34
THE NEW YORK CLIPPER ANNUAL.
Heroes of the Prize Rikg.
Memorable Battles Royal Between Heavyweights of Old.
COMPILED EXPRESSLY FOR THE NEW YORK elLIPPER ANNUAL FOR 1892.
It is hardly necessary to say that the Prize Ring is an
institution that owes its origin to the hardy sons of Great
Britain, a race noted from time immemorial fejr their de¬
votion to outdoor pastimes and exercise.s. For many
years it Avas cherished by even the higher classes, fiir the
reason that it served to foster that spirit of manly cou-
ra.ge and self reliance which is among the leading safe¬
guards of a nation, and served to promote a love for ath¬
letic exercises the practice of Avhich called for the posses¬
sion of pluck, physical strength and stamina, Avhich are
national characteristics of that people. Their love for the
institution has not groAvn cold, although it is true that
the methods at present practised by the devotees of the
ring and their patrons are somcAvhat different from those
in vogue during Avhat the old timers delight to refer to as
"the halcyon days of the P. R." The object generally
sought to be. attained—a settlement of the question of
superiority by a fair and manly passage at arms in Avhicli
the weapons provided by nature alone figure—is precisely
the same as in the olden time. The exponents of the art
are in the main actuated by the same motives, the difter-
ence in the methods that now prevail from those of
former years being partly due to a change in public senti¬
ment, but, in greater degree, to the persistent opposition
of those goody-goody persons of puny physique Avho can¬
not see anything but brutality Avhen tAvo thoroughly
trained, Avell mated and able bodied men, uninfluenced
by feelings of hostility toAvard each other, meet for the
purpose of demonstrating the physical superiority of one
over the other. W^ere it in the poAver of these persons to
prevent it, even the perfectly innocent pastime of spar¬
ring in public with big gloA'es would be prohibited, they
being utterly unmindful of the self evident benefit accru¬
ing from a knoAA-ledge of the science e>f boxing as a means
of personal protection, thus unwittingly throAving the
Aveight of their influence in favor of the use of deadly
weapons for the purpose of self defence. Fortunately for
the public at large, howe\^er, this class of Avould be re¬
formers ara greatly in the minority, and ii? is unlikely
that the once cherished prize ring Avill ever become en¬
tirely a thing of the past. The masses in both England
and America are today quite as much interested in the
doings of the Knights of the Fives as they Avere in the
days of Figgand Broughton, Spring and Cribb, Donnelly
and Cooper, and other old time stars of the "squared
circle," and the result of matches betAveen prominent
pugilists is aAvaited nowadays quite a-^ eagerly as in the
■ days Avhen the titled nobs of the "tiglit little isle" AA-ere
wont to elbow one another at the ring side. Whatever
may be said detrimental to the ring by its opponents,
wherever a. love for outdoor sports and admiration for
personal proAvess are implanted in the breasts of the peo¬
ple, there will ever be found a fondness for that branch
of manly competition Avhich is so true a test of a man's
courage, endurance and acquired skill, and from the
ranks of Avhose exponents sprung a member of Parliament
and a United States Cemgressman. Next^ to Avitnessing
an actual contest within tlie ropes, the patrons of the P.
R. derive pleasure from perusing accounts of Av^ell fought
battles, and Avith this fact in vicAV we have made a resume
of some of the reports of the more important and sensa¬
tional battles royal between celebrated pu.gilists of the
old school, noAv laid at rest, a feature of thhs issue of The
Annual. Although more than thirt.y years have elapsed
since the last of these battles Avas contested, so intense
was the excitement created by them at the time that the
remembrance of them still lingers fresh in the memory
of those noAV living who witnessed them, while those Avho
have since arrived at man's estate have gained more or
less knowledge thereof from their elders. Scarcely a
week passes that we do not receive one or more queries
from correspondents regarding one or the other of these
memorable contests, and Avith a view to enlightenin.g the
present generation, as Avell as to refresh the memory of
our older readers, Ave present full details of each contest,
so that all may become thoroughly posted.
TOM HYER AND YANKEE SULLIVAN'S
Famous Battle for the Championship of
America and $I0,000.
It Avas not until the nineteenth century was far ad-
A-anced that the prize ring obtained a permanent foothold
on the soil ofthe ncAv republic ofthe We.st. The seed once
properly soAvn, hoAvever, the plant grcAv rapidly—as Avas
but natural, considering that the same sap that gave life
and strength to the parent tree also nourished the sturdy
sapling—gaining strength year by year until its branches
extended far and Avide, and fistic fruit Avas abundant. After
the lapse of a number of years a change came, the blight¬
ing influence of the pugilistic army Avorm Avas felt, and
the tree ceased to flourish as of yore; but, being of hardy
groAvth, it managed to survive the ravages of its enemy,
has of late years giA-en evidence of reneAved vitality, and
noAv bears fruit of better quality and in greater quantity
than the stock beyond the Atlantic from Avhich it sprung.
The doings ofthe earlier exemplars ol the art in America
are shrouded in darkness, there being in those days no zeal¬
ous P. R. historians to preserve the records of the perform¬
ances of those Avho practised the game of knuckles. It
has ce)me to be an accepted fact that the flrst encounter of
a pugilistic nature liaA-ing any claim A\-hateA-er to the dis¬
tinction of being classed as a prize fight, it being conduct¬
ed according to rule, Avas a match between Jacob Hyer and
Tom Beasley, both of them large, poAverful men, and the
former a butcher by trade. Several se\-ere rounds were
contested, when Hyer had the misfortune to fracture an
arm, mutual friends interfered, the combatants shook
hands and Avere ever after staunch friends. We mention
this affair chiefly for the reason that one of the principals
Avas the father of the first recognized champion of the
American prize ring—Tom Hyer, Avhose memorable battle
Avith that tough importation from the land of black¬
thorns, -'Yankee" Sullivan, Avhose real name was Frank
Ambrose Murray, first demands our attention. This bat¬
tle was pre-eminent in the early history of the American
prize ring, and seldom, if ever, since has so unequal
a combat been so saA-agely Avaged. The importance
given to it by reason of the prominence of the principals,
the fact that the stakes, $5,000 a side, Avere much larger
than had ever before been contended for in any country,
and the terrific style of fighting marking the contest,
served to link together inseparably the names of the com¬
batants, Avho from having been bitter enemies before the
fight afterAvards became SAVorn friends. The experience
and knowledge gained b.y Sullivan by previous engage¬
ments here and in England, over Hammer Lane, Vince
Hammond, Tom Secor, Professor Bell and Bob Caunt, and
the victories he achieved over them, made "Sull.y" the
pet of the Hibernian element in this city, CA^en then A-er.y
strong, and the houses he kept in Division and Centre
Streets constituted the headquarters of that faction.
Hyer, Avho Avas a native of the metropolis, was lookeel
upon in sporting circles as the leader of the Atnerican
division of the fancy, and the jealousy manifested by Sul¬
livan toward him Avas intensified Avhen H.Yer thrashed
"Country" McfClusky in an offhand fl.sht a fi^w miles up
the Hudson River, Sept. 9, 1848, the loser having been Sul¬
livan's right hand man. The feeling between the rival
parties ran high, and one evening the.y happened to meet
in a saloon at th? corner of BroadAvay and Park Place,
when Sullivan, who was slightly under the influence of
liquor, insulted H.yer, AA-ho gave him a sound beating
therefor. This bro-'ight matters to a focus, Sullivan issu¬
ing a public challenge, which was accepted, Avith the pro¬
viso that the stakes be $5,000 a side (which shows Avhat a
high strung felloAv Ifyer Avas), to Avhich Sullivan and his
backers Avere at first" inclined to demur; but so anxious
AA-as Yankee to "get 11" H.yer, Avhom he really belicA-ed he
could easily beat, tha*- the" proposal Avas agreed to, and a
match was made at the headquarters of Hyer, Ford's
Tavern, 28 Park Row-
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