Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1889 — SULLIVAN IS CHAMPION. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SULLIVAN IS CHAMPION.

KILRAIN DEFEATED BT BOSTON’S FAMOUS PUGILIST. ' The Great Battle or the Giant* at Rlchburg, Mis*.—Seventy-five Round* Fought. Although the Contest Was Virtually Settled In the Third— Details of the Fight. The great battle for the championship of tha world, SIO,OOO, and the Fox championship belt, between John L. Sullivan and Jake Kilrain, was fought on the morning of the Bth near Richburg, Miss., and was won by Sullivan in seventy-five rounds, occupying two hours and five minutes, the sponge being thrown up for Kilraiu at the end of that time. The battle Mas one of the hardest ever fought between big men in this country, but from start to finish Sullivan had decidedly the better of it. Kilrain did not prove to be the wonderful wrestler represented, for Sullivan threw as often as he was thrown, and with far greater severity. The day was intensely hot, and this added to the punishment of the men. John Fitzpatrick, ot New Orleans, was the referee. He is an honest man, but he is not fully posted on the rules of the London prize ring, and he exorcised great leniency toward Kilrain, who went down repeatedly without a blow, In the

most deliberate manner. He equalized matters somewhat, however, by twice overlooking fouls of Sullivan, who once Hat down on Kilraiu’s breast, and another time jumped on him with both knees. Sullivan had Kilrain completely whipped in the third round, although they fought through sevouty-two rounds more. Kilrain tried at tin* first, round a kind of tactics whioh he Bhonld have known better than to try on so heavy a man. He began to rush Sullivan and to wrestle with him in the hope of winding the big fellow. The result was tho other way. Kilrain threw the Boston boy in the first two rounds and had him punished not a littlo. In tho third round Kilrain sprang again for tho big fellow and endeavored to clinch him. Sullivan threw his brawny left arm around Kilrain's neck and with his ponderous right he hammered Kilrniu's left side The spectators thought tho awful blows of that brawny fist would rupture the massive mass of muscles which bound Kilrain's abdomen. Then Hinging the Baltimorean away, with his left Sullivan struck him just below the left ear. Kilrain then fell in a vain effort to repeat his performance of throwing Sullivan and falling on him. Those blows settled Kilrain. When ho was picked up and carried to his corner he said to Mitchell, his second: “Charlie, I am knocked out." The bluff English pugilist would not listen to the suggestion and for two mortal hours h® forced the game young man from Baltimore into the middle of the ring to be hammered into & mass of aching ffesh. After that round Kilrain had no heart. H® stalked lazily into tho ring at the call of time, only to be knocked down by Sullivan or to run away from the huge flst which had wrought him already so much injury. At the fourth round, after dodging Sullivan's blows with every indication that it was fear, not pugilistic science, that prompted the manceuverß, Kilrain madean attempt to fight as though ho meant it. He landed his right on Sullivan’s ear. and the big fellow, inured to pain as he was, fairly winced. But he was paid in most painful kina. Sullivan smashed right and left on face and neck and abdomen. Again and again Sullivan planted his fist on the place, now so red and Inflamed and sore, on Kilrain’s left side, just below the short ribs. Every time Kilraiu saw. Sullivan’s eye glance toward that spot ho winced involuntarily. Sullivan saw the motion and followed up his advantage for all it was worth.

Sullivan’s two main points of attack on the 1 body of his opponent were the injured ribs and! back of the left ear. Blow after blow was rained on both these bruised spots and still Kilrain insisted, or rather bis seconds insisted, that he) should continue to suffer in the hope that byl some fluke Sullivan might commit a foul ana the #IO.OOO stakes would be saved to his backers.; Kilrain’s only honor in the battle was in the sixth round, when Sullivan’s ear, which Jake had split by a left-hand upper cut in the fifth 1 round, gave forth the crimson blood and first blood was awarded to Kilrain. The sight of blood seemed to drive the crowd crazy. They yelled and screamed, and jabbered, now at tha fighters, now at the referee, now at one another. Like the Roman populace of old they had become drunk with tne sight of human bloqd. i But the honor was short-lived. Scarcely had the claim for first blood been allowed when Sul-; livan caught Kilrain on the right ear with his' right fist and Jake fell in a heap on his hands and knees. It was the first knock-down of the] fight and was awarded to Sullivan. They came oftener after that and they wore all to Sulli-I van’s credit. Not once did Kilrain bit bis man hard’enough to make him stagger. The seventy-fifth round ended the fight. It’ was no different from the fifty preceding ones. Kilrain after many protests was forced to the scratch by Mitchell and Donovan. He stood' irresolute for a moment. Sullivan came at him, like a mad bull, and Kilrain put up his hands in a listless sort of way. There was no suggest tion of either attack or vigorous defense in the motion or in the attitude. Kilrain then dropped his hands and ran around the ring, Sullivan following him with a smile of mingled malice and contempt on his face. He overtook Kilrain near Hull!van’s own corner, struck him first on the nock and then in the face. Kilrain fell, groaned, threw his arm over his face as if to ward off further blows. Then Mike Donovan, one of Kilrain’s seconds,' ran over to where his prostrate principal lay and tossed in the air the sponge with which he had been bathing Kilrain’g body between tha rounds, and this was the acknowledgment of defeat.

One thing is evident. Sullivan is no match for Kilrafu either as a wrestler or boxer. Give Kilrain Sullivan’s immeasurable driving power and expanse of chest and shoulder and no man could stand against him. Kilraiu’s pluck and gameness was a theme of i admiration for those \v hoi understand ring strategy and true endurancq. Sullivan got in a fierce blow on his side under the heart, from which he never recovered. An ordinary man would have thrown up the sj)onge in the next round. Kilrain’s seconds themselves acknowledged that the fight was over then, but with the indifference of a stoic and the pluck of a hero, Kilrain continued the unequal struggle and administered many a stinging blow to his adversary, and yet’ in Bi>ite of this, an indiscrimi.uating crowd, mistaking caution and strategy for cowardice, yelled at Kilrain, calling him “cur” and “coward’* when ho sought to avoid Sullivan's blow by dodging, or when he tried to outwind him by retreating before him around the ring. It is undeniably true that after the ninth) round, when suffering excruciating pain from this, bruise under the heart and repeated knockdowns, Kilrain did lay himself open to the charge of “foul" by falling down when not apparently knocked down. These fouls were re*’ peatedly claimed, but never allowed by the> referee. tKill ain’s friends buoyed him up throughout! the fight by picturing to him the effect of de- 1 feat upon Ids wife and children. Just before the fight the Sheriff of Marion, County came and commanded the peace. Bud Benaud, the manager, replied smilingly;’ “That’s all right, Mr. Sheriff; you have dona your duty." And then the fight went on. An inventory of the personal results of th» mill will show that Mr. Sullivan has a split ear,' two black eyes, swelled hands, and numerous bruises on ids body caused by Mr. Kilratn’a fists. Mr. Kilrain lias a black eye, a broken nose, a split mouth, a split ear, and any number of bruises, and very probably internal Injuries which may prove serious. Sullivan’s repeated blows on Kllrain’s ribs seemed to leave a permanent indentath n in ihe man's body, and soon after the fight he b. g m to spit blood. On the car he was inconsolable over his defeat and would not be comforted. Big tears coursed down his cheeks and he cried like a boy. _ __

JOHN L. SULLIVAN.