Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-28
w. D. WALLACE.
The Sporting World.

bUken, who were without either money or lei :
sure 10 enable them TO be present at the great
International match in England, were ena bled
to enjoy nOiety Of kindred excitement this
morning by witnessing the long -talk ed of fight
between Harry Gribbin and Ed. Wilson. both
of New jersey. In consequence of a very gen.
eral belief that the fight would not take place
at all, butfew had made prepa rations to attend
il, and the precise ground had not been made
known to any. On Monday, however, the
tug j. X. Frazer was engaged for the
principals, and the most prominent bruisers
WHO were to- attend them, and early in the
evening the steamboat Ceres was chartered to
take from New York party who were desir-
Gus OF selecting their own company, so far as
the trip was concerned. The understanding
was, that the j. II. Frazer would appear at the
Weehawken Dock at late hour Of night and
take Ch her passengers To the scene Of the fight,
anu that the more select party would follow i'm
mediately from the New York side The Wee
hawken boat, however, drew out from her pier
much earlier than had been anticipated be-
cause OF the appearance of a large number of
persons In the vicinity, who, it was believed
'ild not intend to pay the requisite So for the
passage, and might have q difficulty on board
When she left her pier she had but few of her
intended passengers on board, other than the
principals In the fight, some of their seconds
and few of their friends. Nearly one hum
dred OF those who had procured tickets were
left on shore, complaining loudly of the treat
ment they had received. In order to make
matters more satisfactory, and still keep off
those not entitled to passage the jersey boat
attempted to land at pier above, from which
only orc person could have entered at a time,
but unfortunately for those interested. when
the pier was reached by those in the secret On
shore no light could be found and the aptain
of the stesm-tug did not deem it safe to at
tempt a landing in the darkneSs-it being then
about ] o'clock In the morning The best
that could be done TO send the small
boat ashore, and take them off in that yay:
but misfortune was again their reward for
sooner had the first boat reached the steam
tug, than the New York boat appeared cross.
Ing the river. In the excitement of the
moment, the New York party was mistaken
for strong police force, and the Jersey
boat ran to escape them. In order the better
TO eyade her pursuerS, her lights were all
taken down, and she was run rapidly across to
New York. and concealed behind the shipping
there. As there were number of other steam
erS on the river, the New York boat mistook
the lights OF another steamer for those of her
intended companion, and so she followed them
d"wn the river. When she had passed suffi-
Vlently Tar down to give the Jersey party as
sUrdnce that she had lost sight of them the
Jersey boat put back to Weehawken, where
she remained Tor two hours vainly endeavor-
1rS To get the remainder of her passengers on
EcdI udNDreaR. IL was agreed
that Rlkers Island, a short distance above
Hurl Gate, would be the best place they could
then reach for quiet brushing time, and her
course was immediately shaped for that island
During all this interval spirituOus liquors had
been lndulged In freely, and by the time she
had reached her destination there were q num-
ber more cOmbatants than had been originally
entered in the programme. Nevertheless. the
ropes and other paraphernalia of the prize ring
were taken ashore speedily, the ring was M made,
and at about an hour and u half after day break
Gribbin and WilsOn were stripped, and ready
to batter each other for the amusement of their
friends. Those familiar with the appearance
"f men who have been trained to pummel each
other scientifically, declared them both to be
IN "hp-top condition" Judges were soon
found. and when the call was made for the
tight to commence, the gentlemen who are in
the habit OF stalking money to enhance the in
tercSt of such occasions, offered to bet 100 to 30
on Gribbin. But after Wilson, who is much
the younger of the two, had sustained the on
set If bis antagonist during three rounds or
falls, the betting changed suddenly to like
odds In favor of Wilson, and continued there
until the conclusion of the fight, without
takers The fighting was said to be exceed
IAGly artistic; noses were bled, and heads and
bodies were bruised and dis6gured to an ex-
tent that seemed To afford the most ecstatic
pleasure to large majority of the on-look-
ers This bruising and bleeding was con-
hnued until. together, they had fallen sixty
one times. On several occasions it was claimed
that Gribbln fell without having received a
blow, and near the termination of the fight
the Judge informed Gribbin that if he fell
again without blow from his antagonist, he
would declare that he had lost the fight In
this way, as has been said, the sixty-one rounds
were fought, at the termination of which both
the combatants had become so utterly exhaust
ed, that they agreed to consider it n drawn
battle, which they would endeavor to termi-
nate another day. During the fight, the New
FORK party arrived, and were just in time to
witness the concluding demonstrations, ard
the sequel to the regularly appointed business,
which was, perhaps, the most exciting part of
the demonstration.
Soon after the regular fight began, two
youths, ambitious of pugilistic nOtoriety, COM
menced n hight on their own account, at a
little distance from the ring, which caused
considerable annoyance to the friends of {; r;b.
bin and Wilson; and as soon as the main hattie
had been declared drawn, the Youngsters Re-
newed their combat. 1t was Contagious I'm.
mediately almost every person on the ground
found an opponent, and commenced diligently
to punch his head and for a few moments men
were falling all over the field, as if some giant
were engaged in rolling ten-pins. and was
using embryo pugilists for pins. The scam
pering about Of the few who were not inclined
for fight might easily have been mistaken
tor the hustle of the pin-boys at fashionable
watering place, striving to set them up again.
In few minutes Gribbin and Wilson had
been conveyed to the boat, and the other par
ties, peaeeable and otherwise, were on their
return home. The New York party viewed
the scene from their boat by the shore, and
dld not, therefore, take any part in the tur-
moil. With the other party the disgraceful
scenes that had been enacted upon the Island
were continued while on their return to their
rendezvous
Although, from midday on Monday. no Sc
etet was made OF the intention to fight on the
i1iIowIng morning, and the ARRANGEMENTS at
'he wharyes were made without any effort at
conceslment, no policeman appeared to dis
turo them; and although, while on the water,
tne noise and confusion were sufficient to at
,ract the attention of persons upon the vessels
ylng at either shore, the river police seemed
70 have been entirely oblivious to what was
passing in their immediate neighborhood. -
". I. Times.
IL The Vermont Patriot tells story Of an old
nfer who went one day, to visit former borrow
81 who had since fortunately, grown from poverty
Thex inSr