The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-09 00:00:00

PUGILISM.

HEENAN, THE AMERICAN CHAMPION.
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
DERBY, Saturday Night.—This morning a large
crowd of people, who sympathised with Heenan's
captivity, assembled in front of the Police-office, in
the hope of obtaining a view of " the American."
Dr. Heygate, who had been called upon to counter-
sign the warrant, was the presiding magistrate.
The greatest excitement prevailed, and magistrates,
professional men, and others took occasion to visit
Heenan at Mr. Hilton's house. Every comfort that
Mr. Hilton and sympathising friends could provide
were provided, and Heenan left Derby with a strong
feeling of gratitude for the honest expression of
kindly feeling, not only from men who hate prize-
fighting per se, but, nevertheless, who like to dis-
play the impulse of true English feeling..
The following is an account of what passed in
the private room of Mr. Hilton (who deserves every
praise for his treatment of Heenan, who is not a
criminal), and we are quite surd that Heenan's
friends will be gratified with what has been done
(consistently with legal exactitude) for his com-
fort :
Mr. Leech said he appeared on behalf of Heenan,
at the request of several influential inhabitants of
Derby, who felt a deep interest in the case, and
who wished Heenan to have full justice done him.
He had committed no offence whatever ; his offence
was a mere suppositious one, and it would not do
for the magistrates to pay any attention to garbled
reports which had already appeared in some of the
daily papers. It was urged that Heenan had used
threats against the police authorities, and had de-
clared his intention to fight the English champion
under any circumstances. Now, when it was known
that Heenan (an American) had been hunted
through no less than five counties in England, and
had been eventually run down after a severe chase
in Derbyshire, and had been temporarily confined
in a cell usually occupied. by felons, whilst his
intended adversary was known to be pursuing his
training exercises without interruption, it was
natural enough he (Heenan) should use harsh ex-
pressions; but he (Mr. Leech) was now instructed
by Heenan to say he regretted having used any
improper language. He had not committed any
breach of the peace, and might not do so. It was
not for the magistrates to consider what was the
amount of the prize for which it was said Heenan
was about to contend. It was immaterial whether
it was a sovereign or £5,000. Tho condition in life
of the party accused was the main consideration,
and as Heenan followed the employment of a black-
smith in his own country, and was a man in poor
circumstances, the magistrates would not require
heavy bail. They would not ask for more than was
really needful and proper ; and two respectable
tradesmen in Derby, and men of property, instructed
him (Mr. Leech) to tender their names as sureties,
and no objection could be offered against them.
Dr. Heygate said—l have no intention of show-
ing any vindictive feeling, and I shall require
Heenan to be bound over to keep the peace to all
her Majesty's subjects in a bond of £5O and two
sureties of £25 each. (This announcement was
received with applause.)
Immense excitement prevailed. The market
place and neighbouring streets were crowded.
Heenan left the hall by a passage behind, and was
loudly cheered by the populace, who accompanied
him to a cab, which was in waiting.

On Saturday morning Heenan was brought up
before Dr. Heygate at Derby. He was represented
by Mr. S. Leech, from the office of Mr. Gamble.
There were also several of his friends present, who
had arrived that morning by mail train from London.

Mr. Whiston, magi-etrates' clerk, addressing
Heenan, said—You, John Heenan, are brought here
on the information of John Shaw, who says, from
information he has received—namely, that a prize
fight is likely to take place in the county of Derby
between Thomas Sayers and John Heenan, and that
a riot is likely to occur in the said county—he re-
quires that the said John Heenan, who is now re-
siding at Long Eaton, in the said county, may be
required to find sureties for good behaviour and for
the preservation of the public peace for six months.
Mr. Leech, addressing Dr. Heygate, said he ap-
peared on the part of Heenan, having been requested
to do so by several gentlemen of the town. He
(Heenan) requested him to state that he had never
broken the peace in this county, and had no inten-
tion of so doing. It was true he might have made
use of some harsh language, but it was done in the
excitement of his capture, when his passions would
naturally be aroused. But when they considered
that he had been "hunted," as it were, out of eight
counties, and that his opponent, Sayers, was
allowed to go on with the greatest impunity, he
receiv-
ing. feellf asore n
ya t t
mt hee
htreatment d
ehe
use w aosf r
e c e
expres-
sions that he ought not to have done, he was very
sorry for it. Two respectable gentlemen of the
town were present to give bail for his good beha-
viour, and it would be for the magistrates to fix the
amount. The amount was always guided by the
station in life of the persons called upon to find it,
and he begged to inform the bench that in America
Heenan carried on the trade of a blacksmith. He
hoped the bench would not assess the bail at a large
amount.
Mr. Whiston, magistrates' clerk, said the bench
had agreed to take Heenan's own recognisances of
£5O, and two sureties of £25 each. He would also
add that the authorities had no feeling in the mat-
ter beyond the preservation of the public peace.
The Leicestershire Inspector of Police said he
wished Heenan to understand that if he or Sayers
came into his county and broke the peace, they
would be taken.
Mr. Fox, chief constable—lt extends to every
county in England.
Mr. Leech—But the law cannot now interfere
with Mr. Heenan in any county, unless he should
break the peace.
The sureties were then signed, and Heenan left
the court with his friends.

A great crowd assembled outside tke hall, and
-_
remained there for several hours. Heenan was
quietly taken the back way, through Mr. Hilton's
house, and a cab being in readiness, he drove off
with his friends, intending to leave for London by
the next train.
Capt. Foster, chief constable of the Isla of Ely,
in an official report to the quarter sessions, states :
—" Having received information that a prize fight
was about to take place in the Isle of Ely, I made
application to the Whittlesey bench, with the view
to have the intended combatants bound over to keep
the peace. The warrants were granted. One
superintendent was despatched to Peterborough to
apprehend John Heenan, the American pugilist,
who had left before the arrival of the officer. An-
other superintendent was sent to Newmarket to
take into custody Thomas Sayers, the English pu-
gilist. He reports as follows Mr. Benyon was
in the town, but refused to back the warrant, stat-
ing that it was a stretch of power'; the man had com-
mitted no offence ; as chief magistrate he would
neither sign it himself nor permit it to be signed at
Newmarket. I returned to Ely, being powerless.
I did not see Sayers, but no more notice is taken of
him in the place than any other man."