New-York tribune., 1869-04-02
o5l'BALDWIN's " BENEFIT.

1.st evening. at the building formerly used as
SaTimroins Academy, in Sixth-ave, sparring exhi-
pit;o, vas given for the benefit of the notorious
Attila Of peacefu Lynn, and the victim of Justice
rawlings opprobrious rhetoric, Ned 0Baldwin. the
,r;zo-6 9bter the object being to afford him pecur
iarv oompeusaton for his failure to violate the law
and stir a riot in New England town, and to miti-
cate the modification of his Judicial rebuh at
the Tombs. The hall contained, from first TO last
about 800 members of the governing class in various
stages of dirt and degradation, and overowlng with
the brutal spirit as the result proved, which such
seenes invariably call forth The prices Of admis-
sion were 80 cents for panks surrounding the ring
and Al for reserved seats" ticket to which entl
tied the holder TO q cramped standing place in the
gallery The ring +" itself was marked at flrst by
rough boards, and subsequently, when these were
broken down,iby a welldefined square OF tobacco
mice contributed by those who had sat nearest
to it, The ceremonies of the occasion appeared to be
under the direction of old Tovee, who has had sort
of general control of these wretched gatherings any
time during the last half century. The proceedings
began at 81 o'clock with the appearance of two half
clad boys about II 10 years old whO without any
pretense to an understanding of the theories Of the
beastly " art" scratched and thumped one another
until their noses bed and their ears turned purple
These were followed by half dozen other couples
whose performances excited some laughter and APP
plause but as they displayed little ferocty and Oc-
casioned no serious injury, they were not heartily
approved by the crowd. wrestling match between
Ryan and COburn in the course Of which both re-
ceived some heavy and violent falls, was more highly
relished and the horrible experiment of breaking
SOO-pound stone with sedge-hammer, while it
rested upon a slender mans stomach, produced
the first real sensation of the evening. Up
to this point, considering the rutfianly
character Of the assembage fair degree Of order
prevailed, but the entrance of two welLknown
puvilists within the ring-Hussey and Foley--was
the signal for vehement demonstrations of excite
ment 1t appeared as if some personal cause of iT-
tation existed between the men, for they went sui
lenly through the form of shaking hands, and planted
themselves opposite one another in an attitude of
angry defiance strongly contrastiHg with the deean-
Orof any who had preceded them. At thev outset
of their encounter, Hussey was knocked heavily
down by a breast blow from his opponent, and at the
same moment the long repressed ferocty of the mob
was let loose and chorus of hdeOus cries and bias
phemies burst from every side. The two prize
fighters again attacked another and this time it
was evident that no mere sport was intended. Their
struggle was none the less damaging from the fact
that they wore gloves, for they struck with
open palms, clutched one anotheT's thrOats and
hurled each other to the floor with the deadliest
force they could exert their muscles all the while
quverng with passion, and their faces burning with
the fury of Cain. In less than two minutes the
partisans of each had rushed toward them, and the
entire floor was whiTl and tumult of brutal strife.
Some men, in their eageness to take part in the
affray, jumped from the galleries upon
their chosen antagonists, and rolled with
them upon the ground, fighting prostrate as ener-
aticalv as those who kept their legs. In the midst
of the melee, Foley, who had not at any time ap-
peared to be the aggressOr succeeded in escaping.
and by the efforts of OBaldwn, feeble mimicry of
order was again established in the neighborhood of
what lad been the ring although side battles con-
tinued at distance, burly Irishman making
himself particularly conspicuous among them,
until he was hustled out, shrieking a
challenge to the universe. 1t was not until
II o'clock that the principal match of the evening
between O'Baldwin and Brooklyn Dyer, could be
commenced and even this was delayed by quarrel
between the latter and some enemy in the crowd,
which after brief interchange of foul words and
threat by Dyer TO take off his gloves and toss his
disturber MO the street. terminated by the ex
pulsion of the offender in the same manner
as that of the cOntumaci0us lrishman.
The contest between the gigantic Celt
and the Brooklyn butcher was bitter disappoint-
ment TO the majority of the spectators These two
kept their tempers and showed no violence beyond
that which was required to exhibit their pTowess.
OBaldwin used only his left hand, his superior
hight and length of arm giving him too obvious an
advantage over his competitor. The exhibition
closed at IL. o'clock 1t was a sickening and revolt
ing affair from beginning TO end and that it should
have been suffered TO proceed with impunity was
disgrace to the police authorities of the city.