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Show IS! PBPULAR SP1TISS IS Smith Made John L Sullivan the Idol of the Fight Fans. MAKIvS MILLION DOLLARS AT WHITE ELEPHANT Loses Fortune on Wall Street; Had Mania for Helping Others. NEW YOUJC, Nov. 6. Al Smith, tho best known and most popular sporting man in America, who died at the Gilsoy houso the other day, had an eventful career. He began life as a trainboy on the old (Movcland, Columbus & Cincinnati railroad under Conductor Robert Bice, who became mayor of Cleveland in 1S7R. ' ... JJlce took a fatherly interest in Smith, and through his influence the latter got control of all tho newsboys on the Ohio & Cincinnati road. which enabled him to make a small fortuno long beforo tho days of tho news companies. com-panies. , . When Smith was about twenty-five years old ho drifted out to Montana with a gambler named McCarthy, and it was not long after that ho camo near losing his lite. Tho vigilance committees were very aelivo against gamblers in those days, especially around tho mining camps. Ouo day tho vigilantes took McCarthy out and shot him, and were about to kill Smith when a miner named Lewis, who admired Smith's ways, pleaded successfully for his Jifc. Smith was a natural athlete who would fight with his fists at tho drop of the hat, and was gonorally respected respect-ed becauso of his prowess. Smith had many rough and tumble battles in his day and ho was always victorious. Shortly after tho war ho whipped tho biggest bully in St. Louis. Smith was not only a scrapper, hut alo a pedestrian of note. In his early career he could run like a deer. In a match race ho dofoatcd the famous Ban O'Lcary and then took him to England, where he won tho Astlcy belt. When they came back Smith man-aired man-aired the first big walking match at Madison Square garden, which attracted attract-ed great crowds. That was thirty years ago, and Smith mado big money out of several such affairs which were held in various parts of tho country. In ISSrt he managed John Jj. Sullivan during his famous knocking-out tour from tho Atlantic to tho Pacific. Sullivan Sulli-van aud Smith divided about $300,000 ns n. result of this tour, which helped to make Sullivan tho most popular pugilist pu-gilist in the world. Smith foil out with Sullivan when the latter failod to meet Charley Mitchell for tho second timo at the Garden in 1SS5. John L. appeared on the ring platform and declared in maudlin tones that he was too ill to box the Englishman. English-man. Smith never forgavo Sullivan for this, and that night no wanted to refund re-fund all tho monov taken in at. the doors. This the pugilist would not do. In JSS6 Smith and Butch Thompson opened the famous White Jilephant. pool room on Broadway, between Thirtieth and Thirty-first streets. This wns the biggest betting room established in America. Tt was wide open and thousands thou-sands of dollars changed hands there every day. Smith and Thompson coined money nt tho White JClephaut for threo voars. Their profits ran up to more than 000.000. when they decided to sever partnership. Smith, later on, lost his sharo in Wall street, aud when Thompson died, a few years ago, ho left his old partner $10,000. Smith reforeed some memorable ring battles. Ho was always oa tho square, and on threo occasions ho decided his own money away. When Johnny Mur-phv Mur-phv and Jack Jlavlin fought with skintight skin-tight gloves in Hoboken. twenty-five years ago, Smith had n $2,000 wager on 'Murphy, but ho gave hia decision in favor of Havlin. Smitit's Reputation Big Smith after that was regarded as a fair play sport, and every English pugilist pugi-list who camo to these shores enlisted his support. ITo. wns behind Jem Mace when tho latter fought Joo Coburn. He seconded Jem Carney in the great battle bat-tle with Jack McAuliffc, aud handled Charley Mitchell when he was beaten by Corbett at Jacksonville. Smith was the backer of Billy Plum-mor Plum-mor when he beat "Snider" Ivelly for the bantam championship, and wns also tho rofereo of that mill, treating both boys with oxtremo fairness. The last time Smith acted as third man in the ring was at Coney Island in 1S92, when Eddie Pierce and Gcorgo Siddons hooked up. During the early stages of the mill, Piorcc looked liko a sure winner to the club officials, who backed him heavily, but Siddons was a long distanco fighter, aud as the battle bat-tle progressed it looked as if Jicrce would be defeated. So Judge Richard van Brunt Newton, ouc of John Y. McKano's houchmen, called Smith aside between rounds, and told him to declare tho fight a draw. "J'm the referee, Newton." said Smith. "We must havo fair play. The boys must figbt it out according to tho articles of agreement! " Round after round Siddons continued contin-ued to improve, until finally Newton .pimped into the ring, himself and called tho fight a draw. Smith left the building build-ing in disgust, and declared that he would never referee a fight again. Thero novcr was a more charitable sporting man than this veteran soldier, of fortune. Jn his palmy days, after a big winning, he frequently entered a cafe and gave every brokeu down'sport a $20 note. Ho seemed to delight in helpiug impecunious fighters and gamblers, gam-blers, and ho probably helped to bury uioro of them than any man in this country. Smith Advises tlio Referee. Smith also was the stakeholder of tho international battlo between Jack McAuliffc Mc-Auliffc aud Jim Carney for the lightweight light-weight championship of the world at Rovcre Beach, Mass., on Nov. 1(5. 1SS7. In addition ho held thousands of dollars dol-lars in private wagers aud was there with his shooting iron to sec that everything every-thing was done fairly. McAuliffc was a hot favorite, but Carne' proved himself him-self the mat-tor. The bout was fought under London rules, and at tho ond of the scvonty-fourth round McAuIiffo was unable to rise from his corner. The quick witlcd Jack Dempsey, McAuliffc Mc-Auliffc 's chief second, cut the ring ropes and there was a rush of McAu-litre's McAu-litre's friends iulo tho ring. Smith had heard whispers to the effect that Prank Stevenson, the referee, wns in ji schouic to-givn the dicision to McAuliffc. Approaching Ap-proaching Stevenson. Smith said, as he fingered the ''cannon": "I don't thiuk you arc going to givo this decision to McAuIiffo" Smith was right. Stevenson called tho bolil, a draw, which in itself was uu injustico to Caruoy. But Smith saved the monoy of the Carney bettors. Smith was an authority on the rules of pugilism, and his dictum was accepted ac-cepted generally on a disputed point. Jim Corbett and Tom Sharkey mot at tho Tjeuox A. O, in this city on November Novem-ber 22, 1S0S. and Sharkey won on a foul iu the ninth round. When Corbett Cor-bett 's chief second. Con McYoy, iumped into tho ring. Honest John JCelly, tho referee, after declaring Sharkey tho winner on tho foul, announced an-nounced that all bets wore off. Smith took issue with Ivellv on that point, declaring de-claring that Uio referee of a boxing bout had no moro to do with I ho wagers on a battle than had a hitching post, and that as soon ns tho referee had rendered his decision on tho outcome of tho contesl his connection with the . match ended. While a few of those who, had wagerod their monoy on Corbett look advantage of tho announcement by Kelly, still a creat, maionty of tho bettors bet-tors wero guided bv Smith's nudgmcnt aud paid tbeir losses. |