Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-15
CHAMPION PUerLIsrS



Among the distinguished arrivals at the |
Battle House yesterday were the celebrated |
pugilists, Mr.. Edward O'Baldwin and ThOs. !
Kelly. Having heard much and read more |
concerning these champion prize fighters,
we called on the gentlemen at their rooms,
and were receiTed kindly. Knowing the
object OF the visit, Mr.. Kelly excused him
self so as to give an opportunity for tete a
tete with
EDWARD o'BALDwIN,
who in pleasant manner furnished the
following interesting facts in relation 10 his
history and
THE PRINCIPAL PRIZE FIGHTS
in which be has rendered himself conspicu-
GUS in the eyes of the sporting world.
Mr.. O'Baldwin was born in Waterford,
Ireland, in the year 1910, and is now thirty
one years Of age. He weighs two hundred
and thirty pounds, stands six feet six inches
without shoes, is finely moulded and well
proportttoned, measures forty-four inches
around the waist, wears amoustache, that is
of the same color as his hair, which is black.
Standing erect he is fine model of a man,
and is well developed in his muscles, being
firm and solid. His trainer was the cele-
brated Nat Langham, the only man who
ever whipped Tom Sayers of England.
He commenced training when
twenty-one years Of age, and before be had
worn the glove year, was challenged for
fight by Andrew Maresden, of Nottingham,
England, who at that time was the cham
pion pngilist Of England. The fight took
place at London, in 1868, and O'Baldwin
was defeated in three rounds. His next
fight was in the fall of 1854, with George
Hes, of Bristol. for f200, and was won by
| O'Raldwin in ffty-seven minutes, in which
ten rounds were fought. Andrew Mares
den then challenged him, in 1865, to fight
for f200, which, being accepted, took place
half way between London and Nottingham,
the place selected by Maresden, who was
| thrashed Id sixteen minutes and eleven
| rounds. In 1866, O'Badwin challenged
Jim Mace for a fight in London, the
! home circuit, the contest being for
400 pounds and the "Belt of England"
This fight was prevented by the treachery
| Of his trainer Nat. Langham, who after
! securing the stakes, sent O'Baldwin to an
obscure station on the railroad and there
| deserted him, alleging as the cause that the
! detectives were in pursuit. In 1867 Mace,
| the champion of England, challenged o.
Baldwin for fight at the Heme Circuit,
the contest being for 400 pounds and the
"Belt Of England" Fearing the result
| Mace had himself arrested by the London
! police on Monday at 10 O'Clock, and thereby
! prevented the fight which was set for Tues
day evening. This fact Mr.. O'Baldwin is
| able to prove and knows it was done in ac-
| cordance with the wishes Of Mace to avoid
a contest of pugilistic strength.
Finding that Mace was bound over to keep
the peace, O'Baldwin offered to pay his ex-
| penses anywhere out of England if he would
| fight him. This offer was refused by Mace,
who stated his reasons to be that he could
not fight any of her Majesty's subjects in
! any place, and no matter where he went he
was still one of Her Majesty's subjects, and
| being bound over to keep the peace, could
not violate his bond. Seeing there was no
| chance for a fight in England O'Baldwin
left for America, and arrived in New York
| Dec. 10, 1867. He Immediately challenged
Mace, offering him $500 to pay his expenses
| to America, and naming the stakes,
| at 5000 which was not accepted. He
! then challenged any man in America, or the
world, to fight him for $1,000, which was
/ accepted BY no one until, after the ex-cham-
| piOn Of England, Joe Wormald, came over
! in the fall of 68, but could raise only $1,000
! a side. The time selected was about the
| 23d of November, at Linfeld, Massachu-
sets, fifteen miles from Boston. After the
! first round they were arrested and putt under
! $1,000 bonds to keep the peace and appear
! in court to answer charges preferred by the
State. The referee ordered another time
and place for the fight, but Wormald not
| coming to time, the stake was declared for
feited and according to the rules of the
| ring. O'Baldwin re ,eived the money.
WOrmald, after being released on bail.
went to Canada and died at Quebec
! O'Baldwin was tried and sentenced to
| eighteen months Imprisonment at Law
renee, Massachusetts,. Members of the
| Legislature, and the counsel and Commit
tee Of PardOns signed petition for his re-
lease, but Gov. Clatiin refused to grant it,
offering in lieu a conditional pardon, which
was that he would leave the State within
twenty four hours. This O'Baldwin re-
fused TO accept, preferring captivity to
abridged privileges. He thinks it but a
! mockery Of justice that a person who only
tries his muscle should be imprisoned, when
crime and criminals Of a dark and loath-
some character are permitted to have the
| benefits Of mercy.
He does not think il crime to indulge in
prize fighting, because no pugilist is aCtu-
ated by malicious motives or fights through
felJniOus intentions. They are as friendly
as lawyers who try cases AMI are not sat
outs" with each other, even in the ring.
They do it for amusement and for money,
neither of which are criminal or deserve
punishment. While in prison Mace and
Allen were clamOrous to fight him, because
it was impossible. Since his release last
May he has challenged Mace or any one
else to fight him for 1000 a side, and has
deposited 5000 as a forfeiture with the
Clipper office in New York city. No one
has accepted the challenge, and he only
wants to have one good first-class fight and
then retire from the ring.
O'Baldwin is of dark complexion, and
was it not for his unusual size, one would
never take him to be the man he has been
represented to be. He is quite polite, a
man of information, obliging and liberal in
the extreme.
Mr.. O'Baldwin is accompanied by Mr..
Thos. Kelly, who is also ''smaTt chunk of
man, ''gand has good record as a prize
fighter. He is smaller than O'Baldwiu, is
one of the toughest men to run against any
where, and presents fine appearance. We
had intended giving in this connection a
summary of his adventures as a pugilist,
but having been prevented, must
defer it until some future time. These two
muscular gentlemen viii remain in our city
until Monday, and during that time will
afford those Of our citizens who are DESTROYS
Of learning something about the amuse-
ments of the ring an opportunity of wit
Messing little ''sparring" Of an unusual,
and with some people, of very entertain
ing character.