Could John L Sullivan throw down in a street fight?

Bill1234 · Aug 23, 2008

AREA 53 said:

( You might find this interesting, but perhaps taken witha pinch of Salt ?)

The Night Longhair Jim Kayoed the Great John L.

During his transcontinental prize fighting tour, which lasted from September 28, 1883 to May 23, 1884, John L. Sullivan met a total of 59 challengers. He offered them $1000 if they could stay four rounds with him, None of them did.
The "Boston Strong-boy" soundly whipped everyone of them. However, there was a confrontation Sullivan had that you wont find in the record books. It was personal, rather then professional.

In Ft. worth, Texas the great John L. was celebrating his most recent victory which occurred in Waco. The local boy gave him a decent fight, and Sullivan didn't have to carry the lad too much to put on a good show for the crowd. Needless to say, his method of celebrating consisted of going on a drunk and harrahing the town. In addition to the Sullivan celebrants, the streets of Ft. Worth were filled with merrymakers from the volunteer fire department. The firemen were commemorating some sort of anniversary.
Sullivan reeled along the broadwalks of Ft. Worth and defied anyone to stand in his way. People approaching from the opposite direction had the choice of colliding with the burly pugilist or stepping out into the street. In all cases they chose the latter alternative.

Presently a young mother with babe in arms came within six inches of bumping into Sullivan, she hesitated for a moment, expecting him to give way and allow her to pass, sober, the prize fighter would have doffed his hat and graciously let the women go by. Instead, he just stood there and refused to move. In his cups the champ could be quite abusive. The lady looked up at him disapprovingly and then stepped out into the street.

T.I. Courtright, who ran a detective agency, arrived on the scene just in time to see this display of ungentlemanly behavior, Courtright was a volunteer fireman, gunfighter and former marshall of Ft.Worth. He was known to his contemporaries by the sobriquet, "Longhair Jim." The detective placed his left hand on Sullivan's shoulder and asked that he apologize to the lady. Brushing the hand from his shoulder, Sullivan turned to face Courtright and bellowed, "Now just who are you ? You can go."

Before he could complete his invitation for Longhair Jim to visit a warmer climate the ex marshall had reached in his pocket, slipped on a pair of brass knuckles and delivered a stunning blow to the champ's nose.
Sullivan dropped to his knees, perhaps due more to the liquor he had consumed than the effects of the punch. His nose was bleeding profusely as he struggled to his feet. Actually he was more dumbfounded the hurt. Courtright once again requested that he apologize. The prizefighter grumbled " I'll not apologize." This time the detective landed an uppercut to his chin. He slammed up against a store front and slumped to the broadwalk his bowler rolling into the gutter. Longhair Jim offered to see the lady and her child safely home. She accepted and they went on there way.

The next afternoon Sullivan wasn't sure what had happened, but certain "Friends" and assorted hangers-on were glad to fill in the details and offered to point out the gent who had "lowered the boom" on him.
Anxious to witness another confrontation, Sullivan's sycophants directed him to Courtright. The champ threw back his shoulders and strode toward the detective. Longhair Jim braced himself, he could see that Sullivan was cold sober. Things could go a lot different this afternoon. In preparation for the expected onslaught he reached in his pocket and fingered the brass knuckles, at the same time he let his left hand go to his gun butt, just in case.
The pugilist stopped within two feet of Courtright, his had started to move upward, but instead of throwing a punch he offered it in a gesture of friendship. The detective was still a little uncomfortable as he placed his hand in Sullivan's, Courtright's hands were long, slim and delicate, while the prize fighter had tough brine-soaked paws. The champ could have crushed the detective's hand and delivered a smashing left to his head. His fears proved to be unwarranted. Sullivan was sincere and admitted that he deserved what he got the night before.

As Sullivan turned to walk away Longhair Jim heaved a sigh of relief. When the Great John L. reached the other side of the street he looked over at the crowd that had gathered round Courtright, and shouted, " I remain as always your warm and personal friend, John L. Sullivan."

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Taken From Real West Magazine Feb 1970 Issue: Article Listed Reference Sources - recollections of Lulu Courtright Hart, daughter of T.I. Courtright, and Mrs. Henry Meyerhoff, Granddaughter of T.I. Courtright. - Files of Fort Worth, Galveston and Waco newspapers.
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N.B. It Seems Longhair Jim may not of been quite the paragon of virtue he appeared here, it seems he was something of a noted gunman with allegedly more then a few, Perhaps unnecessary, kills to his credit, he apparently had a fair bit of swagger about him, and appeared to enjoy his reputation, his demise came about in an Hollywood (Peckinpah'esque ?) style shootout in fort worth in 1887, it seems Luke Short another noted Gunman of the day, and friend of the Earps took over a saloon, and Longhair Jim apparently tried to force Short to take his "insurance" (protection) policy against trouble, Short, as mentioned, a noted gunman in his own right told him to "Go to Hell".well, when two fearless men, with perhaps reputations to uphold wouldnt budge the inevitable happened, a gunfight in the middle of the street, apparently Shorts first shot took off Courtrights thumb on his right hand, Courtright tried a Border Roll and Short plugged him in the chest, and so ended the Story and life of Longhair Jim Courtright.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------P.S. It is not recorded whether John L. ever did subsequently apologize to the Lady he insulted, anytime afterwards, but it does raise the interesting thought that perhaps, in those times, even the Great John L. and his fellow top pugilists had to be a mite cautious before they started offering out all and sundry "SOB's" in case they happen to upset some little skinny 9 stone physco, who just happens to have a Sam Colt equaliser strapped to his hip !? interesting times.
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Very interesting, great story.

Brian123 · Aug 23, 2008

heehoo said:

Well, I'd say so, considering that

A) He announced that he could "lick any sonofabitch alive", and

B) He had to fight his way out of practically every saloon he went to. He had a target on his back that came with declaring you could whip anyone's ass.

I would have liked to see how he would have done against Langford or Jeanette in a street fight if he never wanted to fight them professionally.
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Sounds about right to me.

IMO he would beat the dogsheet out of the average (or well above) "Joe" streetfighter past or present-he grew up in a hard knock life in hard knock times as well.

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Could John L Sullivan throw down in a street fight?

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Could John L Sullivan throw down in a street fight?

Bill1234 Boxing Junkie Full Member

Brian123 ESB WORLD CHAMPION Full Member