Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-24

VI ras a
against that of sloOp-of-war. The punish
ment administered by Shaw was terrible. he |
stood over his man and planted his hits with
a rapidity and force which reminded every
body of jackson in his fight with Mendoza.
Painter was knocked down ten times in sue
cession, and in this case the natural effect OF
such blows quickly followed, for at the ex-
piration oftwenty- eight minutes, Ned Painter
was taken oSt of the ring totally exhausted
and beaten. Yet this was man OF hVe feet
ten inches hight whose weight was lS2
pounds, and whose frame when stripped, was
a model of athletic beauty. Moreover, he
was considered match for the best men OF
bis day, and we repeat, atterward defeated
Spring. In his defeat we have the means Of
estimating the tremendous pugilistic powers
of Shaw and it affords another proof that
length, strength, weight and science are
irresistible by smaller men, IT their possessor
is first-rate fighter, and hard hitter. In
Jackson they defeated Mendoza, with ridicu-
lous ease. In Shaw they beat Ned Painter
and il was literally horse to hen all
through the fight. And now we should Like
TO know whether any m an in his senses be-
lieyes that Tom Sayer5 could have fought
Shaw long2 or that he could have come
again, with little external appearance OF
punishment, after being knocked down ten
or a dozen times by jackson The Life
the fight with Painter, very little the worse
for the effects of tine battle; and he imme-
diately announced that he should fight for
the Championship. He challenged any man
in England, and Crib was ready to take it
up. As usual in matters of this kind there
was q great diversity of opinion among the
amateurs as to the probable result of a con-
test between them. Shaw, in his own mind,
felt confident that there was no man living
who could beat him, and there seemed to
have been several good reasons to lead us to
concur in the opinion. His length and act
| ivity were such that he could hit and get
away. He was fine judge of time and
| distance, and his blows were too heavy to be
| often warded off. Then, again, Cribb may
| reasonably be supposed to have declined as a
| fighter in the four years which had elapsed
since his last battle with Molyneaux. But
these gallant heroes were never to meet in
| the pugilistic arena. Six weeks after his
| fight with Painter, Shaws regiment was
| ordered, in hot haste, abroad, part of the
British army to withstand the onslaught OF
| Napoleon, who had left Elba, and like an
uncaged eagle, swooDed down upon the
| Bourtons of France. The pugilist was soon
bivouacing upon the plains of Belgium; and
| the shadows of the Angel of Deaths dark
wing was rapidly advancing to eclipse the
star of his nativity.
was engaged in the fight which preceded the
tremendous and decisive contest of the fol-
| lowing Cay. He was wounded IN the breast,
and ordered to the rear by his commanding
officer. Here he had his wound dressed, and
| finding but little inconvenience from it, he
returned, with q noble ardor, to his place in
the ranks. OF all the private soldiers and
corporals who distinguished themselves on
the 18th at Waterloo, Sbaw's gallantry was
ba most cOurpicuo11s HnxU fha troOp. cfnnd
the terrible pounding of Napoleon's artl-
| lery; how the Life guards, Scotch Grays,
| &C. cut up the Cuirassiers and Cavalry OF
France; and how the Grenadier Guards beat
back the final charge Of Ney and the Old
| Guard, is a matter of history. Our sketch
has to do only with the exploits of the
wounded prize fighter, who there contendcd
for wreath of imperishable glory, and won
| it with his hearts best blood.
According to all accounts of those who
fought by his side, he killed and disabled ten OF
| the enemy before he was stricken by the ball
that laid him low; and in the spot of the
very melee where he fell, and was found
! dead the next day, there were seven French
men, all killed by saber-cuts dealt by pow
eIful arm. Shaw possessed the 'science of
the sword" in very eminent degree, and
| courage, was demanded of him and his COM
cuiTassiers of France. Ever since the battle,
| his name and memory have been reno wned
in song and story; and in him and Robin
Hood, Nottinghamshire has two of the great
est idols of rustic regard that England has
produced
As prize fighter, Lis merits were great,
and he would have attained the Champion
ship had he survived the battle of Waterloo
His trial with Captain Barclay caused Cen
eral Barton, Mr.. Jackson, and the other
amateurs who witnessed it, to pronounce
him, with one acclaim, q Thorough bred
boxer, and to compare him with Tom Cribb
He won both his fights with great ease, and
without receiving any punishment himself,
while his adversaries were terribly cut up
by his heavy hitting. The truth is that
Shaw, in common with Jackson, Crib, Old
| Dutch Sam, Jack Randall and Tom Savers,
bad in perfection that first great requisite OF
boxer, the capacity to strike very heavy
and Furnishing blows; while his great length
of reach and activity enabled him to get
away and come again much more rapidly
than most men of the weight can do. 1t is
true that Ned Painter was not in condition
when Shaw beat him; but it is equally true
that the latter had no regular training, and
was only in such condition as the soldierly
drill and pursuit of athletic exercises main
tained him in. Then, again, the ease with
| WHICH ne ueledltu ulul must DC Jdk6n lnl0
account. 1t will surprise some that soldier
of the Life guards, under the stringent dis
| cipline of the British Army, could 6ghi
prize battles and intend to enter the lists fo
the Championship. r nd.
But the explanation is easy. At that timt
it was commonly held that the standing-u
fight method of the ring cultivated in tn
English and Irish people that resoute anC
obstinate yalor which has often oVercom
the most daring chivalry in long struggle
Consequently, the officers of the army and 0
ships of war mostly encouraged rather thai
repressod the pugilistic inelinations of thei
men and though prize battle, like an,
other fight, WIS breach of the peace, NOR
magistrates vent to see them, and laid bet
upon the three events, than made efforts Il
prevent then occurrence. Thus we find tn
officers Of the Guards interposing no obstlelt
to Shaw's fighting and two other gentle
under the king, were the men to bring hin
out as boxer. The people of that age MAJ
have been mistaken in the notion they en-
tertained on this subject, but they fought tn
French for about twenty years, and fnall,
prevailed by dint Of sheer game and bottom
We perceive that Mr.. Blanchard Jerrold,
bran-new officer Of the London Rifle Volun
teers, whose epaulets have just sproute
from his calloW shoulders, lays it down ths
the ring had no tendency to encourage valO
and manly iortitude. That is all very welt
but Nelson of the Nile, Wellington of Water
loo, and valiant John Shaw, the Life
guardsman and prize. fighter, held to
different conclusion. We shall have somI
body saying next that the forest.life of th
/. | Western States had nothing To do with fb