The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-13 00:00:00

SHERIFFS' COURT, RED LlO//4QUAIIM-SATITIDAY.

AFFAIR BETWEEN BETA HER AND CRIBB.
Ties day an inquisition wee held before Mr. Haw climax, the
Lad,-Slieriffof Itliddlesew, for the purpose of ariessing.the ds-
teags sustained by Mr. Belcher, in consequence of his having beer.
assaulted be Mr. Cribb, at a late dinner in the spurting world.
Ce.bb suffered judgment to go by default.
Mr. AIIIIMPHUII Mated the plaintiff's ease to the Jury. Ile
said. that from the names of the parties in this cause. there might be
acme pool* who anticipated a great deal of fun from the inquiry.
lla eauld aware such people that their anticipations were fruitless,
fee that be could see no fan in such an assault. If there were any
who tl,o.tght that he would entertain them with a dissertation
against the practise of prize-fighting. they also would be diaap.
pointed, fur none such shout., he glee them. He did not come
there to tepee' the too commen triter. of abusing the general prac-
i.m ef prize.nghting. Although in particular fights there might
occur particular objectionable circumstances, and certain conic-
quences, which must receive disapprobation, still he would tear.
lean) ripest, that them:tonal spirit for which the common people
of liogland were so retharkthle. was mainly owing to this general
practiee, and could not have been in the same degree sustained.
were it uot for the system being in some respects reduced to what
was called a 'came,. It was. he was sorry to say, a great deal too
emotion now.ii-days to attack pugilism ; he had, however, declared
idsapinion he did mit cane there to pronounce its eulogy, still
less its censure. With respect to ti:c circumstances of the case im-
mediately before theft, he had to nate that the plaintiff was not
Jams Belcher, who was wgil known about twenty years ago, and
wise gave the name to the spotted handkerchiefs so generally worn
.11 that day. but his brother. Thomas Belcher, who had done a good
deal in the ring, though no: so much as James had done in his
tone. The defendant was Thomas Cribb. also well known in the
same circle ; he was the person who had lately, of his own free
will, resigned the Championship of England, after baying for
Nose years honourably sustained its character. It was well known.
that whoa pugilists were pitted against each other, particular re-
gard was always had to their respective weight. In this case Cribb
was four stone heavier than Belcher, and of count an overmatch
toe him iu any reocontee. These two gentlemen hail casually met
at a dinner given at Ben Bums' the sign of the Sun, in reat
Nindenthiereet. on the 21.: of d G
October, where a large dinner was
Riven to make up.a match between Martin and Burns, Ben's no.
?hew, and where the makes were to be wade good for the business
of the*glit. About eight o'clock in the evening Cribb entered the
room, with Spring, who always calls him " his dad." In thy
coati: of the table business that followed, some conversation and
iii•crunimition arose about a bet of ten pounds. and Cribb and
;iefeher heeame warm. Cribb beckoned to Belcher to lean over
towards hint on the table, as he could not distinctly hear what he
said. Belcher did so, when Cribb seized him by the arm, held
bile under him on the table, and inflicted upon Ms face and head.
able in that constrained and reclined attitude, severe blows, which
nomititute.ff the assault now complained of. The blow, had loosened
several of Belcher's teeth, and eistered his f.ute with blood. Cobb,
not being content with this outrage, atter Belcher had been removed
to another end of the room, ran along the table, rushed upon him,
and repeated the assault. Such as assault called for very severe
punishment. Within his recollection it had not been the practic.:
of psigtilets to fight cull other is private secicty,—thcy a ere 04

thevontney, uneffending men in that respect ; but if this instance
Hat permitted to pass with impunity, then on man would be safe
from their unrestrained violence. lie hoped, therefore, that the
Jury would give a liberal allowance, I y way of damages, to the
plaintiff; or else what was done to-lay to Belchn, might be
done to any of themselves to-morrow. Be would ow call his
witnesses.
The tint wasJoeeph Atkinson, the landlord of a public-house in
Hreen-lane, Tottenham. He said, that he was at the dinner at
Bums, the Sun. in Windmill-street, on the day of the assault
(21st October;; Belcher was there; there were about 60 ur 70 per.
sons in the room, and the meeting was to arrange a fight between
Martin and Burns. Spring entered the room in the evening, and
so did Cribb. lle observed, that there bad been a previous bet be-
tween Cribb and Belcher, or in which they were concerned. One
of them made a locg speech about it, end Cribb sand afterwards,
" What do you say, Belcher ?” Whatever was said he could not
hear, but ('ribb dragged Belcher by the hand oi seen upon the
table, and struck kan several violent blows, which uncle his face
bleed profusely.
Crues-csaminnl by Mr. Puteters—Was not • pugilist, hut
knew those who were; did not go to the diurer to tight. or see a
light, but went to have a good dinner, and to enjoy it ; had heard
that there was to be a match settled at the table, between Martin
and Big Ben's nephew, Berns. On being closely questioned by the
Learned Counsel as to the quality of the treat, anti his share of the
good :hires, he said. there were thousands i f wine, and " plenty
of porter." (in !Ring repeatedly interrogated respecting his know-
ledge of the cause of the quarrel, and the language used by the
parties, all that the Learned Counsel could obtain front the wit-
ness, wag, that he came there as an honest man to speak the truth ;
that he knew no particulars of the bet which led to the quarrel,
only that he understood it was about stake-money ; and that Bather
charged Cribb with pocketing fifty pounds in that way. The lan.
guags became very violent; during the contrureny, they mutually
cursed each other, and witness pulled Belcher away after he was
struck by Cribb. It was Belcher who made the speech about the
stake.nioney, and when he spoke he sat a good way off from Cribb.
There were stweet sixty or seventy preemie present, and two tables.
Belcher came down before the assault, just opposite Cribb, and
then the assault took place; Belcher is • pugilist, but witness
never saw bent fight; Leibb was also one; witness had nut put
down soy money that night fur the milling match ; he kept a
p ;elk-hove in Breen-lane, Tottenham, where young Burns had
once trained. llis bets on the tight were merely shillings and siz-
panes, and some pots of ale; Cribb got up afterwards, and offered
to be friends with Belcher, and net to give any money to the
" rascally lawyers."
Mr. Fletcher, a baker in Nassau-tenet, Soho, went into the
ronni at Burns' after dinner. Belcher was present, and Spring and
Cribb came in after. Some words occurred between Spring end
Reicher. Spring had made a speech, and Belcher got up to answer
hhn. Mr. Belcher was nut heard, and much confusion arose.
Bekher HIMe down to the end of the rooma opposite Cribb, and
was leaning anon the table, when Cribb seized hen by the arm,
and struck him in the face more than once. Belcher could not
return the blow till lie was extricated. He did not return them.
Belcher then returned to his place, and Cribb ran down the table
to meet him, and jumped from the table upon him. The com-
pany then parted them. After this the room became quiet, and
Alr. Cribb wished Belcher to drink with him, but he refused.
Witness in cross-eicaraination said, he did not hear what aggra-
vating words passed between the parties, the confusion was so great.
This was the ease for the plaintitE
Mr. PHILLIPS addressed the Jury for the defendant. Ile oh.
served, that he was never more surprised than in hearing such a
case as the present brought into a (hurt of Justice, for one of
more pigmy description never came under his observation. As
the words of his Learned Friend (Mr. Adolphus) ought, and
perhaps might, have weight with the public, it was itupossiLle for
hint to be silent when he heard such doctrines brew-hal as ho had
that day urged in favour of the science of ptigilism--doetrines which
he (Mr. P.) begged leave to say, were utterly at variance with every
principle of social order, and originating only in the eccentric,
feelings of a man (Mr. NV indhann, who, however much respected,!
lin this instance, at least, was almost singular in his prejudices.'
Fur Ins own part, lie would not hesitate to say, that lie was
far front thinking Englishmen required such a stimulus to their
courage; but what would the world say, when they found a
Banister set himself up in a Court of Justice as the advocate of
such • system I.—a system by which men became degenerated to
the level of brutes—and even worse than brutes, because the latter
acted from instinct, while the former set themselves up to be
beaten to a mummy without the pretence of provocation, and
merely foe the sake of personal gain. Murders were even committed
' by these ruffians, for death often ensued from their contests; and yet
for such practices, not only were there to be found abettors among
the ranks of the fancy, as in the odious and debasing language of
sting admirers of each scenes were described, but among the geode-
men of dither. To say thattuch exhibitions were cakukted to promote
the manly courage of Englishmen, was, in his estiinat ion, a gross I ibel
on the national character of the ceuntry. and lest his silence on hearing
suchthictrities b remelted rat fight be considered WI an acqu ieseence in their
justness, he thought it incumbent upon hint thus publicly to enter his
solemn protest against them. They were that day called upon to
assess the damages between two men, who were members of the
laudable prufeseion which he had described—tuen who, as he had
already stated, had suffered themselves to be puniniellrd till no trace
of the human countenance remained, for the sake of such sums as
the high minded nobles of the country thought proper to award to
their merits. He cared not who he offended by this declaration,
whether plaintiff or defendant--he spoke the truth, and whether at
variance or not with the interest of Isis client he would not compro-
mise his own sense of duty on the occasion. He confessed, that,
though he disliked prize fighting, that dislike did not arise from
any canting or methodistind objection to fair and manly resentment
where gross provocation had been given ; on the contrary, he would
be the first to applaud the man who would sustain his honour at
the risque of his life. His objections only extended to those cool
and calculating conflicts which are influenced by the prospect of
gain alone. In looking, at the present case, it was impossible to
suppress • link of that jocularity to which it was calculated to give
rise. lie was, halted, not a little surprised to find such men
throwing their blunt among lawyers, instead of devoting it to the
more pleasing amusements of the rink. Ilad it been a craving
saint who had brought this action--hail it been a stay-laced dandy,
or one of the Surrey leaks, whose domains had been so frequently
degraded by the presence of professed pugilists, he should have felt
no astonishment ; but that such an action of assault should have
been brought by Tom Belcher, whose brother Jeui, his Learned
Friend had so gravely told them had obtained immortality through
the name that lied been given to the handkerchiefs, which they all
carried in their pocket (laughter), was certainly a source of wonder.
He did think that such a man would have been the last to desert
his friend harry Harmer, of Smithfield, and fly to Harmer, of
Hatton-genial; that lie would have jumped noun the chancery of
busing to the Chancery of litigation : in fact, that he would have
had the folly to put the bounty of the Corinthian: into the craving
pockets of the lawyers (laughter). Tom Belcher's occupation was
gone, he could never again contemplate the glory of a bloody nose,
or the triumph of a cross-buttock—he must hide his diminished
head, and no longer rank among the veterans of Boxiano, or expect
to have his ivories rattled in his gin.trap (laughter). The Learned
Counsel then proeceded to examine the facts of the case, and to
contend, that trout the evidence before than, no just ground for
asking damages had been established. From the testimony of the
plaintiff's own witnesses, it appeared that the grossest language
lied been used, and that it was in emisequence it that abuse that
Cribb had been so far irritated as to strike the blow complained of ;
and he candidly confessed, that the only mullein he telt in this
part of the case was, that Cribb, instead of administering s slight
tap on the nsuzzk, had not placed both the defendant's ogles in
deep mourning (laughter), for more provoking language could not
have been uttered. What proof had they of the mischief oc-
casioned ? Where was the Doctor ? There was none ; and why ?
because Belcher bad recourse to no other Doctor titan a glass of
brandy (laughter).
Mr. ADOLPHLTS—His coat was torn.

Mr. rum& fps—Truly, his mat was torn; but where was the
tailor to prove the breach; and even if he were present. all perhaps
would agree that Belcher looked best when he was peeled. In con-
clusion, he intreated the Jury not to give encouragement to such
men, and to hold out a warning to their children of the detestation
with which they regarded squabbles arising under the circum.
stances which had been described, and after the use of the language
they had heard. Mr. Phillips repeated the expressions used by
the witness.
Mr. ADOLPHeII denied that the witness had used the
imputed to him, and added, that horewer be might &lune the
science of boxing, he trusted he was too much of &gentleman to use
their static.
Mr. PH:tura submitted that he had not mis-stated the evi-
dence, and Appealed to the notes of the hheritr. lie repeated his
animadversions on the doctrines of his Learned Friend, and finally
urged that the fair and manly spirit which Cribb had manifested In
offering the hand of friendship to Belcher, aught to have induced the
latter to have accepted of the atonement, and drank a glass over
tile funeral of their quarrels.
Thc IToderSherff, in sunstning up the evidence, observed, that
words would not justify a blow, and if the Jury were of opinion
that the eunluct of the defendant was reprehensible, and that
the assault had been proved. it would be their duty to assess the
dantag a at such a sum as their judgment might fairly suggest.
The Jury retired, and after a short consultation assossed the
damages at 10/.

EX C ISE-OFFICE:ivr u CDAT, Dr c. 11

ADULTERATING FIFER, ALE, ace.

Robert atinvsao, wbo beeps a wall chandler's-shop in Sting°.
Mary-la-bonwe, appeared to an iatiwuration for having sold
a !tilllll quantity of a compound liquor, used in brewing, rot
being made frau malt and bops, us George Lloyd, a licensed
brews. . . -

An officer of excise stated, that on the day laid in the informa-
tion, he saw a boy, whom he knew to be in the employment of Me
Lloyd, a small beer brewer, in Stingo-lane, carry • pail, which
appeared to have liquor in it, from 'the defendant's shop to his mu-
ter's brewery, which was nearly opposite. He followed him into
the brewery, and examined t;te contents of the pail, which con.
tained about a gallon of molasses, with some praxes of Spanish
liquorice, and sonic bruised coriander seeds Hosting an the mo-
lasses. The compound was capable of being used as a substitute
for malt and hops in brewing.
This was the case on the part of the Excise, and the information
arising out of the transaction contained thirteen counts, varying
the charge, on twelve ut wlii;h the p.nalty was WM. each, and on
one TOOL
The defendant styled, that he was not present when the articles
were sold, and that he did not dell in coriander seed, and had hot
ant, in los pdiscssion. His boy, who had sold the molasses and
be,rg stssp.ria:d by t::: Lac:se, he sxraeted to have LI