The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-04-30
THE GREAT PRIZE-FIGHT.
HISTORY OF THE AFFAIR.
A DRAWN BATTLE.
KEENAN, CONSIDERED VICTOR.
COMMENTS OF THE ENGLISH PRESS.

our reauers VINO are curious on the subject viii
find below full history of the whole affair
CHALLENGE OF HEENAN TO SAVERS
Office Wilkes Spirit of the Times.
NEW York, August 25, 1859
L, John Z. Heenan, of the citv of West TROY
United States of America, hereby challenge
Thomas Sayers, the Champion of England, to fight
me in six months from the time of his reception OF
this challenge, from the date of the first deposit
under it, for t'co hundred pounds, and the Cbompi
on's belt; the fight to take place near London
(England, and to be governed by the rules of the
London fTlze hing. John G. HEENAN.
The challenge was accepted, and the following
adopted as the
ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT
Articles OF agreement entered into, this 10th day
of December, 1859, between Thomas Savers and
John c. Heenan. The said Thomas Savers agrees
to fight the said John Heenan for f2OO a side, ac-
cording to the rules of the Ring of the Puyilistc
Benevolent Association, by which the said Thomas
Sayers and John Heenan hereby mutually agree to
be bound: The said fight shall take place on Mon
day. April l6, 1860, within hundred miles and above
twenty miles from London. In pursuance of this
agreement EGO a side are now deposited in the
hands OF the editor of Bells Life who shall be final
stakeholder. The third deposit shall be made, of
ESQ side, at Nat Langhams, Cambrian, Castle
street, Leicester square, on Wednesday, February
22d, 1860. The last deposit shall be made. of ESQ
side, at Owen Swift's, on March Both. The demos
its shall be made between the hours of eight and
ten, and the party failing in any depost shall fnr
felt the whole of the money then staked The men
shall be In the ring between the hours of twelve
and one, or the man absent shall forfeit the battle
money. The expenses of the ropes and stakes shall
be shared equally by the cUmbatants The editor
OF bet 8 Aye Z" Lo"do" to name the place and the
referee (Sgned)
JoHN GIDEON, for Tom SAVERS
Fred. FALKLAND, for JOHN C. HEENAN
lfrom Wfes Sp'r3 Of the Times, published at London
APPROACH THE EVENT.
AS the great event approached towards the day
fixed for its final elimination regular increase OF
the excitement became visible every day and tho
best evidence that was given that no circle was too
high to treat the subject with disdain was the fact
that the most important journals in Great Britain
gave 1t frequent and serious treatment-tbe crown.
ing sign amid this shade of proof being its formal
admission among the current topics treated in the
columns of the London Times. The people, and we
may IN this term include those of all degrees were
certainly unanimously in its favor and we doubt
II, even in the most rigid classes to leave out
the clerical profession, there could be fonnd one
Englishman in a thousand, whose pride did moi
secretly rebel at the idea of putting forcibIe stop
to the majestic trial, now that his cOuntryman stood
engaged for the honor of Old England. Parliament
taking the common epidemic, refused to be doctored
of it by one of the Pharisees of its own BODY, and
even Majesty itself stopped on two occasions from
its royal perch to listen and to laugh at the humors
of a farce at the Olympic, which gave a graceful
version OF the national interest felt in the Benica
Boy. The constabulary, of course, affected n sort
of serious vigilance about the matter, and on two
or three occasions, when it was supposed the event
was to be made to anticipate the day originally set
Tor 1t to come off, extra squads of gentlemen wear
ing straight collars strange numbers, and castiron
hats, lifted mysteriously about the piers and rail
way stations; but it was really thought by shrewd
outside observers that the real object of the direct
ing powers was to wear their efforts out on false
alarms, that they might have some countenance for
being slack at the actual moment
BETTING.
Amidst all the clamor and confusion, the back.
ers of the men and general betting world steered
with condensed and calculating thoughts. and
their estimation OF the matter stood all the
while in favor of the bold and experienced Tom
Sayers. They sifted the character and history OF
the two men, as they would have examined the
pedigree of two blood horses; they went point by
point over every incident in the career OF
each. and when they struck the balance found the
American, notwithstanding his fresher qualities
and superior size, to be merely "a beaten novice u
and as such worthy in contrast to the we-proven
and experienced champion only of a rate of 4 to G.
Six to four on the champion was consequently the
current odds amid ''Corinthian" circles for a long
period OF weeks, and at length, as the days de-
creased in numbers, and the opportunity became
shortened to his numerous admirers for "geting on
their money" their eagerness kept pushing up the
odds. Four weeks before the fight, these odds had
gone up to against A. and at length, when
Morrissey arrived in England, and the ''Fancy'
saw the man who had beaten Heenan, and heard
him freely bet against him at the latter rate they
l.,
THE MORNING OF THE FIGHT.
Throughout the previous evening most unusual
hustle was perceptbe in the popular thorouqbfares
OF London, and it would have been readily percep
tlble even to man who deaf and dumb, that
there was much more than an ordinary stir on foot
At three o'clock A. NJ, when we issued with our
party from our hotel found cabs and '.Han
sons flying about through the black night in eve
y direction, and on arriving at the station though
it was yet but half-past three, we found ourselves
anticipated by at least 300 people For the mos
| part they were gentlemen, and many a one, des
pte of his slouched hat and Indifferent attire
could easily be distinguished by his In;ty bearing
| as man of mark. There certainly was never
gathered for priZe-fight such an audience before
As soon as the doors of the railway carriages wer,
! open, they slowed themselves rapidly away, ant
| group after group arrived, each party after
| furtye glance around if sensible of the illici
nature OF their enterprise disappeared in a similar
manner. Indeed, the spectacle looked like myth
| ical congregation of uneasy shadows, bent on SOM
solemn exodus to depths unknown; and waved
| finally on its errand by speechess and gloomy
| figure on the platform, who, at forty minutes pas
| four, dispatched three long trains from Londo,
bridge, which arrived in half an hour at Redhill OF
| the Brighton line.
There stopped for four minntes and were wei
surveyed by body of police, stationed about on
hundred yards from us, with mounted patrol a
their head. The sun shone brightly, and not
cloud was to be seen as we glided between the Sur
rey hills, past Dorking famous for fowls) an,
l
halted for two minutes. Then dverging to anOthe
line ot railway, we steamed along past the Cam
| at Aldershott, and were shortly afterwards Sc
| down at FarnborOugh, after roundabout iourne
| of forty-n miles from London. We have thu
been travelling on distinct branches of railway
we started for Brighton dverged towards Dover
then again to near Guildford and, finally ran pas
the confines of Ascots Royal Heath, and continue
down the Southampton line to the appointed plac
of rendezvous. walk of 500 yards on fifth lin
of railway which here meets that on which we ha
travelled, brought us to the field of battle Jumpin
over two fences, the chosen spot reached
! green field within sixty yards of the line
| Here the veteran Tom Oliver, with his aides-ds
camp soon arranged the stakes and ropes-tickel
for the inner ring were distributed at ten shilling
each, and the best company we ever saw at prize
fight seated themselves around the circle. A larg
number of gentlemen, wel-known in the sportin
| world, and who for years have withdrawn their pa
tronage from the prizering, were on this great OF
cason amongst the most anxious spectators On
old sportsman cannot forbear naming, Mr.. o.
badeston, aged seventy-f a breeder of race
| horses for many years, once the owner of the bes
pack of fox-hounds in the world, patron of tn
prize-ring half century ago, and in his youthft
days cricketer of celebrity; he came from his r,
tirement to witness the contest between the chan
pions of the two hemispheres. The father an
brother of Tom Sayers were also present anon
the crowd, which numbered at least twelve hun