His old Giants roommate , Christy Mathewson , had succumbed to it in 1925 .
Laughing Larry had stubbornly fought the disease for twenty - five years when I met him .
His old Giants roommate , Christy Mathewson , had succumbed to it in 1925 , but Laughing Larry had stubbornly fought the disease for twenty - five years when I met him .