, 1866-09-22
A BLOODY PRIZE FIGHT.
Davis and McC00l,
CONTEST FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP
OF AMERICA.
ThiFty-hso Rounds Fought In Thirty.
five Minutes NfcCoo1 VIceori0us-Da-
EtN Severely PunlAhed-Koth Eyes
Clokcd-McCool Unhutt.

Clokcd-McCool Unhuft.
From the St. lonis Democrat, e0,h lnst1
For scveruI weeks past the pugilfstic
world has been on the gut cix for The great
prize fight for the chamPlonshiRp Of America
papers have been filled with descriptions Of
1@e money We1e stakea on ife sssut sams Of
the tight. The "bclt" Is not an i'm
aglnary thing, but q real gold
session Of Davis, who has had but few fights,
but obtained the belt and the title Of Cha,n.
pion Of America by the dcfault Of Cobarn,
who, wien challenged By Davis, refused to
fight for less than 900. According to the
rules, he was bound to fight any challedEer
Davis wns challenged by McCoolc about two
months ago, and purse Of $500 was missed
By John Looncy, and the two men wcat Into
trimming near this city. The 18th was the
day set for The combat, but It WAS deferred
to the 10th, on account Of some other c1hi-
date.
GOING TO SEE TIE FIGHT.
The morning Of the 10Th dnwncd gtoomlly.
II had ralnc4 tho whole oE the previous day,
md nearly all night. and tho weather was as
cold rs the middle Of November. The at
ovc1coat feel decidedly comfortable, II had
been announced that the "plcnic party," us
It was called, would 80 up on the steamer
bridgeport AT nine o'clock, starting from the
foot OF Carr street, At eight o'clock tho
hlack smoke from tue. climncys Of tho
slcaii,, md the crowd began to assemble ID
front Of her on the lcrcc. The stnry Davago
had been chartered by eomo outside PARTIES
to carry spectators TO the battle ground, md
the gcttcrs up Of the expedition opposed the
arrangement: but compromise WIS agreed
NIL fnH Mary HnraivN ftnrfN ttrfIrtnt.
ID ln," the tickets fur tho trip being good on
either bout.
OFF AND AWAY,
The Mary DnvAgc pushed out first, With
was quito 4 number Of our leading Citizens.
The crowd on the bridgeport was also
| slightly respectable. being made up Of gem
| ttcnlcn, loafrra md bru1scrs Of tho better
elase, although there was a sprlnk1tng of
men who had been before Judge Caly for
! yagruncy, and one or two whose record was
| ofa deeper dye
| PIcKiSa Up TIE CHAMPION.
| The Bridgeport bore over to tho Illinois
shore, where a white tiag Was seen, and after
Humping her sides against the. bow Of a
ferry boat lying at the landing, she stopped
forty or nfty other persons. She then showed
of and moved slowly up stream.
| THE BATTLE GROUND.
The Mary Dayagc continued up to Alton,
| where she took on alcCoo1 and his party,
and then returned to the place selected fol
Choutcau Island, nine miles above the cen,
tire Of the city. The Bridgeport landed here
at hn1f past one O'Clock, fn front of the farm
house Of Mr.. Reddish. The crowd went
ashore, and the ground was selected On an
open space, about hundred yards from the
river bank. The stakes were driven In the
sandy soil, and a rope stretched, making an
enclosure Of twenty four feet square around
this another rope was stretched, forming a
sort Of alley, about eight feet wide: No
cept the fighters md their attendants spec.
tators were allowed the privilege Of the
outer enclosure on payment Of two dollars
| each.
| ARRIVAL OF M'cooL.
After the Bridgeport crowd had amused
themselves for an hour or two, during wnIct
4 they made raid upon q large watermelon
patch and invited an attack Of cholera bj
demolishing large number Of melons, the
whistle OF the Mary Davage WIS heard, and
at o'clock McCool and the crowd on his
boat landed at the Point.
APPEARANCE or THE rU61LIsrs.
l.. AT quarter before o'clock Davis threw
bis cap In the ring nnd entered the arena, H
wore heavy orercoat, and looked somewha
anxious. a minute afterwards McCoo
came up, and throwing his bat in, walked In
to the circle, and Immediately stepped up Il
Davis and shook hands with him. McCool
looked calm and selfpossessed, and judg
Of men would have no difficulty in deciding
that McCool was the better man Of the two.
/ THE cOLoRs.
! The colOrs of Davis were green and whit
"a green silk sash belt, with ave whit
stnrs.
McCool's colors were red, white and blu
"a blue silk belt, ornamentcd with white
stars and red loops.
STRIPPED FOR TIE FIGHT.
At 4:o6 o'clock The fighters commenced
stripping for the battle. Davis looked pal,
and hnxIous- Hc was decided to be In goo.
condition, however, bnt we noticed an eruI
tion on bis arm. and his complexion Was no
trary, was In splendid condition; his hid
glltteped like satin, and his brawny chest
With It's hirsute covering, swclled out ful
and round; there might hare been to-
much flesh on 1t, but the knowing ones sail
he would do. bis shoulders and back di.
. played powerful muscle, aud his eye Was q
, clear and keen as q hawks. The appearanc
i Of both men was hue, md the admiration {
the spectators manifested itself in cheers
the friends Of Davis being the more bolster
GUS, while McCooi's hackers appeared coz
!, aud confident.
SPEECH M 4AcK LooSET.
The combatants being stripped and ready
| Jack Looncy, the king of the pusilists, ct
: tered the arena and made q short speech
He said he had been the means Of getting u
l IA1s uEut4 anu pIeNScu utlnsCu 1Qat II EAoul
! be fair light he wanted the best man
: win, and desired to have no kissing or shou
as.S nsSo az eAta ~. lnE nsHl Was 1oE patsa
<sseo aug tne oe1, VI tne Cnampion q amcf
: ca, anu i inc oeit vas not wanted ne Woul
: Guarding, and nothing but what was fair an
:. Eopest,
: TEE acrxps.
4 lat. Al The word Tho men walked hriskly
/ yard each other, and shook bands in the eea1e
:. | the ring. Then. wi{boEf waiting 10 Exhih4t ths