The Alaska daily empire., 1918-04-13

It was my aim to get John l.. to enter the ring first on the night of September ', 1892 when we fought in New Orleans. That's exactly op. posite to the wishes of champion. He usually wants to be last to en- ter. Some fighters have a super stitious dread of entering first, feel ing it spells defeat for them.
 So, when both of us were dressed and ready for the ring, l sent word to Sullivan that he should enter the ring first My nerve" in sending him an ultimatum angered him and he sent back a heated message. But 1 stood pat For some time we wrangled-via messenger. Finally it was decided to settle it with the flip of a coin. My manager, William A. Brady, called the turn-and John L. was elected to enter first.
 But John Us handlers tricked me into going into the arena ahead of Sullivan and tried to get me into the ring first. One of the club officials came to my room short time after the toss-up and said:
 Hurry up! Sullivan is in the ring and they are waiting for you"
 Quickly I made my way into the auditorium and was well down one of the big aisles leading into the ring when I noticed that Sullivan was not in the arena Right there I came to a standstill, resolving I never would step into the ring until Sullivan had climbed through.
 For several minutes I stood in the aisle And then a rumble of cheers told me that John l.. was coming and down the same aisle where was standing. The great champion, surrounded by his handlers. swung along majestically but never saw me until within a few feet of where I was standing. Then he came to a sudden stop and scowled at me. glared back. For nearly minute the two of us stood there looking at each other with the crowd not know ing what was coming off. Finally, said to Sullivan
 Get into the ring first"
 John L. glowered at me, took a step forward, stopped, looked at me again-and on he went into the ring first.
 The vast arena was crowded to the rafters and as John l.. climbed into the ring the crowd broke into another wild volley of cheers. Never in my life have I heard such thun- ders of applause greet any human being. It was a thrilling demonstra- tion of the esteem in which the 'noblest Roman of them alp was held by lovers of pugilism.
 Climbing through the ropes, I took a seat in my corner and at once John L. began to try on me his old, old, trick. But it didn't work. had steeled myself for it. The cham pion had scared much of the fight out of many of his foes by the fear full scowl that seemed to presage early annhiliation for his adversary. But I assumed an attitude of being almost oblivious of the presence of Sullivan in the ring, failing to cast single glance toward him. tried Tn every conceivable way to make John l.. think that fear was some thing foreign to my makeup.
 Occasionally, looked at John l.. put of the corner of my eye. The face of the champion wore a most peculiar expression. He couldn't fl gure me out. He was looking at me in the way that a man does when he has found something strange - something that he can't understand or cant fathom. I was appealing tt John l.. as an entirely different type of fighter than he ever before had faced. And that had been m, purpose-and my hope.
 John Duffy, of New Orleans. ref creed the contest. Without wasting much time he called us to the cen ter of the ring for a conference. rc beating the usual ring instructions All the time he was doing so I acted as though was impatient for tht fight to start.
 When I tell you to break. gen tlemen," said Duffy. concluding hii instructions. T want you to breal clean"
 There was another opportunity fol me to make Sullivan think I had nc