1. John Morrissey, known as Old Smoke, was an Irish American politician, bare-knuckle boxing champion, and criminal.
25 Facts About John Morrissey
1. 2.
John Morrissey became a bare-knuckle boxer, challenging and defeated "Yankee Sullivan", who was then recognized as the American boxing champion.
3.
John Morrissey became a professional gambler, owning gambling houses in New York City in the 1850s and 1860s.
4.
John Morrissey emerged as a powerful politician and a US Congressman from New York, between 1867 and 1871, backed by Tammany Hall.
5.
John Morrissey subsequently worked at an iron-works and a stove foundry.
6.
John Morrissey moved to New York City in 1848, becoming a deck-hand on a steamer running between Albany and New York.
7.
John Morrissey married the daughter of a ship's captain, Sarah Smith, around 1849.
8.
John Morrissey endured the pain as his flesh burned, fought off McCann, and got back on his feet.
9.
Enraged, John Morrissey beat McCann senseless as smoke from his burning flesh rose up from his back.
10.
In 1851 John Morrissey sailed to San Francisco, seeking fortune during the California Gold Rush.
11.
John Morrissey returned to New York and challenged Sullivan repeatedly until the latter finally agreed.
12.
Articles for the fight between Sullivan and John Morrissey were signed on September 1,1853.
13.
John Morrissey went into training 2 days after signing the articles, Orville Gardner being selected as his trainer.
14.
Sullivan dominated the match for most of the fight, but John Morrissey held his own.
15.
John Morrissey did not escape legal retribution for the fight as the Grand Jury of Berkshire County prepared a bill against him.
16.
John Morrissey became involved in Democratic politics in New York City and developed a rivalry with William Poole, known as "Bill the Butcher".
17.
John Morrissey had apparently retired from prizefighting and had returned to Troy, New York.
18.
On his return to the United States towards the end of April 1860, John Morrissey was able to spend a few hours at Queenstown, County Cork, waiting to go aboard the steamship.
19.
John Morrissey established "The Club House", a casino in Saratoga that attracted such notable guests as Chester A Arthur, Rutherford B Hayes, Ulysses S Grant, Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D Rockefeller, and Mark Twain.
20.
In 1866, John Morrissey ran for Congress with the backing of Tammany Hall.
21.
John Morrissey eventually grew tired of the rampant corruption in Tammany Hall and left the House after his second term.
22.
John Morrissey eventually testified against William Tweed, which helped put the latter in prison.
23.
John Morrissey was elected as an Anti-Tammany "Reform Democrat" to the New York State Senate in 1875 and was re-elected in 1877, sitting in the 99th, 100th and 101st New York State Legislatures.
24.
John Morrissey contracted pneumonia and died on May 1,1878, at the age of 47.
25.
John Morrissey was buried in St Peter's Cemetery, just outside Troy.