, 1882,
is said to have grown pale and trem-
bled in his corner when he caught a
glimpse of Sullivan's fighting express
sion as the latter entered the ring.
The Boston boy won that fight, knock
ing Ryan out in the ninth round with
a terrific blow from his right across the
back of Paddy's neck. The champion
went down under the blow like a log
cred consciousness. Ryan always smain-
tanned afterward that Sullivan did not
knock him out, but that a telegraph
pole had fallen across his neck.
With the championship in his pos
session, Sullivan toured the country
offering 1000 to. any man who would
stand against him for four rounds Few
succeeded in making any money on that
proposition, until TUG" Wilson, an un-
dersized Englishman, came along and
tried his luck. The men met in Madi-
son Square Garden, in July, 1882, and
Wilson, by hugging and running, lasted
the four rounds and won the $1,000
Sullivan was Disguised at Wilson's
sprlnting tactics, but it was the same
to batter down the champion some ten
years later. John L. knew only one way
to fight, and that was to stand flat
footed in the centre of the ring and
trade punches. Sometimes he rushed
in with bull-like drives after his OPP
ponents, but he preferred to stand close
with his adversary and punch until
something dropped, always the other
man.
Charley Mitchell came over from Eng
land in the following year and fought
Sullivan in the Garden. Mitchell was
only a welterweight, but very fast on
his feet and the wielder of terrific
punch. He knocked Sullivan down in
the first. round, but John knocked the
Englishman clean out of the ring in the
third, and as Mitchell was crawling
back, the fight was stopped by the po-
lice.
The new champion held undisputed
sway from then until his defeat by
Corbett, although Mitchell held him to
draw in thirty-nine terrific rounds at
Chantilly, France, in 1887. One of Sui
lNan's greatest fights occurred on July
s. 1889, at Richburg, when he and Jake
Kilrain battled seventy-fve rounds un-
der blazing sun. Round after round,
the two battled furiously, until the bell
rang for the seventy sixth session.
Sullivan was ready to renew the fight
and stood in the centre of the ring,
waiting for kilrain. Jake was utterly
exhausted however, and could not toe
the mark when the bell rang.
In the fall of that year John l.. ran
for Congress, but met with one of his
few defeats and returned to the prize
ring. A number of battles followed his
20 with Kilrain, and then, in 1892, he
met Corbett at New Orleans and lost
his crown.
Corbett was so speedy in the ring
that Sullivan hardly laid y glove on