Dateline: ‘Fight of the century’ lasted 37 rounds on lawless turf

In 1857, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts transferred to New York a 1,000-acre tract of land, which is located in the southeast corner of Columbia County and the northeast corner of Dutchess County.

Known as Boston Corner, Massachusetts officials found it difficult to oversee and maintain law and order in the hamlet because of its isolation, its access hampered by the Taconic Mountains.

Living outside the boundaries of organized law, Boston Corner residents fashioned their own policies, supported their own schools and ignored Massachusetts state elections and taxes.

Somewhat akin to the Old West, gambling and duels were commonplace in the hamlet.

Comprised of farmland, one hotel, a general store, a train depot and a blacksmith shop, Boston Corner was a territory unto its own devices and whims. Among the dozen or so private residences there, more than half were nestled within the boundaries of today’s Town of North East.

A regular activity in the once-lawless hamlet was prize fights. While the events were always popular with local residents, one fight that was arranged in October 1853 resulted in 5,000 fans flocking to the hamlet by any means possible.

The principals of the much-heralded bout were a young boxer from Troy named John Morrissey and Yankee Sullivan, a bare-knuckle brawler from New York City who had gained a fast reputation as a tough opponent since arriving from Ireland in 1840.

Sullivan won the American boxing championship in 1851 and put that title on the line at the Boston Corner fight.

“Sullivan owned a bar in an Irish slum in lower Manhattan,” said local historian Patrick Higgins. “His real name was Frank Murray but he changed it to Yankee Sullivan because he’d once jumped bail in England and wanted to go back there to fight.”

While age and weight seemed to favor the Troy challenger (Morrissey was 22 years old and weighed 175 pounds while Sullivan was 40 and weighed 145 pounds), the older battler’s skills and reputation had many boxing enthusiasts predicting that the Boston Corner bout had the potential of being the “fight of the century.”

The winner would receive $2,000 in prize money and an abandoned brickyard in the hamlet was transformed into the gladiator’s arena.

The influx of the large crowd quickly overwhelmed Boston Corner, a hamlet of only 150 residents. Add to the congested quarters the fact that many in attendance were under the influence of alcohol and it isn’t hard to imagine the chaos that erupted outside the ring as well as within.

During the 37th round of a brutal fight that saw Sullivan pummel his young challenger, confusion erupted when the handlers of both fighters charged into the ring. Attempting to restore order, the referee called both boxers back to the ring’s center to resume the bout.

While Morrissey complied, a distracted Sullivan did not, causing the referee to name Morrissey the new champion.

Bedlam broke out in the crowd and while leaving Boston Corner tempers flared, resulting in considerable damage to surrounding farms. The incident was dubbed “The Sack of Millerton.”

“Sullivan and Morrissey were the only ones arrested after the riot,” Higgins said. “Sullivan jumped bail, fled to California, got into trouble and was murdered within a year after the fight.

“Morrissey married a well-to-do young lady, got connected with Tammany Hall and eventually entered politics and became a state senator. He was also a big gambler and had a lot to do with establishing Saratoga Racetrack.”

In response to the unruly incident, residents of Boston Corner petitioned Congress to transfer its jurisdiction from Massachusetts to New York. Today, the land is split between Ancram, Columbia County and North East, Dutchess County.

“As for law enforcement, the Dutchess County sheriff and state police both oversee the section of Boston Corner that is in the Town of North East,” said North East Town Clerk Lisa Cope.

“Dateline” appears Wednesdays. To suggest a topic, email Anthony Musso at railcommute@aol.com