The Connecticut labor news., 1923-07-13

OSplelIlD6T /, lo9Z, al NeW OIlSdIlS Sullivan was champion at the time and Corbett had come to the front by his remarkable work on the coast John L. was a popular idol and had a following which no other fighter be- fore or since could command. The story of that fight can best be told now by Jack McAuliffe, former light weight champion, and the only man to retire from the ring undefeated McAulige was in Sullivan's corner that night and relates interestingly what occurred there during the course of the battle which marked the undoing of a champion of the old school and the rise to fame of a dis ciple of the new school of boxing.
 "It was tragedy from the start The Sullivan that went down before Corbett was no more the mighty John L. that was than I am now the McAuliffe that whipped Billy Meyer in the three-day carnival in which two of the famous three jacks lost worlds titles" began the retired lightweight champion to a New York World writer.
 "You see Sullivan had gone a pret- ty stiff pace. He had been prepared for the bout with Corbett along the
 
 down on Long Island shore and they had him ploughing through the sand with lead in the bottoms of his shoes, figuring that when he got into the ring with Corbett, he'd miss the lead and be fast, a thing they knew he had to be If ever he hoped to catch the California speed marvel.
 Gone in Third Round.
 "It took Corbett 2I rounds to bring Sullivan down-rather< 1t was 2I rounds before the brave old fellow collapsed and sank to the floor with all his facilities, save locomotion, with him, but his string had run out If Corbett had only known, he might have stopped Sullivan in the third round. John was gone then. was his second. He was my pal and pride. I had wagered $I8,5oo on his chances, every dollar that 1 possessed in this world at the time. e#..
 "In flaming him after the bell rang ending the third round, the towel hap pened to hit his leg. He nodded to ward them and whispered: Gone, Jack-GONE'
 "I pleaded with him to take his time. He had been rushing out of his corner and across the ring after Cor I When I realized that his legs were going, I said: John, don't chase that fellow. When the bell rings for this next round remember you are the champion. Make this fellow come to you But Corbett was too foxy and so was Brady. They didn't dare send l the young fellow into our corner after the champion. A4.
 The result was that Sullivan kept | after him and the crowd was yelling | and booing Corbett, demanding that | he stand up and fight. l can't blame | him and know now that he fought a winning fight against an old man. Corbett had the battle planned move for move and blow for blow.
 'I'll never forget the look on poor John L. face after he had missed the first two or three punches aimed at Corbett's jaw. When he realized that he had lost all sense of judgment and | distance he seemed to shrivel up be- fore our eyes. He knew the cham fore he finally collapsed
 Flew at Corbett in Rage.
 Each time he promised to wait af- : Corbett to walk all the way across
 
 vans strength and making Corbett do the work But the minute the bell rang each round Sullivan, enraged at how things were going and because of Corbetts easy, winning gait, flew at him like a hawk "Gradually the old fellow weakened and he amazed us in the corner when he brushed aside a proffered drink of brandy, something he really needed.
 That showed what a hopeless case he thought his own. BUT game-gad, he was game! He made no protest, said NOTHING. He was taking his medicine like the true warrior that he was. Sullivan knew no defeat until then and 1t seemed to grip him like some great unseen hand.
 "Foolishly some. one had advised | his wearing felt fighting shoes instead ] of leather They were fighting on packed sand-not the canvas floor of today. 1 knew something about the 1 difficulty of fighting on that sand, and i I had carried into Sullivan's corner | a little roll of oilcloth which I spread l out under his feet after every round in | an effort to keep the sand from col | 1ecting on the felt shoes, but even | that precaution did not help much | He was bound to get water on them, and with every step he was picking up sand, so that after a while he was moving about like man wearing 1 Oregon boots.
 Sullivan went along without say ing a word or commenting until just 1 before the I7th round began. He ] looked up at me and said softly: | Jack, I'll take your advice about | making him come over here after me- Do that John, DO THAT l begged, still hoping that he would 1 save himself and my poor old $I8,- 5oo Then the bell rang for the It7h