A GREAT PRIZE FIGHT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 431, 17 January 1912, Page 2

A GREAT PRIZE FIGHT.

SAYERIUS AND HBENANUS. An enlightened foreigner passing along the Strand on the afternoon ol the 17th April, 1860, must have beer strangely puzzled. Crowds thronged the streets, and surged against the doors of the newspaper offices, where the sheets, wet from the press, were distributed to eager buyers. On every countenance there was an expression of excitement ; violent discussions were going on ,: and triumpb or chagrin was in the air of each. What could it be about ? What was the national or world-famous event which occurred just fifty years ago ? Simply that two professional gladiators had mauled each other that morning, and the press was publishing the narrative with more or less felicity of slang. To see this encounter a large body of people, including peers, pugilists, publicans, poets, statesmen, dandies, Guardsmen, men of letters, and even divines had started from London Bridge before dawn, in a special train supplied by a decorous and dignified railway company, and though the whole civil force of the South of England were on the alert, the fight had taken place in a willow-fringed, sunny little meadow, half a mile from Farnborough Station.

The great fight consisted of 31 rounds, occupying two hours and six minutes. The American champion, Heenan, stood 6ft. in his stockings, and was a powerful heavs weight. Sayers was only sft. 8-Jin. in height, with a fighting weight rather under than over the average of middle weight champions. Time after time Sayers was knocked down by blows,, but he always returned, good-humoured though serious. As early as the fourth round he had his right arm completely disabled, and from that time he defended himsell and attacked his gigantic adversary with only his left. Heenan, realising that he could gain no other advantage, eventually closed with Sayers whenever possible, and on one occasion he got him in such a position on the ropes that strangulation ivas imminent. The backers of Sayers thereupon cut the ropes and broke into the ring. Nevertheless. a few more rounds were fought, when Heenan, who had hitherto fought fair, behaved in a way which would have lost him the .fight had the referee been efficient. It ended bj the umpire wisely deciding that it was a draw. Each man received a belt. But for the damage done tc his right arm, Sayers must, however, have won.

There was something in this great fight which the whole nation recognised, for it appealed to every universal sympathy. "It affected all classes," writes Locker Lampson, "in a way that boys and men always will be aflecteO when they hear of the exploits of a Peterborough or a Grenville." "If on archbishop and a chief Justice had met on that eventful evening, we will venture to say that they would not have talked for ten minutes without some mention of the 'champion' and the 'Benica Boy,' " thus ran a "Times" leader. And that very night at Parliament while the Home Secretary was solemnly explaining and admitting the illegality of the low, disgusting, and immoral practice of prize-fighting which had suddenly renewed its in terest for every class of the population, behind his back a M.r. was col lecting a purse for Sayers.

The Premier came on the group. "My lord, I want a sovereign foi Tom Sayers." "A sovereign for Sayers, splendid fellow that. I'll give you five," replied "Pam." The event was chronicled in "Punch'' by Thackeray, in "The Fight of Sayerius and Heenanus, a Lay of Ancient London",; and there was also the following "happy thought," to which Leech furnished a sketch :—"Serious Governor,—'l am surprised, Charles, that you can take any interest in these repulsive details ! How 1 many rounds (I believe you term them) do you saj these ruffians fought ? Urn, disgrace ful ! the Legislature ought to interfere. And it appears that this Benicia man did not gain the—hem— best of it ? I'll take the paper wh?n you've done with it, Charles.' " "Globe."