Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-11-04

| Instead OF going into town this afternoon,
Hawkins remained at Slaughter-house to see
the great fight between the second and third
| cocks.
The different masters Of the school kept board
ing houses (such as Potkys, Chips, Wickens,
Pnney's and SO on), and the play ground or
'green as it was called, although the only thing
green about the place was the broken glass on the
walls that separate Slaughter house from Wilder
| mes Row and Goswel Street. MANY time
| have | seen Mr.. Pickwiek look out of his window
| in that street, though we did not know him then.)
| The play ground, or green, was common to all
| But If any stray boy from Potky s was found for
instance, in, or entering into, Chip house, the
| most dreadful tortures were practised upon him,
| as can answer in my own
| Fancy, then, our astonshment at seeing a little
| three-foot wretch of the name of Wills, one of
llawkns's Tags they were both in Potky'sl
walk undlsmayed amongst US lions at Chips
house, as the erich rare'' young lady did in Ire
land. We were going to set upon him and de-
YOUR Or otherwise maltreat him, when he cried
out in a little, shrill, mpertnent voice, "TeH
| Berry arant him."
We all roared with laughter Berry was in
the sixth form, and Wills or any under boy
would as soon have thought of wanting him,
as should Of wanting the Duke of Wellington.
Little Wills looked round in an imperious kind
OF way. ''Well," says he stamping his foot,
lido you hear Tell Berry that Hawkins wants
him..
AS for resisting the law of Hawkins, you
might as soon think of resisting immortal Jove.
Berry and To]mash, who was to be his bottle
holder, made their appearance Immediately, and
walked out into the green where Hawkins was
waiting, and, with, an irresistible audacty that
only belonged to himself, in the face of nature
and all the regulations of the place, was smoking
cigar. When Berry and Tolmash found him,
the three began slowly pacing up and down
In the un-shme, and we little boys watched
| them.
Hawkins moved his arms and hands every now
and then, and was evidently laying down the
law about boxing. We saw his fists dartng out
every now and then with mysterious swiftness,
hitting one two, quick as thought, as if the face
of an adversary; his left hand went up, as If
guarding his own head, now his immense right
fist dreadfully tapped the air, as if Furnishing his
imaginary opponents miserable ribs. The con-
versation lasted for some ten minutes about
which time gown-boys' dinner was over, and we
saw these youths in their black, horn button jack
cts and knee breeches, issuing from their door in
the clolsters. There were no hoops, no cricket
BATS as usual half-hoday. Who would
have thought of play in expectation of such ire
mendous sport as was in store for us!
Towering among the gown boys, of whom he
was the head and the tyrant, leaning upon Bush
by's arm, and followed at little distance by ma
iis black silk stockings, which he always sport
ed, and with crimson bandana tied round his
waist, came Biggs. His nose WAS swollen with
the blow given before school, but his eyes flash
ed fire. He was laughing and sneering with
Bushby, and evidently intended to make minced
meat of Berry.
The betting began pretty freely: the bets were
against poor Berry Five to three were offered
in ginger-beer. | took six to four in raspberry
open tars. The upper boys carried the thing
farther still; and know for fact, that Swangs
book amounted to four pound three, (but he
hedged good deal, and Tittery lost seventeen
shillings in single bet to Pitts, who took the
odds.
AS Blggs and his party arrived 1 heard Haw-
kins say to Berry, "For Heavens sake my boy,
tlb with your right hand, and paind las left
hand! ("
Middle Briars was voted to be too confined s.
space for the combat, and it was agreed that it
should take place behind the under school in the
shade, whittier we all went. Hawkins, with his
immense silver hunting watch, kept the time; and
water was brought from the pump close to Not
ley's the pastry cooks, who did not admire fstl-
cuffs at all on halfholday, for the fights kept
the boys away from his shop. Gutley was the
only fellow in the school who remained faithful
to him. and he sat on the counter-the great
gormandising beast eating tarts the whole
day
This lannon's fight, as every slaughter-house
man knows, lasted for two hours and twenty mi
nutes, by Hawkins immense watch Ali this
Is
ry! Go it. Biggs! Pitch into him Give it
him!' and so on. Shall describe the hundred
and two rounds of the combat? No!-Fraser
must publish supplement, and the taste for
such descriptions has passed away.*
LIST round. Both the complaints fresh, and i'll
prime order. The weight and inches somewhat
on the gown-boy's side. Berry goes calamity in,
and delivers cllnker on the gown boys Jaw
Biggs makes play with his left. Berry down.
4tb round. ofaret drawn In profusion from the
gown-boy's grog-shop (He went down, and
spit his front teeth into a pewter basin at
the end of this round, but the blow cut Berrys
knuckes great deal.)
18th round. Chancery. Fbbing. Bggs
makes dreadful work with his left. Break away.
Rally. Biggs down. Betting still six to four on
the gown-boy.
Goth round. The men both dreadfuly punish
ed. Berry somewhat shy of his adversary's left
hand.
Doth to 42d round The Christie all this
while breaks away from the gown-boy' S left and
goes down on a knee. Six to four on the gown
boy, until the fortieth round, when the bets be-
came equal.
102d and last round For haitian. hour the
men had stood up to each other, but were almost
Ioo "ca'y W S-iiho' luz SoWH-poy lace Haru-
ly to be recognized, swollen and streaming with
blood. The Chipsite in a similar condition, and
still more punished about the side from his enc
my's left hand. Berry gives blow at his adver-
sary 8 face, and falls over him as he falls.
The gown boy can't come up to time And
thus ended the great fight of Berry and Biggs.
And what, pray, has this horrd description of
battle and parcel of ool-boys to do
with Mems Wees, the title at the head of this
niece1