Nineteenth century prize fighting was popular with the sporting crowd, but certainly outside the confines of polite society. John Speer, editor of the Lawrence Weekly Tribune was not a fan of prize fighting. He registered his disgust at the accounts published in other newspapers in his Nov. 18, 1869, edition.

“A prize fight,” Speer lamented, “sets all the telegraph operators to work till the wires of a continent tremble with the exciting intelligence of the ‘rounds’ and the disgusting particulars of cracked ribs and broken noses; and all the papers of the next morning come out with sensation heads.”

Although editors carried blow-by-blow accounts, several papers denounced the “brutal fisticuff.” The fight between two “pugilists” took place June 21,1869, on the soil of the former bleeding Kansas. Bleeding was the least they could say. Three hundred spectators consisting of a “good many roughs and sports” were in attendance.

The following Saturday, June 26, the editor of the Manhattan Nationalist, declared that “Kansas was disgraced by a prize fight last Monday between John Hickey and Jim King. The party clandestinely left Kansas City, landed in Quindaro, pounded each other through nine rounds and left the ground in a bruised and bleeding condition — all for $500 a side (bet) ... Shameful.”

The fight took place on the Sherman farm in Kansas, 5 miles above Wyandotte and 1 mile from Quindaro. The ropes and stakes that were used at a recent Missouri prize fight were brought to Kansas for the Quindaro fight.

Even though new rules had been organized one year before in 1868, the Hickey/King fight was conducted under the old rules that allowed wrestling or “throwing.” The old bare-knuckle fights also allowed the use of spiked boots that decidedly could do great damage to an opponent.

The “mill” took place in a grassy pasture surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd. Upon entering the ring, Hickey stepped up to King and taunted him with a $100 bet. King did not have the $100, but having $50, bet that amount with his antagonist. The men shook hands and the first round began.

Both men eyed each other continuously. Hickey gave King a sharp body blow, “and received a hot one on the ribs in return.” After considerable sparring, Hickey landed a sharp blow to King’s left breast. Although the fighting was ”heavy,” both men were laughing and taunting one another. Hickey drew first blood followed a clinch, a defensive action to hold the opponent around his arms in close quarters. King went down, marking the end of the round. There was no “10 count” in those days. Excited speculators offered odds of 2-1 on Hickey, but there were no takers.

The second round began with the usual sparring until both men clinched and began to pound one another “viciously on the body, face and head.” The fighting was “hot” right up to the end of the round when Hickey was thrown to the grass.

Hickey came back in the third round with numerous body blows, putting King on the defensive. Hickey gave King a terrific blow on the chin that knocked him off his feet, but taking it in stride, King, “jumped to his feet and walked to his corner.”

With the beginning of the fourth round King came out smiling, even though he was bleeding profusely under a swollen left eye. Hickey, in turn, offered his own great smile. After considerable sparring, Hickey’s spiked boot came down on King’s toes. Hickey was heard to say, “Jim, didn’t mean to do that.” By the end of the round, King had gotten in good blows before throwing Hickey to the grass.

Each man fought with desperate energy in the fifth. Hot blows rained on each man’s face, breast and sides. Although bloodied and swollen, King picked up his opponent and threw him to the ground.

Hickey was looking “much distressed” going into the sixth, although the fighting was described as the hottest of the fight. King prevailed, throwing Hickey into his corner at the close of the round.

Hickey returned to the ring slowly, but that did not diminish the fierce fighting that ensued in the seventh round. King had dominated the past rounds and few expected him to falter, but exhaustion caused him to fall at the end of the round. His second was obliged to carry him to his corner.

The eighth round began with an obviously exhausted King. After slight sparring Hickey rushed in. A blow to King’s chin knocked him down, ending the round.

Early in the ninth round, King received a great blow to his neck that dropped him “gasping and senseless.” His seconds rushed to his aid, but when time was called for the next round, King’s corner men conceded defeat. The prize fight had lasted 19 minutes.

Editor John Speer asserted that prize fighting was “a relic of barbarism,” and strongly suggested that severe penalties should be attached to such activities. “Our State makes a duelist ineligible to office, and it ought to disfranchise and disqualify a prize fighter from entering society.”

Speer would eventually see new rules replace the brutal bare-knuckle prize fighting that had once been a popular pastime on The Way West.