Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-01-07

but with the huge muscles creeping and seem
ing to overflow his limbs with every move
ment. Ag IN they meet, andhand over hand
the American forces the 'fgfting, though hi:
blows appear to lack mischief, but not so his
wrestling, for, for the fourth time, he throws
King so heavily that the speetators-the very
men who come to see the fight which they
hoped would be fought out to the verge OF
doath-are silent and look alarmed, as King
goes down with a heavy, dull sound, like a
huge rock, and lies like corpse on the
trampled grass. King is carried to his corner,
and at once leans back, his head resting
against the stake, his hands outstretched
along the ropes on either side, and he breatbes
heavily, while men come into the ring and
tan him, and cold water is poured upon, his
hands and chest and face; yet still they barely
restore him to sufficient consciousness to en-
able him to walk forth to where the Amer
lean Is waiting for him. He spars for, a time,
and so they shift from Kings corner to Hee-
mans Tor few minutes, both to certain ex-
tent distressed, for both act on the defensive
Thus fencing about, still good tempered-bet-
ter tempered far than those around the ring
who, with all the dreadful faint of the first
murderer in their veins, call out for closer
fighting and more blood-the men confront
each other King with his face always toward
the sun, his forehead contracted to a deep
frown to dim the light which dazzles him.
Here King moves in, and with all the might
of his great strength hits the American full
in the mouth a dreadful blow, which sounds
through the ring like a loud splash The
blood flies from Heenan's mouth, and there
is great shout as he stands dazed and off
his guard, swaying round and round, his knees
81,
while his whole body reels like teetotum
that is about to fall King still with knitted
brows-tor the sun is still in his eyes-looks
at him distrustfully, and there are cries for
him to 9 go in and win" but he lets his chance
escape, though another blow at that moment,
as Heenan then stood helpless, would have
ended the struggle. Great cries and cheers
and shouts followed this dreadful blow. Hee-
nan seems stung beyond himself, and only
waiting till he could draw himself together,
he rushed at King, and in a heavy struggle
tor the fall, King was again undermost, thou h
Heenan struck his head dreadfully.
Savage, apparently, but always grimly
smiling, light, quick and dreadful with his
LETT, the American again came forth, meeting
King. Both hit out wildly, but did nothing.
The pace was getting fearful now, and the
men seemed distressed; yet still both came
forth, and King hit Heenan so numerically
about the eyes the latter closed at once and
again flung the Englishman heavily and fiat
upon his lOlns, so that for few seconds King
seemed almost paralyzed. Slowly, yet with
a show of sang .fioid King came to time, and
again, as III the fifth round, struck Heenan
dreadfully in the face, closed at once, and
threw the American tremendous back fall.
This round again changed the prospect of the
light, which from this time forward set in
steadily against Heenan. Again the men
came forth from their corners, and now, with
the quickness of lightning, King struck blow
after blow fair and full into Heenan's batter
cred face, and seemingly, without an effort
on the part of his opponent to keep off
punishment the very sound of which made
the listeners blood run cold. Suddenly the
American drew back, then made rush and
threw King under him, but struck his own
head violently against the round.
Again, to the instant, " time was called
Both men rose eagerly, though the pace was
fast and each painted heavily. STILL they
never spared for time, but like two fierce
dogs fell upon each other, King always hitting
fearfully about the head of his antagonist,
who, strangely, never, SO to say, tried to
parry, but after few harmless blows, closed
for the the throw, and strove to win by hurl-
ing his man to the ground as heavily as posi-
bic. Both seemed fearfully distressed. 1t
was painful to look at them. King always
fell heavily, but not until he had made his
mark upon the splendid form opposed to him.
Heenan was not so much punished as when
he fought with Sayers, but evidently he was
more injured; for on every part of his body
where blows could be struck fairly the livid
Jumps had risen over him and lay in mass
about Ehis neck and throat. His upper lip,
where Sayers gave him such dreadtui wound,
had opened again and seemed to hang in pieces
on his face his eyes were fast cIosing, and
his features were almost blue. Still he was
always the first up to time, forcing the fight
ing, when 1t was evident King was husband
ing his strength, and how much he had of it
he showed in the twelfth round by giving the
American fearful back fall.
The fight had not lasted half an hour, and
it was evident at a glance that it was race
against nature, in which the EngIishman, as
the youngest, was the more likely to vim
King showed little signs of punishment, but
alarming symptoms of distress while the
American, though badly injured, was appar-
emily the freshest. -.---s
From this time out to the close it was al
most the same in every round, except once,
where the men fought at close quarters, and,
without an attempt to guard, hit full and
square into each others faces, till it was fright
full to look upon them as the blows fell with
a fiat, dull smash, like striking upon raw
meat. At last, all of a sudden, the Ameri-
can gave King blow which sent him totter-
ing back like drunken man, and as Heenan
followed up to win at once, King threw him
self down, and it was well he did so. But the
blows which he had already got was fearful
King seemed to sicken in his corner and the
cry went round that he had lost, and there
was great cheering, discontinue and cheer
ing in the ring, till King, always quiet, yet al
ways strong, came FORTH and with awful
sounds of violence in blows could be heard
dab after dab to hit down the now bloody and
fearfulIy dlsfgured form of Heenan to the
earth. So it went on to the sixteenth round,
Heenan now covered with mud and blood, al
most blind and fainting fast. -.e-e
Up to this point the advantages of the fight
have been upon the side of the American,
although the violence and speed with which
he has fought, falling no less heavily than his
antagonist to the ground at every other round,
have begun to show terrible and exhaustir 9
effects upon him. Now, at the commence
ment Of the seventeenth round, there is a
waver of doubt whether King may not hold
himself well enough together to outlast Hee-
nan; but this idea is abandoned when, at the
close, he falls with such a dreadful dead
weight, that even while the dull, heavy sound
is in every ear, "a cry arises that "The fight
is over" and king can't come to time n'-
Upon this, the partial rule to which the spec
tators have been subject is swept away
They break past their boundaries, trampIing
over the legs and bodies of quietcr or less
active witnesses, and sway backward and for
ward in masses, close upon the ropes, hungry
for sight of the defeated man. No efforts
of the ring keepers can restore the order
The ring is intact, but visible only to those
bruisers who have forced their way to the