The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-29 00:00:00

PUGILISM.

JOSEPH PHELPS AND SAMUEL MARTIN FOR 100 SON'S.
A SlDE.—This contest, which has for some time awakened
the liveliest interest in fistic coteries, was decided on
Wednesday in a style that must hereafter set all cavil
aside as to the relative capabilities of the two athletm en-
tirely at rest. It may be remembered that Joseph
Phelps, of Brighton, and Sam Martin, of London, met in
the latter part of last year for 501. a side, and that Mar-
tin was defeated, as his friends supposed, by a casual
throw. In consequence a second match was made for
the like amount, to be brought to issue on Tuesday,
March 30th ; owing, however, to some inadvertency in
drawing the articles, an error was made by Martin's
party in the fourth deposit, and a forfeit was in conse-
quence due to Phelps ; this, however, was in the hand-
somest manner waved by Spring, who agreed to place
the 401. claimable by Phelps to the account of a fresh
match for the increased stake of 100/. a side. This was
acceded to, and Wednesday, May 26, fixed for the en-
counter ; the usual day, Tuesday, being on this occasion
passed over, in consideration of that being the settling
day for the Derby at Tattersall's. The Nymph was
chartered for the trip, and at half-past eight ploughed
her way from Waterloo-bridge, touching at Black-
wall, for the belated West-enders, and such of
the " sages of the East" as might feel disposed
to witness pugilistic prowess. After a lovely trip
beneath a brilliant si tempeltd by a soft southern
breeze, and mitigated by floating flakes of summer
clouds, the skipper of the craft having cleared Graves-
end, and ascertained that the " Tugs which conveyed
the " undesirables" were no longer in waiting, put
about, and the steamer breasted the down tide in her
' upward course till she neared Purfleet marshes, on the
Essex shore. Here all were pleasantly disembarked at
high water, and the veteran Torn Oliver soon pitched
his stakes of navy blue, and reeved therein the double
line of hempen cords, destined to form the arena. At a
quarter past twelve Phelps tossed his cap within the
ring, and five minutes afterwards Martin followed his
example. With Phelps came Jem Turner and Sambo,
with Martin, Johnny Allen and Bill Jones. The men
were ready for action in a few minutes ; but here a
hitch occurred in the smooth-going course of affairs.
One hour and seventeen minutes were consumed beneath
the rays of a meridian sun, to the sai waste of temper,
patience, and pounds avoirdupois of the fatter portion
of the spectators, before a referee could be agreed on.
Why, if parties will thus cavil, do they not agree
upon this official beforehand, and then formally ratify
their choice on the ground ? At length this time-
wasting foolery at an end and a referee agreed on, the
men stood up. Phelps, the longer and more wiry man,
weighed 9st. 81bs., his shorter and more burly opponent,
9st 71bs. Hands were shaken between combatants and
seconds, and at thirty-three minutes past one the men
threw themselves into attitude. It is our practice, and
one we shall not depart from on this occasion, to avoid
the close detail of rounds, and the unpleasing minutim of
hits, stops, rallies, and throws, giving merely such an
outline as will enable those versant in ring affairs to
judge of the performance of the men. In the first round
Phelps, after numerous feints, and several times break-
ing ground, tried his left, short, and short again, in a
style that told tales of the practice of the sparring-
school, rather than the realities of actual battle. Martin
got in once on the body with his right, but was too
short in the reach; at the end he rushed in, closed, and
Phelps fell cautiously without harm. In the 2d to the
to the 20th rounds Martin had by no means the worst
of the hitting. Innumerable clever stops of the lead-
ing left were made on both sides, Phelps receiving
several severe visitations on the left ribs from Martin's
right, arid a rap or two on the left eye with perfect
stoicism and coolness. He did not, however, let his oppo-
nent off scot free, for his reach, quickness, and remarkable
••elf-possession enabled him notonly to plant severely with
his left on Martin's frontispiece, but to get down cleverly
' and judiciously whenever his adversary's rushing on-
ilaught and forcing style of milling made it pructent to
end the round. In several closes Phelps proved himself
the better tactician in wrestling; indeed Martin's left
ankle appeared weak, and although he drove Phelps se-
veral times through the ropes, the struggle seemed to be
generally in the latter's favour. From the 20th to the
39th round, Martin still made so good a show, and Phelps,
though active, resolute, and springy, seemed so often to
suffer from the counters or the blows in the rallies, that
Martin's friends held up for him and offered odds. The
less prejudiced and interested spectators, however, could
see that the thoroughbred frame, cool confidence, and
steady style of the Brighton man telling upon Mar-
rim; time after time did Phelps job him, propping him
effec.ively and neatly on the retreat, or stopping his left
and breaking away, with self-possessed coolness and
artistic alacrity. Martin grew wilder and more impe-
tuous, his deliveries became more random and uncertain.
In the 44th round, after some sharp exchanges, Phelps
threw him, when he rushed to a close, a heavy downer
close against the corner stake. Martin came up all
abroad, and contended six rounds more, receiving with-
out returning, and in the 49th round, after making two
successive left-handed pops, and a ditto from the right,
he was thrown, and declined answering the call of
" time." Thus Phelps was proclaimed the winner in 97
minutes, and 49 rounds.
The ring having been re-arranged, the second affair
came off between
CROSS AND HUNT.—Robert Cross is well known as a
105 t. 61b. man of some standing, and Jack Hunt, of
Cheltenham, is equally celebrated in the vicinity of his
native place. This was an odd affair. Cross hit, stopped,
fibbed,od with
r
insflmexainblef for
game;anas
ocionally amusing
hour, all which Hunt
the bystanders by quaint remarks on his opponent's de-
ficiency in power of hitting; at last, by sheer endurance,
Cross's left hand having been injured by continual con-
tact
stoiatnhdthtehm reows t his
with the os frontis of leis antagonist, the Chelten-
ham hero frightened his man out of the battle by his
apparent insensibility to punishment; indeed, for several
rounds previous to the 61st,which I
n c.osed the account,
Cross seemed tired of his job, a fell at each onslaught
of his game scrambling adversary ; and jein
Turner,
who seconded Cross, finding that he was tired of his
seemingly never-ending jog, threw up the sponge and
released Cross from the ring. The winner had all the
puma
• liment, the loser having no very soft place but his
heart. The fight lasted one hour and fifteen minutes.
BOWERS AND ROWE'S MOUSE.—These men contended
down the River, near Purfleet, on Tuesday. Bowers
had the advantage at the opening of the ball, but at the
end of 63 rounds, occupying one hour and ten minutes,
Bowers was defeated.—Advertiser.

Mr. Colburn :-1.
THE NEW PUBLICATIONS.—We are requested to
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lei
sthheadt t
&lime following interesting
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