Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-05-11
The Prize Fight.


An American merchant now travelling
abroad, who saw the great fight, gives this
account of it in private letter:
"Tbe ring was made at half past seven,
and the men soon after entered. Both
looked well, particularly Sayers, whose form
and condition seemed faultess; Heenan's
appearance evidently surprised the English
men, and the odds of "three to one" on
Sayers which had been current for the last
few days, were no longer offered.
"The fight lasted over two hours, and
the people here say it was the best and
hardest fought battle that has ever taken
place. For tho particulars of the rounds
see Wilkes Spirit of the Times; the ed
itor was on the ground from first to last,
and the only reporter that did remain
Bowling, the editor of Bells Life, who was
stakeholder, referee, umpire, and every
thing else, ran away as soon as the trouble
commenced, and when Heenan's seconds
claimed the fight in consequence of Sayers
remaining in his corner when time was
called, behold there was no referee.
at looked very like pre-concerted plan.
They were not 'rowdies and roughs' who
broke into the ring, aud struck and kicked
and struck Heenan, but officers of the ar
my, men about town, and noblemen; alto
gether as respectable body of men in ap-
pearance as 1 ever saw at any kind of an
exhibition. The G3 los, the price of the
railroad tickets, kept all outsiders away.
Il had front seat, and saw the whole
from beginning to end. The interference
at the close was most disgraceful, and cow
ardly. and Englishmen were of all others,
the last men, l supposed, who could be
guilty of such an outrage. The whole
country has been insane about this fight ev-
er since my arrival here, and Sayors is so
great pet that don't believe the people
would allow him to be whipped by any
body.
"The police we're present after the third
round, but never made any demonstration
to break it up, nor did they enter the ring
till the men were dressing and there were
decided symptoms of free fight among
the Englshmen. If Heenan had fought
the first three rounds as he fought the last
three, it would have all been over 10 twenty
minutes. To give you an idea of his i'm
mense strength, it is only necessary to state
that in one of the rounds he took Sayers up
bodily, and threw him on his back as if be
were bag of meal.
"That Sayers is game and brave man
no one can deny; but Heenan is equally
game and brave, and by far the most pow
erful and enduring"
A London correspondent of the Troy
Times communicates the following particu-
lars respecting the late prize-fght:
"Heenan had won the fight, that was
evident, and Sayers' friends determined to
deprive him Of it. Before the men got to
their corners, after the thirty seventh round,
somebody cut the ropes, and the whole
crowd Of vagabonds, and loafers, with the
police, who had been quietly looking on
for more than an hour, rushed in. The ref
cree got up, ordering the men to leave the
ring. But they managed to get at each
other again, and after some sharp exchanges,
Heenan got Sayers' head under his arm,
where he was pounding him after the MAD
ner of Tom Hyer, and would have left him
senseless, had not the friends of Sayers
pulled him away, and kicked and struck
him. The next three rounds, Heenan went
up and dared his man to come out and
6ght, knocking him down on each round as
soon as he was pushed forward. On the
forty-second round, Sayers was unable to
rise from Harry Brunton's knee. Heenan
walked up, and asked his seconds if they
would throw up the sponge. They replied
by crowdipg him away, whereupon he went
at them like tiger; at one blow knocking
down Jem Walsh, and at the next upsetting
Bruuton and sayers, then straig tightening
himself out for the whole crowd. With
great difficulty, Macdonald and Cusick got
him away, when, after calling the crowd to
witness that he was the winner of the fight,
he left the ring, running faster than any one
who followed him to the railroad track. l
saw him in FIVE minutes, and have been
with him much Of the time since. He was
almost as strong when the fight ended as
when it commenced. His right eye was
closed; but his left eye s0ds as good az ever,
and he hat a button on Jack Macdonalds s
coat eight times IN succession. Sayers was
whipped on the twentieth round, and only
fought on pluck after that. If the ring had
not been entered. Heensn would have left
him senseless and out of time on the thirty
eigth round. Those who had bet at heavy
odds on Sayen knew so and that WAS why
the fight was stopped. The fuss about the
police sOas all sheer hun5yg, as they had
been there from the start. A fight was new
or won faireF, and every fair-Tninded man
will acknowledge it. II is said that the
referee was bribed to leave the ring
Sayers claims a draw on the ground that
the rounds fought were illegal. This is
mean and scurvy dodge. You may put
Heenan down IS Champion of England,
and if he is not now, he viii be, for he is
ready 70 6ght Sayers again, and give him
another thlashing, tomorrow, next week, or
next month"