THE RING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 848, 1 June 1888, Page 13

THE RING.

‘Home they Brought the Warrior Dead/ THE FALL OF SULLIVAN. / 1 Boston's coldest day’ the American papers call the day on which the news came through that John L. had not killefi Chatley, Mitchell. The American of the Sportsman gives highly amusing'-pat-:, ticulars of the weeping and wailing whiph went on in the hub of the universe' when news’ was brought, ‘Boston sports,’ he says, do not sing their old favorite song. ‘ He is going over to Europe, And will put them all to sleep.’ They are Badly disappointed, and do not attempt to disguise it. When the first news that the fight was on was reoeived the crowds began to gather in front of the bulletin board, and as message after message arrived the streets' grew blaok with people, so that the horse cars could hardly crowd their way along. At last, about two o’clock, the cable came telling it was a draw. Then the men howled, and hissed with anger that could not be 1 snppresed. ‘lt is a fake." ’ It’s a give away.’ ‘Sullivau is drunk.’ ‘lt is a lie.' ‘God help our champion!’ * This is a cold day for Boston.’ These and a hundred other expressions of disgust aud anger were heard on every side The champion’s defeat was a defeat for Boston, aud Boston sports mourned and refused to be comforted. ‘ It is a lie!’ said Mike Sullivan, John L.’s brother. * No Charley Mitchell can have any show with our John. The cables are bis.’ In a short time Mike received a cable from Ned Holske saying it was a draw and that Mitchell had made a splendid showing. Then Mike grew angry and said that Annie Livingston, John L.’s second wife, was to blame. * She is playing him for a fool,’ said Michael, ‘aid .he lias completely lost his head for her. Poor John 1 I am sorry for him. He has brought disgrace upon himself and upon his family.’ Other opinions vary. Jim Keenan said : ‘ I am sorry for Snllivan. lie is too good-natured. His success has turned his head, and he thinks be "can whip anybody without an effort. He finds he is sadly mistaken. It has taught him a lesson if he will profit by it.’ Jimmy Colville, Sullivan’s old baoker : ‘ Too bad, too bad. Mitchell is a sly dodger. Sullivan should have insisted on having a sixteen foot ring, and refused to fight in'anything larger. Then he could have cornered his man and whipped him easily. As it was, Mitchell dodged around and played ’possum until John was i winded. It was no fair fight; but it has hurt Sullivan badly just the same.’ William Ilagarty : * Don’t say a word. This is a cold day for ns. John was a fool to get led into the trap. I am- going to bed.’ Tom Early : ‘lt is a Tug Wilson show over again. Mitchell just dodged and fell down to save, himself. It-is a shame. Wait until John gets him in a sixteen foot ring. This fight is not over yet.’ Captain Cook : ‘ I am awfully sorry. John must make a brace now or his name is Dennis.’ Colonel George H. Eland : * I fee! like committing Suicide. It is wrong—all wrong.’ George Hosmer ; ‘I had rather give lOOOdol. out of iny own pocket than to have this happen. ! Sullivan’s reputation has gone. Ho must repair at once if he wants backers.’ Maj or O Brien : ‘ I am sorry for Sullivan. I hope the report will proove untrue.’ Jack M'Auliffe, the champion light weight pugilist of America, said : — 1 It is ono of the biggest surprises in the record of the ring, and i hows man with a good pair of legs is as' good as a man with a good -pair of hands. Now, I haven’t read the detailed report, but I’ll wager that Mitchell rail away from the big fellow, who took his medicine when it was adminstwred. It is astonishing, for I believe that if Sullivan got in a good blow it would be good-bye Charley. Join Allen, the ex-champion of the world, said : ‘J believed all along that Sullivan was a big duffer, and that he woula be whipped iu a twenty-fear foot ring. Gloves are oi.e thing and the bare lists another. I 1 believe Mitchell could have finished him if ho kept on.’ Billy Edwards, ex-lighfc weight chum, pion of America, who was defeated in a glove contest by Charley Mitchell, at Madison Square GardeD, said ‘ I expected to hear that Mitchell was whipped iu twenty minutes. I must admit that the light ivas virtually a victory for Mitchell. J believe that I have talked to a thousand people since the news of the light first reached

us, and everybody agrees in saying that WO must give Mitchell credit for having fought most gamely. “But McCaffrey kept away from Sullivan, and why should not Mitchell do the same ?” was the way' some people argued. But it seems that Mitchell is a much better man than most people gave him credit for being.’

Dempsey; the middle-weight champion of America, was not at all scared, and said ho was just as anxious as ever to meet Mitchell.

It is to be feared that >3lavin has a high imagination. Ho tells the Sportsman that ‘ the kindness of the Maoris grew offensive at times ’ aud that the Maori women crowded ali round him, pinching his arms and legs, and making the most violent endeavors to rub noses with him. ‘As you know,’ says the champion, ‘ I’m one of the most modest men in the world, and the way soma of the dusky-skinned ladies pulled me about, made me flush all over. I never saw anything like it in my life. What do I think of New Zealand ? "Why, it’s a splendid country. Steamers and trains run in all directions, and the islands are covered with excursionists. When I wasn’t busy training I used to pop all .over the place. Even when in work I surprised the folks on Sunday when I drove out in my buggy.. Among other beautiful spots I visited wa3 the Otira Gorge, Picton . Sound, etc. I went as far as Rotomahana. Here I saw the wreck worked by volcanic outburst and earthquake. good many of the books are very ‘tariff’ down in New Zealand, and if you win a bit an order is given you on someone else who owes them money. The whole business is rotten. As for boxing, the people had had such a lot of ‘ scblenters ’ that they were disgusted. We gave them a good show at low prices, and they were better pleased, and told us if we came back we should do .well. Yes, there was' some talk of Mick Dooley being matched against Laing. But it fell through. The idea was to fight for £IOO a-sido with bare knuckles in the field, and there’d have been precious little for Dooley in that after ex,pense£ were paid. Following are the articles of agreement between Slavin and Burke :—Articles of Agreement entered into this 14th of May, 18SS, between Jack Burke, of Chicago, U.S., and Frank P. Slavin, of Melbourne, under which they agree to box eight rounds Marquis of Queensberry rules. The match to take place on Monday, 9th July, ISBS, iu some hall to be mutually agreed on. The gatemoney to be divided in the proportion of 75 per cent, to the winner and 25 per cent, to the loser, after all expenses are paid. The referee anrl time-keeper to be chosen from the spectators on the night of the match. The boxers to be on the stage not later than y. 15 p.m. Murphy, the celebrated light-weight, was in Wellington this week. He tells me lia has come down with a view to arranging a match with Paine, an Australian lightweight of repute. Murphy, however, is as usual ready for unything in the way of an engagement.