The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-17

N as q July day dr 1920, and the } English village of North Walsham was thronged with eager excited, loud talking And hard-drinking men From all over inc tight little island they had come. some in magnificent equipages bearing the trade mark of the nobility; eonveyances of all sorts then known thousands of others in coaches and thousands more on horseback and on foot. The taverns and pubs were packed soIidIy with perspiring, shout ing gesticulating humans, and the sup- ply Of liquid refreshments was con sumed early in the day. leaving North sWalsham as arid as the Sahara
 As the day advanced the crowd de- serted the Village streets and gsSsN cred an immense cohcourse of 10000 hum ans, about a ring pitched in an open field. In this arena, under the blazing sun, two Of the greatest gladiators +of England were to do battle for the right of succession to the title soon to be laid down by old Tom Cribb. now in the sere and yellow leaf, and una ble longer to defend tn 6 honoFs he had aleF sved in many pitched battle with the naked fists
 Tom Oliver. the great battler of Buckinghan1shire, who had abandoned the peaceful occupation of a gardener to try his fortunes as a brtIiser, and Ned Painter the boni-f Of anchor Inn in Lobster Lane, Norwich, were
 
 defeated Tom Spring and thus made himself the real champion of England, had married a Quaker maiden and set tied down as a tavern keeper. He had promised his father-in=law never to fight again, but an insulting chal- tenge from Divers baekersl so aroused his ire that now we see him again pulling off his shirt and facing his old enemy
 Shorts but fierce was that contest staged in the open field, beneath the Summer gun Ham zllerfng away at each other with fists like flaiIs, now one, now the other. gained the advan- tage. while the great crowd roared Soon it was apparent, however, that Ned Painter was the master and in the twelfth round he landed a blow en the neck that sent Oliver down, unable to arise. Wild aeheers greeted Painters victory, and his frien ds car ried him away on their shoulders. when Oliver recovered he became the object of taunts and Jeers, and some declared loudly that he had sold the Eight. It was not true. for poor Oliver had wagered every cent he possessed al1 the result, lost his public house and vas forced to take a humble job as keeper of skittle alley. Painter re- turned his Norwich tavern, and this time he kept his promise to his Quaker bride. and never fought again. Poor Oliver took part in several battles after thaf, but was always defeated.
 Tn the crowd of spectators at that contest not one was more Enthusiastic and interested than 6 lad of seventeen wIsa had. contrived to gain a vantage place near the ring where he could observe every move and every blow of The g1adfatqrs. The bout was of anature of birthday celebration for the youngstef. for he was seventeen on the very day that Painter triumphed over E2<a-.-Ss4xy Inc name of this lad. and he was then a student at Norwich Grammar School
 oung BorroSws s parents proposed to make a solicitor of him, and afterwar I'd artfcled him to firm of legal Iunain- aries. but from that day George Bor- row na1rsed ambition to become a bruiser. He did become an accomplish ed aznateur boxer. and, although he never realized his desire to become a. profeazAcna1 pugtlist he was the life