The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-12-15 00:00:00

Barfoot, 2nd
appointed
Robert

THE GREAT FIGHT BETWEEN HEENAN
AND KING.

The great fight was fought on Thunday last in Sussex,
between lleenan and King, and the victory achievsd by
the English combatank—The battle was brief, and
illustrated the proverb, "the hotter war the sooner
peace." It was very hot while it continued. Thirty-
almonds are allowed as a breathing apace between the
rounds, and, aa the twenty-four rounds were fought in
thirty-live minute 4, rather less than • niinute must
have been occupied by each round. In the parlance
of the ring, Heenan was punished severelv.h4 opponent
being, comparatively speaking, little hurt, although up
to the eight round the American had the hest a the
fight. The popular interest in the event, judging front
the rush last night for news, was at least equal to
, what it was when Hainan and Sayers fought. It was
almost impossible to supply papers fast enough for the
I demand, and after thousands had been supplied tbis
cry was still for more. By a large portion of the publics
the fight was regarded more as a national than asporting
event. Who was to be the victor was not no much a
uestion of money lost or won,but one of national pride.
It
was an Englishman opporied to an American, and the
result was anticipated with the same sort of interest
that • fight between an English and French ship of war
would have been.

It was about ten o'clock when the fight began.
Heenan had won, by the toss of a coin, the choice of
position, and got the light behind him, as be did in the
great Farnborough fight. When the two men stripped
to their waists, stepped into the centre of the ram,
there was • shout of admiration. not from their
respective partisans, but from all beholders. No Greek
athlete, no Roman gladiator, could have better deserved
the applause instinctively bestowed on manly frame,
firm flesh, and swelling miracle. King is six feet two
inches in height, ileenara six feet one ineh—a
difference scarcely perceptible as they stood oonfronting
each other. Heenan had a corresponding advantage
in the girth of his chest, and weighed a stone more than
his antagonist. To the eye of • stranger they looked so
alike that but for the coloured handkerobiels tied
round their waist it would be difficult to distinguish
them as they shift their positions in sparring or close in
• grapple. If there could be any gleam of rational
satisfaction in watching them, it would be that they
appeared so well matched in size and strength—though
on that gleam there falls the thinning apprehension
that their contest will be the more obstinate.
It is obvious that they are terribly in earnest—
eager for decisive and even desperate encounter. No
sooner have they shaken hands than they begin their
horrid work. The opening round was very unlike that
in which poor Goes began at Wootton Bassett the
fight that ended on Plumstead Marshes. Instead of
dancing round the ring to avoid the blow or the clutch
of his antagonist. King sparred up to him at once. In
half a minute Heenan had fallen upon him, thrown the
left arm round his neck, and commenced to pummel
him furiously with the right hand. To this the referee
objected, as did King's backers—the men were parted,
and Heenan cautioned, as we understood, not to repeat
it. In the next round he caught King and threw
violently on the ground, but as they rose it was seen
that Heenan bled at the mouth, and "first blood" was
~,'lowed to King amid the loud cheers of his friends. In
th "'mid King was again thrown, but this time
e
on h which bent under their weight till nearly
very stake
as drawn from the ground. King looked
almost blind
every aZees
sod helpless as he was carried to his
corner, while iinan seemed the worse only by a
gram on the neck, and his friends loudly pro-
claimed that the victoi would in a few minutes
was evident that,
ines left eyebrow, he meant Heenan
n.the
had
dreolinv,,e're,. a telling blow on
1
to. trust rather
to wrestling than fighting—an intent:"a loudly ga-
b though his
flounced by King's friends. In the "-brae next
rounds he persevered in this method—avengnZa !""
terrible thuds received from King by "hugging"
under his arm, and hurling him to the ground wita
fearful violence. One could not but remember "Ik.
Duke's wrestler," and the three sons of one father
whose ribs he than broke; "the poor old man, their
father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the
beholders take his part with weeping." But all the
spectators here might have been unfeeling as Le Bean,
judging from the shouts which hailed each exploit el
this kind front Heenan's numerous partisans;
__and the
answering shouts of King's at the sight of Heenan's
bleeding face. But the sight was to grow more sicken-
ing yet. The eighth round closed with • disaster to
Heenan. King had apparently found • method of de-
feating the "bug," and floored ha antagonist. This
exploit restored the hope that had well-nigh gone out in
the minds of Ring's friends; but in the three next
rounds the hope was dashed, for King was thrown
three times in succession. In the twelfth round
Heenan was thrown by King, but in the next two
King was vain the victim. The fifteenth round was
like the encounter of two road bulls. The men rushed
at each other as if frenzied. It ended in • blow from.
Heenan of such terrific force that King staggered under
is like a falling tower, and dropped into the arms of hie
seconds as if dead. "It's all over," cried • hundred,
pitiless voices, exulting in the supposed victory of a
champion heavily hacked to win. But to the astonish-
' merit even of his friends King reappeared, and Heenan
I was seen to be bleeding frightfully, his right eye almost
gouged out. Half blinded, he fought wildly, and was
thrown by King after a severe grapple. The spectators
had by this time become as frantic as the combatants.
Within the space of two minutes both of the fighting
men seemed to have been hopelessly injured—and this
alternation of fortune created an uncontrollable excite-
ment. The occupants of the inner ring were forced to
rise to avoid being trampled by the frenzied crowd
behind, and the ropes were well-nigh broken down under
the mad pressure of the throng. In this wild disorder the
battle was !hashed. Seven more rounds were fought, but
they did not occupy as many minutes, and consisted
mainly in Heenan's Doing knocked down every time be
stood up. His seconds were blamed for allowing hiss
to continue the fight,—but am King seemed nearly ex-
hausted by his tremendous efforta, they probably hoped
to win by his failure to appear. But it was Heenasa
who was doomed thus to fail. When the twenty-
fifth round was called he could not leave his corner.
The sponge was thrown up, and King was de-
clared the victor. The correspondent of Bell's
Life, describing the latter part of the fight, says :
Round 18 was another capital round, in which King
forced the fighting, but he received it so hot cm
the head and was flung Ito severely that be lay MOUND-
less on the turf for some time, and the East Enders,
thinking he was beaten or nearly so, broke into the
ring, by which extra time was given to their pet to get
round. Confusion was at its height then ; reporters were
then displaced from their positions, and had to combat
with the bustling of the mob as best they might The
rest of the fight was a scrambling affair ; but King
recovered himself well, and Heenan became weaker and
weaker. Of course, then was the time to take the
advantage, so King went warmly to work, and in each
stumessive round drew floods from the ii.ht
eye, the nose, and mouth of the stalwart
American, so that the latter became quite helpless in
the ?2nd and 73rd rounds, King flooring him with his
right in each of these encounters. The my now was.
"Take him away, he's beaten;" but Heenan mate
up again. He got more pepper on the mug, and was
thrown with great violence, upon which Sayers and
Macdonald would not allow him to renew the battle,
The twenty-four rounds were fought in thirty-five
minutes, but the amount of punishment given was not
nearly so much as could have been expected from man
stalwart men. Heenan never got well home on King.
and the latter's throat and ear are the only parte where
traces of the mill are visible, and those but slightly.
King punished his opponent much about the face, and
the poor fellow's eyes closed soon after the ring WU
broken up. Tom has much improved in rtyleand agilitys
but we question whether he is a better man than Mae%
after AIL As for Heenan, he quite disappointed the
most shrewd j udges,who now declare he cannot fight • We
This is pretty nearly true.
On arriving in London on Thursday, Heenan was
eranyeyed in as private a manner as circumstances
would admit, to a house in a quiet street in the neigh-
bourhood of the Haymarket, when he received the best
medical assistance. His entire fra...e was submitted to
a searching examination, and it was ascertained that
although the bruises and contuskus under which he
suffered were numerous and severe, arising from blows
and falls, that no bones were fractured, nor had he
sustained any internal injury.
On Friday afternoon, at about half-part three o'clock
the vicinity of the Sporting Life newspaper-office WY
in violent commotion, in consequence of Tom King, the
opponent of Heenan in the recent international=
fight, driving up in • rah to the door of the
named newspaper-office. When we may he drove up,
we mean that he attempted to do so, for on the instant,
as if my magic, his smiling, jovial features were recog-
nised, and loud shouts were raised of "nags him F•
"Bravo Tom !" "How's Heenan 1" Sm. In fact, for
some moments the enthusiasm of the arowd got the
better of their prudence, for it was • moray that some
of them were not run over by the passing vehicles, they
dodging about and under the horses' bellies, and would
no doubt, unless restrained, have heaved him upon their
shoulders. The features of King, with the ezeition off
a mark over his left eye, were undisfigured. The sass.
scene of enthusiasm was witnessed on his departure with
his fr,ends.

The SIMI a money invested in bets on this event aro
said to have been unsurpassed on any previous similar
occasion, one member of the "prim ring" alms baths
held COMMiatiolllll to the amount of upwards of 17,000 Iss
lay out on Heenan, and u the odds were so mnob
against the victor, the disappointment is proportionate.

BUDD= DIATH OF MIL JOSTICX WIORTYAL—We
deeply regret to announce the sudden death of Mr.
Justice Wightinan. The learned judge was at York,
trying prisoners at Yorlubire winter gaol delivery, and
on Wednesday waa in his usual good health, end tried
• long and important Post-office robbery asse. Theri
Court roe about six o'clock, when his lordship mani-
fested no signs of fatigue, although his laboun during
the day had been of an arduous character. His lordship
retired to rest at his usual hour, and was thee quite
well; but on Thursday morning, at seven o'clock, elm
his valet entered his room he was alarmed to lad hie
lordship breathing very heavily, and to all appearance
in • lit of apoplexy. Hies Wightinan,whosecoomputied
her father whilst on circuit, was instantly
and Hr. Husband, surgeon, and Dr. Sheet w7eitt
far. These gentlemen were at his lordship's bedside in
a few minutes, but there services wee of no avail, fee
it was evident that the heed of death was spot Qs
learned judge. He remained totally unconscious, mad
lingered in this state of unconsciousness until a quicker-
past one o'clock, when his lordship expired. Mr.
Justice Wightinan had been • judgej of the Queen's
Bench for 72 years. sod was universally esteemed by
, the bar for him amiability of disposition, and aho for
1 his high legal attainments. His lordship's death has
I put • stop for the present to the business of the York-
, alike winter gaol delivery. Hr. W. B. Hanle, of the
' Northern circuit., whose name was on the commission at
Use winter gaol delivery, entered the court in the
morning, and announced that it would be impostihis
to pion with business that day.

Printed and published for the Proprietor, by CRAM".
WHITIIRRAD MILLARD, ot Dorchester, Printer, at the
06lee of rag Dome Ceenty Arpresu Churtirslessii
Dorchester, Tuesday, Desessber 16, Id 6&

C. //, • Z6Z(