The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-28
Here's Funniest
 "Fight'' of AT
Peter Maher Almost Hits MorrisSey Before Knock
 ing Him Out
By>JAMEs J. CoRBETT.

I | Nothing more humorous in the way Of
 fistic battle" ever was staged than
 the affair between Peter Maher and
 Mike Morrissey back in 1899. | Some of Peters, warmest admirers
 were grouped in a cafe Ate in the spring
 of that year--al busy shouting the praises of the Irish warrior. | Nobody in the world can whip him now" declared one
 Nobody every whipped him fairly, shrleked another.
 "Fitz had horseshoe in his glove , when he did it. Nobody ever licked Pe-
 ter on the square-nobody. And nobody | can do it now"
 | Just about then Gene Comiskey-so the racounters of the tale insist-joined the crowd and opined;
 Maher."
 Who is he-who is he-ye liar" bel I lowed the Maher adherents. 1 His name is Mike Morrissey-and he's i champion of Ireiand," replied Comis- key. If you fellows don't think that 1 Morrissey can whip Peter you go and l tell some matchmaker about 1t and I'll
 ble to Europe and have Morrssey | come here and knock the life out of your ' Peter"
 BOYS MATCHED l The next day the newspaper boys printed the story of an Irishman who could whip Maher. Some of them wanted more detailed information about
 Morrissey. They hunted up Comiskey. He supplied them. Not one of the writers ever had heard about Morrssey but they took Comiskeys word for it. For in those days there wasn't much cable traffic as far as sporting stories were concerned and the writers realized that a fighter could be doing great things in Ireland without much news Of | it trickling into this country. I And so the town became "smoked up over a match between Peter Maher and "the Great Mike Morrissey." | Finally the men were matched to meet l in a 2O-rounder, for a purse of about 1 B, ,000, of which SO per cent went to the | winner and 40 per cent to the loser. A huge crowd turned out that June night to see the battling between the two | sons of Erin and vociferous cheers runS out as each man climbed into the, ring. | Comiskey carefully had kept Morrissey | under cover until fight night. Ha
 wouldn't tell the newspaper men on what boat the fighter arrived and had I him train secretly He spoke freely Of Morrisseys physical greatness and he
 was not telling an untruth in that con
 nection.
 For Morrissey was impressive, huge of | frame, huge of bulk, with muscles hulg- ! ing everywhere; he almost dWarfed
 Maher as he jumped into the ring and | swaggered around
 1 The bell rang for the first round | Peter Maher numbered out toward the slow moving Morrissey. Getting into l range. Peter crouched a little, pullea | l.. fc~ f,x aAl ri fectly and then, just as he was about 10 swing, the crowd was electrified to see
 Morrissey drop to the floor in apparent agony.
 l "Get up-get up" yelled the referee, as l he began his count I
 "I will not-I will not" answered Morrissey crawling even farther away from Maher.
 Get up-get up-he didn't hit you, you big stiff" snarlcd the rereree.
 HE NEARLY GOT IT
 Sure he didn't hit measure he didn't. But he wanted to. didn't he? Lookit him now--waiting to strike me. Morrissey was counted out-and the fight was oyer Afterward when the misses and the hoots died down some body got hold of Coiniskey and said:
 Hey where did you really dig up that
 guyr'
 Down on the docks,' grinned com iskey n,
 "It's this way" added Comislley: Il heard those Maher fellows yelling loudly about Peter So, to kid them, l oegah to prattle about Mike Morrlssey. long shoreman that I'd only seen once before in my life. They took me seriously-so did the newspapers. So had to go through with it. I dug up Morrissey, trained him for week on corned beer and cabbage-plenty of it-and then sent ihim up against Peter. Mike took one look at Peter, decided that II wash going to be the burlesque afialr .u lo'' hin, about-and promptly took dive (C.opyright 1920, by King Features syn dicate, Inc.) hor. and that was where the trouble