Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-02-13
JOHN Il. SULLIVAN.
Some Facts Regarding Ex-Fighter'
WHO Died Recently.
The Perfect Lasative:


John, Laurence Sullivan was one Of
the most picturesque characters in
the history of, prize fighting. For
more than ten years, from the time
he defeated Paddy Ryan in 1882, in
bare knuckle fight under the Lon
don prize ring rules, until he was de-
feated by James J. Corbett, in 1892,
his personality and methods Of fight
ing completely dominated sporting
circles in the United States.
In the annals Of pugilism in th'
country two notable distinctions were
his: He was the last champion un-
der the London prize ring rules, and
he was the first native-born American
to succeed to the worlds champion
ship. 1t was largely through his
achievements that the championship
title was made prize Of great mon
etary value. In the early days Of
his career $1,000 a side was looked
on as great sum. He received only
$53 for the fight that made him a ma
tional character in fsticums and won
him the right to challenge Paddy
Ryan Tor the championship.
His friends ranged all the way
from the ordinary fight fan" to
many men OF social and financial dis
tinction in the United States, and it
is said he was OH cumming terms
with the late King Edward VII, Of
England.
Began at Seventeen.
He began his fighting career soon
after he was II, when as the "Boston
Strong Boy" he took part In amateur
boxing contests in several cities in
;Massa chusetts, If Sullivan's custom
airy procedure in his early youth
could be called boxing. Tactics,
strategy, plans of campaigns were all
swept away when John L. Sullivan
hammered his ruthless, undertaking
way to the front. His style was ata-
vistic, return to the simple, primi-
tive principle of battering an oppo-
nent into insensibility. IHis success,
coupled with his free manners, a cer-
tain social triumph and his subse-
quent position as semi-public char
acter, proclaimed him sort of dig
nitary In the sporting world.
His hardest fight was with Jake
Kilrain. 1t was fought near New Or
leans and lasted rs rounds. That
was the last championship contest in
the United States to be fought with
bare knuckles, under the old rules.
That fight practically decided the
uselessness Of trying to beat Sulli-
van by combating him in his own
sledge hammer style. "A 39-round
fight with Charley Mitchell, a wary
and skillful boxer, seemed to show
lighting managers that the great John
L. might be vulnerable to "A man who
could box well and stay with him
long enough to wear him down. The
opportunity to try this method on
the champion fell to Jas. j. Corbett
The purse was the largest ever put
up in ring battle up to that time
The purse was $4,000 and the
stakes $4,000. The fight that was
to end John LIS championship was
fought before the Olympic Club, Of
New Orleans. When the fight was
over there was new champion Of
the world. Sullivan was 81 at the,
time Of his defeat
Sullivan said himself that he made
two millions in tie fighting business
and spent one million Of it in buying
drinks for himself and his host Of adj
mirers.
The Foes He Vanquisled.
He had knocked out two hundred
men, Of one sort or another, in his
fighting career, and finally he said
that in a saloon in Terre Haute, Ind,
in 1905, he gave the "Black Bottle"
his greatest enemy, the knockout
wallop On the occasion Of the de-
cision with regard to the BLACK
Bottle, he said
e "If I take another drink, ] hope !
choke, so help me God" He never
took another, but kept up his fight
for temperance by lecturing occa-
sionally on the evils OF drink for
those who have athletic ambitions. =
He was born in Boston October Is,
1858, and passed the later years Of
his life on a farm which he owned
near West Abingdon, Mass. He was
t%ice married His first wife was
Annie Rates, Of Centerville, r. l.,
whom he married in 1882, but with
whom he lived only few months
and from whom he obtained di-
vorce on the ground of desertion af-
ter<2G years. At 81 years of age the
former champion took as his second
wife Kate Harkins, Of Roxbury, who
was his sweetheart years before
4 a -.