“A VOICE FROM THE PITCHER COUNTRY. DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE POTTERY FANCY.――On Saturday last Tommy Roundhead, the _avant courier_ of Deaf Burke, arrived in Hanley, and cast anchor at Mr. Hawes’s, Angel Inn, in the Market Place. On making his business known, the worthy host offered him the use of the large room in which Tom Spring and Big Brown exhibited previous to Brown’s fight with Phil Sampson, at Bishop’s Wood. Roundhead immediately got his handbills printed, and the walls covered with well-displayed posters, announcing that on Monday and Tuesday evenings, ‘Deaf Burke, Champion of England, and Harry Preston, Champion of Birmingham, would take a benefit and exhibit the manly art of self-defence; the whole to conclude with a grand set-to, previous to Preston’s return to Birmingham to fight Davis for one hundred guineas.’ “Tommy gave out that Burke and Preston would arrive at Hanley at noon on Monday. During the day, but especially in the evening, the ‘Angel’ was crowded. Several indications of impatience were exhibited at the non-appearance of the men; but in the evening, when the last coach arrived from Birmingham, and there was no tidings of the ‘Deaf’un,’ an universal burst of disgust went through the rooms. They all turned upon Roundhead. Tommy got on his pins, and attempted to explain that he left Burke on the Thursday at Atherstone, and that he had come to Hanley, by Burke’s express desire, to engage a room for him and Preston to spar in. He had written to Burke, at Arthur Matthewson’s, and could only account for their non-appearance on the score that his letter had not reached them. The grumblers vehemently vociferated, ‘Stow your patter, it’s a hoax――it’s no go, Tommy.’ A regular ‘flare-up’ had very near taken place, but, by good words and persuasion, silence was restored, and the company dispersed peaceably.” From what follows, it will be seen that that very shifty gentleman――Harry Preston――was the real cause of the apparent breach of promise. “The cause of this disappointment is explained by a letter we have received from Birmingham; from which it appears that Preston and the Deaf’un had a fall out at Arthur Matthewson’s, which, after lots of chaff and a deposit of a sovereign a side, was to be decided by a fight the next morning, but on the Deaf’un going to the scratch Preston ‘would not have it.’ Some further chatter followed, in which Preston offered to fight Burke if he would reduce himself to 12 stone. This the Deaf’un declined, but offered to fight him £120 to £100, or £60 to £50. This would not suit Harry’s book, and thus the matter ended. The Deaf’un’s next trip is to Liverpool, and from thence to Scotland, where he is to join Bob Avery in Glasgow. Poor Tommy Roundhead has been undeservedly censured in this matter.”