The World 13 Sept 1892 - Denny Butler Mistaken For James J.Corbett on Streets of New York

King's Handbook to New York City 1893

(The World - 13 Sept 1892)


CHEERED DENNY BUTLER


A Crowd in Cortlandt Street Mistook Him for the Champion.


There is no very striking similarity in the personal appearance of Denny Butler, the assistant boxing instructor of the New York Athletic Club, and James J. Corbett, champion pugilist of the world. Each has a smooth face and a dark complexion, but there the resemblance ends.


Yet yesterday three or four hundred persons went nearly wild when they saw Denny Butler in Cortlandt street, and sent up cheer after cheer for him, believing him to be the conqueror of John L. Sullivan. It happened in this way:


Denny and Mike Donovan were delayed in Jersey City for some time after the "Corbett Special" arrived, and did not come to this city with the rest of the party. After they had seen that their baggage was all right, they came over on the Cortlandt street ferry. For several hours a crowd had been waiting in West street opposite the ferry-house for Corbett to appear, and the passengers of each boat were eagerly scanned. So when Prof. Donovan, and his assistant, Prof. Butler, got off the handsome ferry-boat Washington some one yelled "There's Corbett!"


The effect of these words was magical. The Crowd rushed madly across the street and almost carried Butler off his feet. "Three cheers of the Champion!" another enthusiast shouted, and they were given with a will. The pair sought temporary refuge in a nearby saloon. After a few minutes they came out and started for the Sixth avenue "L" station. The crowd went before, after and around them, and kept the cheering up all the way to the station.

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