Old Bill Davis, Bare-Knuckle Champion, Arrives to Open Seattle Gym

OLD BILL DAVIS' OPINION. An Ex-Champion Picks Sullivan, Dixon and Myer for Winners.

'Old Bill' Davis, years ago a familiar figure in the prize ring of this country, is in Seattle, having arrived here last evening from San Francisco on the steamer City of Puebla. He is one of the old school of bare-knuckle fighters to which Tom Allen and Mike McCoole belonged, and for a short time held the championship of the world. The story of his life would read like a romance.

Davis was born in Belfast, Ireland, on August 1, 1829. When but 7 years of age he came to America with his parents. They first went to New Orleans and from there to Mobile, where the lad was raised until 12 years of age. What education he received was at the Jesuit school at Choctaw Point, Ala. In 1844 he joined the United States navy and went through the Mexican war, coming out to the California coast with the squadron. In 1850 he left the navy at Boston and went to California. He had always been of an athletic turn of mind, and he gradually drifted into fighting. During this period, however, he devoted a good deal of his time to seafaring, and on some of his trips came to Seattle, which was then only a little hamlet.

Later he went East, and for several years divided his time between the sea and the prize ring. Several of his fights were in England, which country he visited as second mate of a merchant vessel.

Later Davis advanced into the first rank of pugilists, some of his greatest battles being with Jim Dunn, Ed Burnett, Mike McCoole, Tom Allen and Charlie Gallagher. At that time there was little fighting done on paper. Battles were frequent. First one pugilist and then another was on top, so that the honors were handed around just as in horseracing—one horse wins one day, another the next. Davis was beaten by both Mike McCoole and Tom Allen, but won the championship from Charlie Gallagher, who afterward defeated Allen. After 1860, Davis dropped out of the ring, and most of his time since, when he was not abroad, has been devoted to instruction in athletics. He has conducted gymnasiums in Cleveland, O., Virginia City, New Orleans, St. Louis, Walla Walla, Seattle and San Francisco. He was in this city in 1884 and trained Lange, the logger, who attempted to stand before Sullivan, tempted by the standing offer of $1,000 to any man who was successful in such an attempt. Lange had been following the champion all over the Northwest to get 'pointers' on his style of fighting, and finally decided to make an effort to win the money in Seattle. He came here some time ahead of Sullivan and induced Davis to train him, the latter doing so with a desire to see some rare sport when Lange tackled the great John L. Lange lasted about two or three seconds after shaking hands.

In 1869 Davis was in Japan and while there was appointed by President Grant marshal of the United States consular court at Yokohama. He took a Japanese woman for a wife, marrying the daughter of a nobleman under the old regime in Japan. He continued in his position as marshal from 1870 to '73 and then returned to America. He remained in this country until the fall of 1884, when shortly after leaving Seattle for San Francisco he was appointed by President Cleveland marshal of the consular court at Amoy, China. He remained there in this capacity until about three years when his wife died, and he again came back to the United States. Most of his time of late has been spent in San Francisco.

Although 63 years of age Davis is still a splendid specimen of manhood. He can run 100 yards in twelve seconds and can do any amount of gymnasium work. He will probably settle in Seattle, expecting to establish a school for boxing, fencing and other athletics here. He is a man of considerable education and of a great deal of intelligence and is an excellent conversationalist. Speaking of the coming pugilistic tournament at New Orleans Davis said to a POST-INTELLIGENCER reporter:

'It will be the greatest week of ring fighting that the world ever saw. I have picked Sullivan, Myer and Dixon to win. I choose Myer because I know that he always has the best of health and will be in prime condition. He is a brilliant fighter, but he can't get into that. Jim Corbett I consider the cleverest man with the gloves I ever saw, but he is no fighter. I may be mistaken, but I think this match will prove it. It is hard work to compare the men of today with the old-time fighters, but I think Sullivan would be a match for any of them. The conditions are so different. Then, with bare knuckle fighting, a man had to have skill, strength and endurance. Now it is all in knock-out blows, which were unknown then. If a man has strength and can hit hard he don't need so much skill.'