The Washington Post 1905

At the time, when Hyer, Sullivan,and Morrissey flourished, in New York, feeling between the Native Amerircan and the Tammany parties -was very bitter. The native Americana or Know Nothings promulgated a political platform which was calculated to restrict preferment to native-born persons. This did not meet with the approval of the Tammany party, in which many Irishmen were enrolled.

Bill Poole, the great rough and tumble fighter, who afterward met Morrissey in the famous dock fight at the foot of Canal street, New York, was the leader of the Washington Market faction of the Native American party, Hyer, also a butcher In the Washington, (Market, was affiliated with the Native Americana.

Bill Poole, the great rough and tumble fighter, who afterward met Morrissey in the famous dock fight at the foot of Canal street, New York, was the leader of the Washington Market faction of the Native American party, Hyer, also a butcher In the Washington, (Market, was affiliated with the Native Americana.

Morrissey a Tammanyite.

John Morrissey, then assuming prominence in affairs of Tammany Hall, very naturally came Into opposition to Poole and Hyer, because he was to his party what they were to theirs, a first-class fighting man-. After Yankee Sullivan had fought and beaten, but lost the decision to Morrisey on -a Job, near Buffalo," Poole and the Native Americans started to provoke Morrisey into fighting Hyer, who had beaten Sulllvan at Baltimore.

Hyer was a giant, 6 feet 5 inches tall,and weighing 180 pounds. Sullivan was a 160 pounder and 9 Inches less in height than Hyer. He was clever and game, but he could not get beyond the long reach of Hyer, who gave him an unmerciful drubbing.

As Sullivan had previously proved equal to cutting Morrissey to shreds, the Native American party -was encouraged to match Hyer against the latter, Sullivan, always game, was willing to fight, but his party, -with whom he was immensely popular, had more sense than Morrissey had. It refused to allow him to meet Hyer.

Bill Poole and his friends started a systematic -campaign to drive Morrissey Into fighting Poole rough and tumble. They dared Morrissey to come down on the dock. Morrissey would not, take the dare.Hyer was a much larger man In height than. Morrissey, but Poole and he were well matched in size. They fought an awful battle, biting, gouging, kicking, and doing everythlng possible to each other.

After an hour of fighting up and own in which Morrissey was given rather the worst of it spectators who had some sparks of humanity left, separated them, when they were lying down gnawing each other like dogs.

Baker Shot and Killed Poole.

Morrissey’s friends were angered at the setback suffered 'by their champion. They dared Poole to meet Morrissey at Stanwick's, a famous restaurant and saloon on Murder -Bow, Broadway, between Houston and Bleecker Poole, deadly game as Morrissey, accepted the defiance, He went, met Lou Baker, had an argument with him. Started to do Baker, and was shot and killed. Baker went to sea, but so strong was his party that it had a ship of war sent after hirn. He was arrested on the high seas taken back, tried, and acquitted of murder.

Morrissey never met Hyer, though for years Hyer looked for a fight. Morrissey was eager to battle,but his friends, fearing results, would not permit him to do so.

The famous fighter, who later was a State Senator and Congressman, was a man of some 5 feet 10 Inches, weighed 160 pounds He had a tremendous head, was loose-Jointed, splay-footed and awkward. He, was a poor boxer, but a hard hitter and of unequaled pluck. Yankee Sullivan, a much smaller man, gave him a terrific drubbing. It is said by a spectator at the fight that Sullivan fairly crunched the bone in Morrissey’s nose by repeated left-hand punches. So badly was the organ Injured that Morrissey never could have It restored. He went to his grave suffering from the effects of the beating Sullivan gave him.

.This Sullivan was a man with a history. Exiled from Ireland for a political offense to Australia, he began his fighting in New Tasmania . It is said that while in prison in Ireland, on board ship and In Australia, be was repeatedly flogged; indeed had his back cut to ribbons In efforts to make him divulge the names of his conspirators against the British, government to Ireland.

After serving years in the penal settlements he escaped to America. He fought some unimportant battles here, then went abroad and beat Hammer Lane, 'then a great English middle-weight. Coming from America earned him the name of Yankee. He was very clever. Hammer' Lane, whom he beat, was quite as good a man as Tom Sayers, the famous champion of the world, who fought Heenan the great draw for the first international Anglo-American championship.

Hyer Idol of His Party.

After Hyer beat Sullivan he became the Idol of his party In New York. He went Into business, but failed to prosper. Dissipation resulted in an early death. He died in a furnished room on Fourth street, abandoned by all save a few friends of the ring. Hyer was a handsome fellow and hard fighter, but knew very little of the fine art of boxing. Tall and of great bone, he did not weigh over 175 pounds when reduced to the fine condition pugilsts of his day affected when fighting. He was a graceful, dashing, stylish chap, a fine dresser and looker.

Morrissey was anything but clever. His great hold was to butt with his head. He could butt a hole In the side of a battleship,and in his fight with Poole did his prettiest in this line. He was a man of worth and parts. He made much money, owned a big cafe in New York, the race track at Saratoga. Politically he could have anything he wanted in New York. When John Kelley,who succeeded Tweed as chief of Tammany Hall, opposed Morrissey for election, he printed pamphlets calling him every name he could think of.

Morrissy ran independently. Despite the wonderful power opposed to him he was triumphantly elected by the Tammany men themselves. It was one of the few times the members of that organization rebelled and refused to do their leader's bidding.

In later years Morrissey speculated on Wall street. That made him die poor. His wife was, after his death, a charge on his friends.

NEBRASKA STATE JOURNAL, 1910.

JOHN MORRISSEY FIGHT WITH "YANKEE" SULLIVAN

'PRIZEFIGHTER, Adventurer Politician, Began in a Paper Mill and Made a Million, Went to Congress, Defied Tweed and Kelly and Was Never Beaten in a Fair Fight on Any Battle Ground.

As the first period in the history of the prize ring ends with "Tom" Johnson, and the second with "Tom" Spring, so the third the brief championship of "Tom" King. from the 60's on the ring became less and less an exclusively British institution, the influence of America, and later Australasia, changing conditions and traditions.

After the retirement of King, his old opponent, "Jem" Mace, who is still living in London, a hale, hearty and well liked old man, resumed the world's title, which had been wrested from him. A retrospect at this point is necessary to trace the course of the American championship before it became merged with the championship of the world.

The first recorded championship fight in this country was between Jacob Hyer and Thomas Beasley,in 1816,won by the former. The next American boxer of note was "Tom" Hyer, who beat John McCuster in 101 rounds in 1841.Hyer retained the national title by defeating "Yankee" Sullivan in 1849.

A few years later John Morrissey appeared as a claimant, and a match, was made, but Hyer forfeited. This left Sullivan and Morrissey to decide between them the question of the American championship.

THERE were "gang" fights in Troy during 1840,the kind that used to rage in the streets of American cities as fiercely as any factional row of Middle Age Italy. Few persons were interested save the good citizens of Troy, who thought dolefully upon their shattered windows, but out of the flurry of clubs and brickbats came a man. It was John Morrissey.

John Morrissey never cared much for cudgels and flying missiles. Nature hail endowed him with a frame of iron, two gigantic fists, the qualities of honesty, shrewdness and the force of the leader. Instead of marshalling his cohorts of the "uptown gang" in the heaving of rocks upon the "downtown gang," he took a cleaner, a more effective and more congenial way of impressing his immediate views upon his opponents.

Within a. year, having then attained the age of eighteen, he called out and conquered in single combat, one after another, nine of the enemy. The thing was done quite casually and with no other reason than because he preferred a Standup fight to his breakfast mid the arbitrament to fists to that of bricks. When it was over the "downtowners" were crushed, if that meant anything, and John 'Morrissey was a great name in what sporting circles the country could boast of.

Tipperary was the county of his birth, and while he was engaged in his vanquishing of the nine he worked first in a paper mill and later in an iron foundry." where one of his fellow employees was John C. Heenan, who afterward made such an ambitious 'bid for pugilistic fame. In 1850 ho found himself stranded in New York with $5 in his jeans, ready to fight anything that stood on two feet. nothing of that class being forthcoming, he joined the gold rush and stowed away on the mail steamer to Panama.

Escaping righteous wrath by slipping ashore at the isthmus, he tried his $5 against a faro bank, ran it up to $700,and then lost, his last cent. A steamer was about to start from the other side for California, ticket quoted at $1,500. With a companion, Cunningham, he evaded the armed sentries and stowed away a second time. Three days out they were discovered and were about to be set ashore at, the end of the earth -Acapulco - when the steerage mutinied. "Who'll stand by me?" asked the captain. "We're here," said Morrissey, leading Cunningham forward .

"Can you fight?" asked the captain. "Why, sir," said Morrissey, "in a manner of speaking, it's my trade." So the two overawed the mutineers and earned their passage to Sail Francisco, Morrissey using the steerage as a training camp.

After an unsuccessful venture to Queen Charlotte's Island in search of gold Morrissey came back to San Francisco, once more penniless, to find that one styling himself George Thompson was announced as the general challenger for the pugilistic title of California and $1,000. This was n windfall, Morrissey hunted up backers and put away Thompson and his $1000 in eleven rounds. Then he returned to the East, challenged "Tom" Hyer, the champion of America, and assumed that title himself when Hyer forfeited.

Taking the management a public house in New York, Morrissey became the centre of local sporting Interest and led a checkered and active lifts for sonic years, finding fights, scratch, pitched or rough and tumble, wherever an opportunity presented. During this time he gained his nickname of "Old Smoke." While engaged in a trifling discussion with a customer hight McCann Morrissey knocked over a stove and fell prostrate upon this glowing coals, where his adversary pinned him. McCann repeatedly asked him if he had had enough, while the champion roasted and smoked in torment. Morrissey's answer was to twist himself free, when he proceeded to settle Mr. McCann in convincing manner.

The Sullivan Challenge.

In 1853 he was challenged by "Yankee" Sullivan, who had suffered defeat at the hands of "Tom" Hyer, for the title and $2,000. Morrissey accepted with alacrity. He was just turned twenty-three, a rugged, compact, clean muscled gladiator, in perfect condition and spoiling for more trouble. Fighting was the breath, of life to him. The prospect of a set to with such a man as Sullivan filled him with delight. Here, at last, was an opponent worthy of his best efforts, calling for every ounce of his fine young, red blooded strength.

They met at Boston Four Corners,103 miles from New York, on October 12. The place was well chosen, for by some strange oversight it was temporarily outside the jurisdiction of all authority. Massachusetts had ceded it to New York and New York had failed to accept. To Boston Four Corners, accordingly, swarmed some five thousand fight followers, sure of good sport and freedom from interference. was the first to drop his cap within the ropes and to climb through with his attendants. He stripped at about 170 pounds. "Yankee" Sullivan and his assistants appeared shortly before two o'clock, and final preparations were hurried through with. Sullivan stood Up at about 150 pounds. He was a stocky man, much shorter than Morrissey, but hard bitten and solid as a stone pillar. Veteran of many battles, he was forty years old, but fresh and active, depending not only upon his superior knowledge of the game but upon a strength and endurance as yet un sapped by age. Whatever advantage in science lay between the men rested decidedly with Sullivan, though the fight was not likely to bring forth any startling display of technique on either side. These were days when scientific boxing was little known and less appreciated on this side of the Atlantic, when a ring meeting was a downright test of manhood within certain simple limits.

When the colored "kerchiefs bad been tied to the stakes, stars and stripes for Morrissey, black for Sullivan, time was called and the men advanced to the centre, eyeing each other watchfully. The attitude of neither could be called graceful. They stood upright, with hands high and knees bent, ready for hard knocks rather than shifty play. At the last moment Morrissey's second, eager to show himself awake to his principal's interests, sprang forward and .protested against the length of the spikes, In Sullivan's shoes. The quibble was contemptuously put aside by Morrissey, who look the occasion to make Sullivan a final offer of $8OO to $1.000 side bet. Sullivan shook his head and hostilities were joined.