The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-05-04
The Prize Fight.


test between John c. Heenan and Thomas Bay
ers, for the belt and the championship OF the
world. The news created the most intense in
tere,t. and but little else was talked Of during
| The day and night. The excitement was not 30
great In this city, however. as 1t was in New
York, the headquarters Of nine-tenths OF the
professed pugilists and bullics In the country,
where, we are tJld by the Commercial .ddrer-
tissr, cuisines was suspended as much as II
great calamity had happened"
We do not propose to copy minute details OF
this most disgusting exhibition. correspond
ent Of the New York Herald, evidently m
Englishman, who Witnessed the affair, gives
some particulars, which read as though they
came from an unprecedented pen. and will
probably be sufficient to satisfy the curiosity OF
most of our readers:
"Tom Sayers walked into the ring first, and
threw his hat down In defiant manner, and
then his numerous friends greeted him with
enthusiastic cheers Heennn then entered, and
was alike greeted by his friends, who, however.
were not 30 numerous rs Toms. Heenan wore
q good-naturcd smile, and ut once walked up to
1
were exchanged between them, and then they
tossed for the corner. Hecnan won. The Amer
leans Immediately made rush for the corner
of their champion. and were evidently prepar-
ing to defend and protect him against oil unfair
usage, in case such q thing should occur. =
Hughes, Mullgan, McCabe and one other per-
son, whose name forget, sat close to the stake:
Morrissey and Cunningham were opposite and
near Sayers.
condition. Tom Sayers' body was brownish
yellow, almost the color of copper, whilst Hec-
mans was rs white as an infants. We will here
state that insinuations had been thrown out
that Heenau would not enter the ring, or, II he
did, that he would show signs OF tremulousness.
But oil such ideas must have disappeared from
the minds of those who conceived them, when
they watched the face of Hcenan. He was
good-natured and smiling, and person might
almost have supposed he was going to we'd
ding, II happy countenancee was any criteri-
on. Savers was equally good-naturcd. Both
men evidently felt confident in their own pow
ers, and entertained no thought of defeat.
Sayers and Heenan now stood opposite each
other. They came together as strangers, with
out personal cause for battle. They had been
training for months, in order that they might
punish each other, or, IL possible, kill They
stood there smiling in each others faces, and
then deliberately commenced, for the benefit OF
their friends, to batter and disfgure each other.
We cannot give our readers technical descrip-
ton Of the fight; II Is the first we ever wit
messed, and most certainly 1t will be the last
In the first round they spared Ave minutes,
without either giving or receiving blow, when
Sayers struck Heenan on the upper lip ana
nose, and first blood was at once declared for
Sayers Heenan received 1t good-naturedly,
and on they went boxing each other, until n
CAT nd
without falling himself The Heenan crowd
chcered Justify. We will here state that the
Americans have most unusual manner OF ex-
hibiting their satisfaction and delight. AT the
conclusion of each round they would clap him
on the back as IL they were DESTROYS OF testing
the thickness Of his skin; then when he would
hit Sayers well they would jump in the air ike
30 many antelopes, waving their hats and shout
ing rs though mad. From the second TO the
sixth round, Hecnan knocked Sayers down ,and
once delivered terrific blow that fairly lifted
Sayers up in the air, and then felled him rs
though he had been struck by cannon ball.
In the seventh, Sayers delivered q terrible blow
on Heenan's cheek. Sayers either fell or was
Knocked down In the eighth, ninth, tenth, eley-
enth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth,
seventeenth. and so on up to the thirtieth. on
the seventh round the police made their appear
ance, but the crowd kept them back, anu de-
spite whatever statements may be made, We as
sert that they never interfered or prevented the
fight from its commencement to its conclusion.
On the ninth round Sayers lost the use OF his
right arm from terrific lunge delivered by
Heenan ut his head, but which Tom guarded
with his arm. Heenan's face swelle' very much
after the first round; one eye Was completely
closed; hts lips were dreadfully swelled, and
his face presented most disfgured appear
ance. Tom Sayers did not show the same pun
ishment although he had received some terrific
blows on the head. Hour after hour the fight
continued; both men, bruised and bloody, still
fought brayely (it such things can be called
SOY, and well they were supported and encour-
aged by the cheers Of their friends, and with
smile playing upon their bleeding faces they
followed up the fight for two hours and six
minutes. Two masses Of muscle, directed by
two brains, performed the work allotted to
them, and never could believe that anything
human could sustain such continued Furnishing
without prostration or fainting; but little
water, q little brandy, little rubbing, and q
few words Of consolation, seemed to Keep the
machine in perfect order. In the thirty.htth
round Heenan, almost, blind, rushed madly o!
Sayers, caught his neck under his left arm, and
seemed rs though he were about to strangle
him. Sayers' body was In front OF iieenan,
and his face towards his back. lieennn, in Mt
tempting to strike him, caught the rope under
his other arm, when, we regret to say, some OF
Sayers' friends kicked Heenan, and pulled him
down. The ring was then broken in, when the
referee left, and a general mob was the result;
Sayers' friends tried to stop the fight, and
called upon the police to stop the disturbance,
while Heenan's friends determined 1t should go
on. Several rounds were fought, when Sayers
refused to rise from his corner, when Heenan
went ut him, knocked him of his seat, and then
Knocked down two or three Of his friends, who
refused to throw up the sponge; After TINS
Heenan ran with his friends toward the cars
The struggle with Hecnan In the last round had
evidently worn poor Sayers out, great rs his
endurance Is.
The Americans loudly and threateningly
claimed the fight, but no one could agree, ana
II was therefore called drawn. What will be
the result no one can tell till this afternoon,
when Mr.. Bowling, of Belts Life. will decide.
Strong Indignation was expressed Mt the con-
duct Of Mr.. Bowling in leaving the held. we
are afraid he was wanting in that courage ana
judgment such an occasion required. MT:
Wilkes, who represented the Americans, stood
firmly to his post throughout the whole con.
ter the affair was over, expressed strong de- |
sire to whip any number OF Englishmen.-l
Their obliging offer, however, was not accept |
ed.
II was freely stated by many that Sayers |
would never be permitted to lose the fight, nor |
Heenan to carry the belt over the Atlantic, and
the course which affairs took would strongly |
suggest that fact. No bets whatever, Of course, |
will he paid until the result Of the referees |
opinion Is known. An immense pressure will
be brought to bear by the English to prove that
Heenan had no right to catch the rope, and al |
SO that the fight was stopped by the police
This We pcremptorly deny, and our Judgment
Is that John c. Heenan Is entitled To the belt,
and oil the honOrs Of the championship
Several of the American gentlemen were re-
lieved of their gold watches, in all about eight.
cen. We are afraid II is the last view they will
ever have Of any Of them"