The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-24 00:00:00

THIS DAY.

The prize fight between Jem Mace and Joe Goss for the
champion's belt and £4OO came off this morning.
Much general interest has been attached to this event,
arising from the fact of the same two men having fought
on a previous occasion.
It may here be stated that Goss was born at Wolver-
hampton, and is 28 years of age. He stands sft. Bin. high,
and weighs list. Glb. Mace is a native of Norwich, and is
five years older than his antagonist. He has the advan-
tage in height, but his weight is about the same. Goss has
fought several times for large sums of money, but in one
instance only has he been vanquished, and that was by his
present opponent, some three years ago, a contest for
£l,OOO, upon which occasion they fought 10 rounds in one
hour and 55 minutes.
The form of paying the last deposit, £4O, making com-
plete the sum of money contended for, was gone through
on Thursday last. This took place (pursuant to the
choice of Goss, who had won the toss for " naming the
place of final" deposit) at the house of Nat Langham, in
St. Martin's-lane, upon which occasion Goss puts in an
appearance, and, in reply to a question as to the probable
issue of the fight, said, "At any rate, if I don't win, it
shall be for no want ,of a good try on my part. I have
made up my mind, and hope I may be as well when the
day comes as I am now."
All preliminaries having been completed, tickets were
issued at £2 each person first class; and £1 10s. second.
These bore the following inscription :—" Thursday, May
24, 1866. First class, £2. Ludgate-hill Station, a'
5.30 a.m."

In order to be in time, tha first class ticket-holders, of
whom there wore upwards of 200, principally gentlemen
supporters of the ring, assembled at the station long before
five o'clock, and were admitted to the up station, where a
train comprising some 12 carriages was drawn up. The
same process was observed with the second class ticket-
holders, who were admitted to their train by the way lead-
ing to the down station. In this latter assemblage there
was a very large proportion of " roughs" who sought to
pass free, but happily this manssuvre was anticipated both
by the railway authorities and the police—a strong body of
officers being drawn up outside the station, under the com-
mand of Inspector Harrison.
When the doors of the station were first opened an eager
rush was made for the carriages. Thanks, however, to the
internal arrangements, everybody became in due course
comfortably seated without the hubbub and blackguardly
exclamations that usually attend these departures. Punc-
tually to time—namely, half-past s—the special, containing
between 200 and 300 passengers in all, moved out of the
station, and proceeded at a good pace through a beautiful
country till it reached the Farningham-road station. Here
it was brought to a standstill, while tickets were collected.

This occupied some 10 minutes, and the train afterwards
proceeded a distance of some four miles, about midway to
Meopham, when for the second time it was brought to a
standstill, and the cry "All out," was at once raised. A
minute afterwards every one descended, and rushed pell-
mell down the embankment into an adjacent meadow,
known as "Longfield Court." There the ring was formed,
but not without some delay, and Mace was the first to
throw his cap in it, following himself immediately after-
wards, amidst the cheers of his partisans. Goss observing
this, instantly followed the example of his antagonist, and
was equally lustily greeted.
The form of tossing for choice of corners was then gone
through, and Goss winning the toss selected that with his
back to the East, although there was little or no advantage
in this, inasmuch as the sun, which had up to this time
been brilliant, now became clouded ; and, again, the
ground was perfectly level, so there was nothing gained in
that particular. The men then retired to their respective
corners and were duly attended by their seconds.
Having stripped, the referee, a gentleman attached to
the staff of an old established sporting paper, took up this
position, and proclaimed "all ready." The men then ad-
vanced to the encounter, and were lustily cheered. They
both looked in good condition. Having shaken hands they
severally retired, and then smiling advanced to the con-
test. They commenced by sparring very carefully—now
feinting—now smiling—now rubbing themselves, amidst
the laughter of all present, as if to get themselves warm. Mace made the first attempt to strike, and just
droppedtouched
breast
his antagonist on the chest. Now they both
their hands, and rubbed themselves across theeie
.a, to
down the arms, as if to bring themselves, as it were,
the mark.
They then resumed their sparring
:ti
walking cautiously round the ring
60o1n still, and dropped
again smiled at each other, then stood still,
theyafter

their arms, laughing aloud.
Here Goss's seconds wanted to know "Why Jem Mace
was like a locomotive ?" " Because fie always ran away

This appeared one his mettle, and he there-
t°
direct line with his adversary's face ;
from his station,"
upon struck out in a
nimbleness of a ballet dancer, sprang
but Goss, with the
ways them aancesmo,
back, and,
at the same moment, darting forward, threw
out
his left hand, touching Mace slightly on the left
s
iMore cautious sparring, Goss remaining all this
time
close up in his own corner. Again both men
desisted,iioulndeel
rr.
y and began laughing and chaffing each other, amidst
the counter jeers of their different partisans. Then they
dey in each other, till one indignant looker-on de-
csltaoroedtheechgampion of England was bringing the prize-ring
to something indeed by jumping and dodging about in the
way in which he was doing. Another rest and another
chaff, and then a resumption of the attack and defensive,
but still neither succeeded in touching each other
All this time the different backers sought by cheers and
coarse remarks to urgethe men to "business." Theirefforts
however had but little effect--if any, perhaps they tended