Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 3 (of 3): Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863Miles, Henry Downes
History
Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 3 (of 3): Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
Miles, Henry Downes
Boxing
“The admirers of milling in the military village of Chelsea,
where the ‘saloon of arms’ of Alec Reid is a centre of
attraction, were all alive on Tuesday, from the arrangement
of a ‘field day’ to decide the best-man question between two
pugilistic heroes of the locality. These were Barney
Dogherty, a sprig from the Emerald Isle, and Bill Perry, a
young navvy, whose displays with his digits, if not quite
scientific, are determined and dangerous. Perry was backed
by a sporting butcher, Dogherty by a circle of his
enthusiastic countrymen. In weight the Emeralder had the
advantage of nearly a stone. Each man was waited on by a
member of the P.R., and the regulations of the Ring carried
out.
“The fixture was Wimbledon Common, whither miscellaneous
groups were seen wending their way at an early hour; but the
police scouts were wide-awake, and on reaching the intended
scene of action it was ‘no go,’ and the disappointed crew
looked as blue as their enemies. A move became inevitable,
and new ground was taken opposite the ‘Ship’ at Mortlake.
Here the men set to, but after seven rounds, all in favour
of Perry, the lobsters were again on the scent, and another
retreat was made towards Barnes Common. Here also it would
not do――the pursuers were on the heels of the ‘flying
dustmen,’ and a helter-skelter sort of march took place over
Putney Bridge. Here a council of war was held, and it was at
last agreed to march for Lechmere Common, close to the
sporting grounds of the Baron de Berenger, in the King’s
Road. Here all was right――a fresh ring was formed without
interruption, and the sport was resumed and concluded.
“On squaring elbows there was a good deal of sparring, and
Perry dodged left and right. After some heavy exchanges and
a rally, Barney was down weak. The fight was prolonged for
six rounds more, during which Perry had it all his own way,
punishing Barney terrifically; still the poor fellow came up
as game as a rhinoceros, and would not give in till his
seconds, seeing he had not a chance, cried ‘enough,’ and his
friends were all satisfied he had done his best to win.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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