THE SULLIVAN-KILRAIN FIGHT

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 342, 24 August 1889, Page 3

THE SULLIVAN-KILRAIN FIGHT

HOW THE FIGHT PROCEEDED, Notwithstanding the efforts of the Governors of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississipp, to prevent the contest in their respective States, the great boxing match between John L. Sullivan, of Boston, and Jake Kilrain, of Baltimore, both Irish-Americans, took place at Richburg, Miss., on Monday July Bth, within a stone’s throw of a coloured church. The battle-ground is just one hundred and five miles north of New Orleans, on the line of the Queen and Crescent railroad. The sheriff of the county interfered, at first, with a posse of fifty men, saying if the fight took place there it would have to be fought over his dead body; but finally, and perhaps influenced by the presence of more than 2,500 well armed and desperate roughs, he contented himself with making a protest, and then moved off with his little party. The ring was pitched about a quarter of a mile from the railroad track. As the men stood up in tbeir oorrers stripped for the fight, though each looked every inch a gladiator, there was apparently a great disparity in size, though if the weights reported by the respective parties be correc’, their disparity was more apparent then real. Kilrain's was reported at 195 pounds, and Sullivan's at 205. Kilrain was handled by Charley Mitchel), of London, and Sullivan by William Muldoon, the wrestler of New York. Time was called at exactly 10.24 o’clock a.m., and the fight lasted just two hours 15 minutes and 25 seconds, during which time 75 rounds were fought, and the battle terminated in favor of John L. Sullivan, who now holds the diamond belt as champion of the world, besides receiving 20,000d01. in stake money. It wasjobserved that during the fight Kilrain played a waiting game, much to the disgust of the crowd. He always came out of his own corner promptly enough; but the spectators objected to his walking about the ring instead of standing always at the scratch and opposing the stronger man in his own style. The referee also objected to Kilrain’s tactics. During all this dodging and dancing around, however, Kilrain had managed to land again and again on Sullivan’s stomach, and though in his weakened condition the blows had not much force, they seemed to worry Sullivan seriously. In the 44th round, he began to vomit freely just as he came to the scratch, and Donovan, one of Kilrain’s backers, called to his man to go in and finish him; but Kilrain smilingly dropped his hands, and waited for Sullivan to get through with his vomiting. This was unfortunate for Kilrain, however, for he threw away his last chance, if chance he had of winning the fight. As soon as Sullivan had done vomiting he appeared a much fresher and stronger man than he had been in the two previous rounds In the 75th and last round, as Kilrain was raised to his feet, he staggered out of his corner, and then wandered in a dazed sort of way along beside the ropes, instead of coming to the scratch. He had staggered along in this way for about 15 feet when Sullivan came after him. Without putting up his hands Kilrain faced his big antagonist smilingly. Sullivan seemed loth to strike him, and hesitating a moment or two, he advanced again, threatening him with his right. Kilrain faced him as pluckily as ever, but the big man brushed away his guard as easily as if it had been a spider web. and with a very moderate blow on the cheat knocked him down. Mitchell now went over into Sullivan's corner, and said : “I suppose if we give this up you will give Jake a present?’’ Sullivan said, “0, yea ; that's all right.” But Johnston, his backer, said “No, we won’t.” Sullivan said, “That settles it, then ; we’ll fight.” At this Donovan threw up the sponge. The moment it rose in the air the crowd broke for the ring, and crowding round the two pugilists, tendered homage and sympathy as the case demanded.

AFTER THE BATTLE. Kilrain was carried down to the depot in a buggy, and was carefully wrapped up. All the way down, and even after he had taken his seat in the train, he seemed to bemoan his defeat, and at times wept bitterly. His mouth was badly swollen, and a bleeding cut disfigured the upper and lower lips, the left ear was cut and swollen, the left eye also. Tbe skin over the left portion of the ribs was pounded into rawness, while upon each shoulder were bruised spots. The neck was swollen in places. The wounded man steadily refused morphine either heperdermically or internally. Sullivan was comparatively uninjured. Kilrain lost eight pounds during the fight, and Sullivan six and a quarter. The former asserts that he lost the fight through Mitchell’s carelessness and negligence in training him, and even went so far as to say poison had been used. Kilrain and Mitchell have parted in anger. Mitchell now confesses Kilrain was not fit to fight, as he was suffering from an abscess in the groin, and lately had to undergo three surgical operations. In making this admission he accuses himself of fraud on the public and Kilrain's backers.

Billy Murphy, feather-weight champion of New Zealand and Australia, defeated Johnny Griffin before the California Athletic Club, on July 12. The fight lasted only three rounds and Griffin could not get anywhere near Murphy, The winner will fight Johnny Murphy, feather-weight champion of England, in a 'ortnight.