During the period of his active life in the ring, scarcely a battle of note happened without the name of Bartholomew appearing as second or bottleholder. Shortly after his last defeat by Belcher, however, Jack seems to have been attacked by liver disease. He died, after a few weeks’ illness, at his lodgings in the Almonry, Westminster, July 14, 1803. He left a particular request that his body might be opened (against which practice an ignorant prejudice then prevailed). A _post mortem_ examination took place, and a considerable scirrhous enlargement of the liver was found. He further requested that his grave should be “as near as possible to St. Margaret’s watch-house.” His funeral was attended by a considerable number of his brother pugilists. JACK O’DONNELL—1802‒1806.[123] John O’Donnell, a native of the sister isle, for a short period was much overrated and unduly puffed by what Pierce Egan calls his “warm-hearted countrymen.” We know nothing more of him than that shortly after his appearance in ring circles he was matched with Pardo Wilson, a relative of the celebrated Belcher’s, on Tuesday, October 26th, 1802. The extravagant estimate of “the historian” does not seem to have been shared by the backers and friends of Wilson, as Pardo, whose last and only other fight fourteen years before, had been with Solly Sodicky, a Jew, on that occasion suffered defeat (February 11th, 1789). The ground was Wormwood Scrubbs, on the bank of the Paddington Canal, four miles from Hyde Park. The stake was twenty guineas aside. We copy the report:— “Wilson was thirty-five years of age, and O’Donnell, who had the advantage in height and weight, was said to be only eighteen. “About one o’clock a ring was attempted to be formed, but such numbers of people had assembled that it was not without the greatest trouble it was accomplished by two, when the combatants entered. O’Donnell was accompanied by two of his own countrymen; Wilson, by Belcher, his brother-in-law, for his second, and Tom Jones bottle-holder. They began to strip immediately, both appeared in high spirits and eyed each other minutely. When ready the seconds proposed that they should toss up for the side of the ring, each being desirous to avoid the sun. This was agreed to, and the advantage gained by Wilson, in whose favour, on account of his freshness, bets appeared to be. At five minutes past two o’clock, after the usual ceremony, the heroes set-to.” THE FIGHT. Round 1.—Both displayed good attitude, and kept a strong guard for some time. O’Donnell put in the first blow, which Wilson parried and returned. Both fell, O’Donnell having received a blow on the lip, which bled a little. 2.—Wilson made a feint but his opponent struck him at the same time. A few sharp blows passed, when O’Donnell gave Wilson a cross buttock.