Star.
London, England, 1821-12-13 00:00:00

BOXING.

GREAT`FIGHT BETWEEN HICKMAN (THE GAS-
LIGHT MAN) ♦ND NEAT, FROM BRISTOL, FOR
TWO HUNDRED GUINEAS A-SIDE.

nannies MUSCULAR&
So much interest did this battle excite is the spotting world,
that several persons left Landon so early as Saturday last for
Newbury. The road on Sunday, Monday, and all night, up
to Tuesday morning twelve o'clock, from the Metropolis, was
thronged with vehicles of every description, to reach the desdned
spot. The roads leading from Oxford, Gloucester. &c. and
likewise from Bristol, were in the same state with amateurs,
andous to reach the head-quarters, Newbury. AU the inns
were filled, and the beds were engaged for some days previous.
Hungerford Downs (66 miles) was the spot selected for this
combat; and under the judicious management of Mr. Jackson,
the ring was so well arranged, that 30,000 persons who Were
present, had all an excellent sight of the battle? Not the
slightest accident occurred, and the whole was conducted with
the greatest decorum. Indeed it was nothing else but a swell
fight and it required to bevel( breeched to be at it. it was a
tie benefit for the inns • and so much of the ready blind has not
been spent in the neighbourhood of Newbury for many years.
Even the peptises town of Reading was full of the admirers of
the learned profession • and not a few of the young nibs from
Oxford were recognized hurrying to the Amphitheatre of Arts !
The cavalcade on the road presented a novel scene to theltatime.
At a few minutes after one, Neat, arm-in-arm with his backer
and Belcher, threw his in the ring : and shortly afterwards
the Gas, in a white lamer, supported by his backer and Shelton,
repeated the token of defiance, and entered the ring. He im-
mediately shook hands with Neat, saying, " Hew ate you.
my cock r which was answered with a " Pretty well, I thank y',
Mr. Gash !"—Nlr. Jackson wss the referee: Belcher and Hartner
were the seconds for Neat; and Spring and Shelton for the Gas.
The time-keeper was held by Mr. Gulley. The odds, co much
in favour of Gas, had completely changed on the preceding even-
ing; and on the ground, Neat was backed S to 4, besides numerous
even bets, and taken for choke. Upwards of selSo,ooo, it is
calculated, has tranferred paws on this event. The Gas weighed
twelve stone, and Neat nearly fourteen.
llama 1. Not a whisper to be heard amongst the immense
multitude. Both of. the combatants appeared in the highest
'tat/of Coodition; hi fact, the. backers of Neat and the Gas
asserted they were equal to all intents and purposes for milting.
The Gas, on placing himself in attitude, surveyed his opponent
from head to foot, and Neat was equally on the alert. Hick-
man kept dodging about in order to get an opening to plant a
determined hit ; but Neat was' too derry to be hid upon this
suit, and whenever Use Gas moved, he likewise filtered his posi-
tion. On Neat's preparing himself to give a blew, the Gas,
smiling, diner himself back ; but immediately afterwards, as if
resolutely making up his mind to do some mischief, he went
bang in, and with his right hand put in a weber, Neat re-
treating. Hickman planted a second blow on his shoulder; he
also put in a third hit upon Neat's left eye; and elated with his
success, he was on the rush to place a fourth blow, when Neat
not only stopped him with a tremendous his on his throat, but
made the Gas stagger a little. Hickman, however, undismayed,
attacked Neat with great activity, and the result was, the Bristol
hero went down between the legs of Hickman—the Cocknies
shouting for joy, and the regular Fanciers declaring " It was aS
right, and that Gas would win it easy."-7 to 4on the Gas.
Z. Hickman came laughing to the wretch, full of confidence ;
but on his endeavouring to plantisis tremendous right-handed hit
on the throat of his antagonist, the length of Neat prevented it,
and the blow alighted again on his shoulder : the Gas endea-
voured again to make it, when the Bristol Hero gave Hickman
so hard a blow on bleier of ivories, that he retreated, and was
also compelled to make a pause before he again commenced the
attack. The Gas got away, smiling, from a left-handed hit ;
, when he rushed in with uncommon severity, and, after an ex-
change of blows, they both went down, but Neat undermost.
Another loud shoat for Hickman : the odds rising on him, and
“ he will win k to a certainty," was the cry.
3. If the backers of the Gas could net see the improvement of
the 'triad Hero, Hickman was satisfied that he had a danger-
ous customer before him, and found that the length of arm
possessed by his opponent rendered it highly necessary for him
to act with great caution ; he, therefore, on coming to the
scratch, made pause, and did not appear as heretofore, eager
to go to work. Neat was all caution and steadiness, and deter-
mined to wait for his opponent: the Gas in consequence, was
compelled to make play, and he planted a sharp hit on Neat's
head, and, laughing, nodded at him. Encouraged by this suc-
cess, he was about furiously to repeat the dose, when Neat
caught him with his left hand on his nob, which sent the Gas
down on his knee; but his courage was so high and good, that
he jumped up and renewed the fight like a game cock, till he
was hit down by another tremendous blow. The Brieolians
now took a turn with their chaffers, and the shouting was loud
in the extreme.

4. It was now discovered by tie Zisewing Ones that they had
not consulted Cocker upon the subject ; it was also evident to
them (but rather too late to turn it to advantage) that Neat was
as quick u his oppasent—good on his legs—a harder bitter than
his opponent—a better in-fighter—had a tolerable knowledge of
the science, and not such a rower as he had been said to be. The
severe soden the Gas bad received in the preceding routed had
elmenceried his upper works a little, and on his appearing at the
match he again made a pause. He saw the length of his op-
, pont was dangerous to attack ; and he mho saw that if he did
not commence lighting, Neat was not to be gontatoiseil of his
guard. Hickman now went in resolutely to smash his opponent,
but be was met right in the middle of his head with one of the
nesse tnniendous right-handed blows ever witneseed, and he
vent down like a shot. The 13ristulians now applauded to the
eels; and the Londe* " good judges," as they had previously
thought themselves, were on the slew.
S. Gas came up an altered man : indeed a bullock man se-
riously have fek such a blow: he stood still for an instant, but
Ms high courage would not let him flinch ; he defied danger,
although it stared him in the face; regardless of the
csa, he commenced fighting, and made some exchanges,
went down from a terrible bit cm the mouth.—(The Bristol boys
hoarse with shouting ; and the faces of the backers of Gas under-
going all manner of sensations and colours, like a rainbow).
6. The mouth of the Gas was full of blood, and he appeared
almost choking with it—when time was called. He was getting
weak; but be, nevertheless, rushed in and bored Neat to the
reps ; when the spectators were satisfied, by the ruperlority
displayed by the latter, that be was the best in-fighter. He pis.
Wished Gas in all directions, and finished the round by greasing
hiss with a belly puncher than would have floored an ox. (The
kwilewee from London were now so numerous, that 100 artists
and nut have taken their liknesses ; and the Bristolian kits
wwwWwith delight.)
7. ftudft and Shelton were very attentive to their man, wed
led him up to the scratch at the sound of time. The Gas was
sadly distressed, and compelled to pause before he went to week,
but Neat waited for him. The Gas was about to matemit!J
when Belcher said to Neat, " Be ready, my boy, he's
The Bristol Hero sent the Gas staggering from him by a welkin
but Neat would not follow him. On the Gas attaaapdag to
make a kit, Neat again put in a tremendous blow on his neouth,
whisk uncorked the claret in profusion. The Gas recovered him-
edf eo the astunishmeot of all present, went to work, and, after
some daspuine exchanges, sent Neat down. This ihange pro-
duced a ray of hope on the part of his backers, and cries d
"bravo, Gas, you are a game fellow Indeed."
B. The Gas, laughing, commenced the attack, but received
such a giant-like blow on his tight eye, that he went down like
a log on his beck, and his hands up over his head : he was
insensible. Sikkim and Spring (who were covered with
could scarcely get him of the ground. The whole ring
'punk struck, Spring vociferating, almost with the voice of a
Stator, to awake him from his stupor.. with the repeated calls
of " Gas, Gas, Gas !" The spectators left their places and can
towards the ropes, thinking it was all over; indeed, the anzkty
displayed, and the great confusion which occurred la whipping
out the ring, had such an effect, that several per ons, with
watches in their hands, said a minute had passed away: On
time being called, the Gas opened one eye wildly, for he bad
now only one left, the other being swelled up as big as an egg,
and bleeding copiously.
9. On recovering himself, his courage out-lierodel Herod.
Every person seemed electrified with his manner. He com-
menced the attack with much activity : and after an ekchsoge of
blows, strange to say, he scut Neat down--(4priestre).
10. Nest dropped him, by nearly staving in his breast-bone.
11. Gas was in great distress from severe hits received, and
Neat was piping too. Neat was dropped in a rally by a right-
' handed body blow.
12. A manly fighting round, and Gu bad none the went of
it, but be was thrown.
13. Gas was bit cleat j dews with the left head, end barring'