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

frlShttul spectacle, although far less hideous
than at the close of his battle with Savers
At last even the dull and OPAQUE bumanitias
of his friends were stirred, and. after anntber
merciless round, in which the falling STRENGTH
of the great gladiator WIS no longer capable
of afording him shadow of defence. he was
at the close Of the twenty-fourth round, with
drawn reluctantly by his friends, though him
self insensible. Thus the cruel contest end
ed, leaving for the moment little to choose
between the condition either of victor or van
quashed.
Such was the end of the fight, after near
ly forty minutes of hard, quick, desperate
lighting, between two of the most powerful
men that have probably entered the ring. 1t
was fought out fairly and truly to the bitter
end, neither man taking advantage of the
other. No hand was laid upon them but
that of their own seconds, from the moment
they both entered the ring until the Ameri-
can laid ssnseless, bruised and beaten out of
all semblance of the man who in the pride of
manhood and strength had stood there only
half an hour before.
There were great cheers as King won to
which, for few moments, he was very deaf,
Tor the pace had been rapid, and all-powerful
as he was, the heavy falls had shaken his Vi
tallty, and the giant who had strobe into the
ring an oyermatch for all, could scarcely
close his fingers round the glass of water
which was to keep him from faintine. Yet
there must be a soul of goodness even in
things evil, for the first really conscious
thought that fitted through his mind was q
wish to make friends with his late antagonist,
and as he said it he lunged heavily through
the crowd of his admirers to little knot of
curious lockers on, amid whom, what seemed
the corpse of the redoubtable Heenan now
lay. Sayers was with him, and kept with
him; but better advice was needed than any
pugilist ought to be called upon to give, for
Heenan, though not nearly so much punished
as when he fought at Marlborough, was evi-
IDENTIFY much more injured. He was pulseless
at the wrists, and even over the
heart the palpitation was futtering,
faint and low. Yet he had not tainted.
1t was the insensibility of exhaustion, the
sheer want of vitality, though almost till he
collapsed SO suddenly, he was supposed to be
the winner. One man was trying to heave
up his immense inanimate form, while an
other stripped the wet drawers, stained deep
with his own blood, from the limbs of the
stunned athlete. There was dreadful sig
niticance in the way in which he was hauled
about limb by limb, as warmer clothes were
dragged over his unconscious form, like
dressing corpse. Yet no one seemed to
mind much, for all were crowding round the
victor, who, with very little signs of punish
ment about his face, came gaily up in the
train to town. Heenan was left with his
seconds on the field he had fought to win.-
No one seemed to think much of him-he
was beaten man, and among pugilists there
is no mercy for the defeated. Fair or foul,
there IS as yet only one morality for them
success. Still there are men alive who think
they can revive the prize ring. 1t would be
as easy to restore the sport of the arena