Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-06-07
[From Bells Life, May POI
The Championship.

Our readers and the public generally will
hail with delight the announcement we now
make that on Friday last Tom SayerS and his
gallant opponent met by appointment in our
Office, and settled their dispute in the most
friendly manner SayerS was accompanied 10y
Mr. Gideon and two other friends and Jack
Macdonald appeared as adviser of Heenan.
Several propositions were made on both
sides, in the presence of all parties, which,
however, ended in smoke. The first proposal
on behalf of Heenan was that the old belt
should be cut in half, that each should take a
moiety and that each belt should be made
complete by subscriptions raised by either side
Sayers at once replied to this that he would not
consent to give up the old belt, or any part
thereof, adding he would rather die in the ring
than allow any portion of it to go out of the
country. We then suggested Tom should re-
sign the old belt into our hands to be fought
for by other aspirants, and that each champion
should head subscription to purchase q fac.
Simite to be handed to his adversary We re-
presented that the feeling in the country was
unanimous, especially among the higher classes
that both men had done enough for honor and
renOwn that by agreeing to this proposition
neither would be giving a point to his adver-
Sary, and that it would be method Cf settling
the affair which would meet with general ap-
probation. Heenan at once asSented to this,
but Sayers, after comforting with one of his
friends, said he would give Hcenan new belt
but would prefer keeping bis own, for which he
had fought SO long. This was was another
hitch. 1t was clearly Heenans object that
Tom should not have the original, or, at any
rufA rhnln nf ho IL.
would be tantamount to defeat and at this
stage of the proceedings We had fears that
after all no amicable arrangement would be
made 1t then occurred to US that, if the men
were left alone with us, and allowed to state
their own individual wishes, unbiased by the
opinions of others, in all probability VIC could
put them together. A hint was sufficient :
the friends of both instantly left our Saactum,
and i'll five minutes the men shook hands in
the most friendly way possible, and agreed to
our proposal that each should have a new
belt, that the old one should be left with US.
and that in the event of Heenan'S thinking nit
to remain in this country and defend it against
all cOmerS for three years, it should become
his own. Tom undertook not to put in onv
further claims for it. intimating that he should
now retire from the Ring, aud leave its for
tunes and its yicissitudes for younger men,
Heenan, in few wellexpressed words, said he
had always respected our champion as brave
man, and one Of the wonders of the age; he
had come over to try whether he could lick
him, and he was bound to acknowledge be
found in him an adversary quite as good, or
even better, than he expected, and he might
add, now tkat the question Of the belt was
done away with, what he could not have said
publicly befere viz that even had he defeat
ed Tom Sayers in the RiHg, it was his inten-
'tion to have given the belt right back to him
on the spot, feeling it would have been far
from manly on his part to have deprived so
good man of his hard-earned trophy after
waving his rights so far as to allow him a
chance Of trying for it. Tom replied in suita-
BILE tegms, that he had always respected
Heenan he looked upon him as a brave man,
and the best he had ever met, and he consider.
ed him in every way worthy to uphold the
position of Champion of England should he
feel disposed SO to do