The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-01-26 00:00:00

THE FLUHT AND THE CROSS.

At twenty minutes after one, the men entered the ring, and,.
on stripping, the advantage was manifestly in favour of Stock-
man, both as to condition and weight. Jack Randall (we blush
to have found him engaged under such circumstances) and Josh
Hudson seconded Cavanagh; and Crouch, whom report has
probably misnamed resurrection man," and a suit
of con to the ring, waited on Stockman. At half-past one pre-
cisely, the battle commenced.
Round 1. Some neat :units (for the science of both men is
good). Stockman cautious. Cavanagh, anxious to get to
work, made a body blow, but was :net with a flush hit in his
mouth, which loosened 1113 grinders, and drew the cork front
his smelling bottle. Stockman uuw closed, and threw him a
complete summerset.
2. Sparring for some seconds. Cavanagh anxious to go in,
but could find no opening. Mutual stops. Stockman received
a slight tap on the cheek ; the distance was not well measured.
Stockman got away from some well intentioned compliments,
&, on Cavanagh again coming in, closed & threw him instantly.
.1. Stockman received oat the ribs, but gave counter-bits out
Ctvauagli's eye, which became puffed in consequence. Stock-
man again got away with the agility of a dancing master, and'
in a close threw Cavanagh a terrific fall.
4. Stockman received a chopper on his chin ; a merry rally
followed, stop for stop. Sparring for moue time, Stockman
evidently waiting the attack, and careful of his own person. In
a close Cavanagh thrown.
5. Cavanagh hit Stockman slightly, and Randall. patted his
hack. Stockman laughed, and in it twinkling paid another
unwelcome visit to Cavatiligh's nutcrackers, and the claret
flowed freely. In a relay and close Cavanagh aria thrown.
6. Science bn both sides, and good cusps. Cavanagh received
on his other eye, and in a close thrown. He was now weak,
and his legs tottered front the violence of his falls.
7. Cavanagh put in some slight WOWS on Stockman's ribs. In
the close he was ;mikes down by Stockman, who ASS clearly
the stronger man.
9. A rally and a close. Stockman fibbed Cavanagh. DAL
down; Cavanagh uppermost.
10. Cavanagh because inure cautions, and neither seemed dis-
posed to commence. Stockman scratched his head ; and had
not at this time received a blow worth recording. They both
looked round to their seconds. Cavanagh did nut seem to ex-
pect such treatment, and Stockman apparently expected to re-
ceive some intelligible hint. Matted Stops—a close. Stock-
man again pulled Cavanagh on top of hint.
11. It was now ten to one on Stockman. Sparring for a few
minutes, and a.pause ; both men seemed puzzled how to act.
Stockman again felt something uneasy in his head, and
scratched it once more. lu a clone, Stockman went down
[Well done, Cavanagh].
12. Both made piny ; but Stockman was not long before he
gave Ca. anagh another smasher on the mouth, which pro-
duced a fresh supply of claret.
13. A long.
r•
sparring; bout—doubts and difficulties and sundry
" lunging, lingering looks looks behind," but nothing intelligible
was said or done. At length they went to work ; Cavanagh
put in a alight facer, but received a counter hit on the eye, *ad
to a close was thrown.
14. Another loan., pause—and cries for candles and lanterns,
as the fight was to last all night. A clause, Cavanagh hit in the
face, and both down ; Stockman tinier.
is. Mutual stops, a close, and Stockman set down and pull-
ed Cavanagh over him.
Itl. Stockman put in some facers. and closed. Cavanagh.
down, much distressed.
17 and last,. Au active bustling round ; ditrinF which some-
thing was whispered to Stoektnati. In a close Cavanagh fibbed
slightly, and Stockman went down, Cavanagh over him. It
was at this crisis a guinea to a shilling on Stockman, but in his
opinion the prop tt time had arrived, and when his friend
Crotch went to;" snatch his body" from the ground, he was
tJ all appearance senseless. Here there was ageneral laugh,
but stockman was not to be laughed into time ; he could net be
got to the scratch, and Cavanagh, " nothing loth," was de-
clared the conqueror. Confusion followed for some time, and
the word cross was bandied about from mouth to mouth,
with great freedom, while gene of the cognoscenti were forced
to confess that the thing wail very badly done. Every honour-
able man was indignant, and most of those on the ground very
properly declared that they would not pay their bets—indeed,
under all views of the ease, we think such a determination
completely justified, notwithstanding the supposed infallibility
of the rule, that the bets " must go with the battle-money"—
that is to say, that whichever way the umpires decided, the
bets must be paid. We are quite satisfied that no honest um-
pire could conscientiously say that this battle WAS fairly de-
cided. This was the opinion of Spring, and all who like hint
formed an unbiassed judgment.