TOM SAVERS,

NZ Truth, Issue 250, 9 April 1910, Page 8

TOM SAVERS,

CHAMPION OF ENGLAND.

His Life from the Best and Most Authentic Sources.

Battles, Anecdotes, Etc.— Last Illness and Deatu.

((BYV'PHILO

XXX.

HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP— (Continued.)

Subsequently to the fight we are about to detail, Heenan returned to America, where he was the lion of ...the day for a brief, period, the deliberate and elaborate falsehoods and exaggerations of the American press, m respect to his battle with and his treatment on that occasion awaking general sympathy. Like most * American mob , heroes, he soon found his popularity on the wane, and returned, at the opening of the late cis»il .war, to the land and people where his pretended friends asserted he had been so foully treated. Heenan, it must be m justice stated, had no part or blame m these misrepresentations and libels on Englishmen and lair play. Heenan returned to this, country with a declaration that he .did not intend to fight again. Shortly afterwards, Tom King, having;' defeated Jem Mace (-vsfho by the defeat of Sam Hurst, the Staleybridge Infant, had become champion), declared his retirement from the ring and" his candidature for another ring of the dimensions of a lady's third finger. In the course of 1563, it was whispered among some Corinthians of the' tiirf^ with whom Heenan had become a great favorite by his uniform civility,and good conduct, that the licnicia Boy would do battle with anyone who might fancy a , bout with him for . not less ' a sum than £1000 ; Heenan decidedly objecting to any publication of a challenge m the newspapers, the proposition, the carrying out of which was entrusted to Owen Switt, caused Tom King to prick up his ears. Could it be that there was a Yankee with 1000 sovereigns behind him and no one to put m a claim ? King, urged by his friends, took up* the gauntlet, and the £2000 were posted. As the day of battle, fixed for the 10th of December, 1863, approached, all fears as to the match not being genuine subsided, and m racing circles the match, created much interest, numerous bets of 6 to 4 being laid on the BenJkSa Boy, whose 'appearance at Newmarket during the October mestings fully justified the confidence reposed m him. I-leenan took his breathings almost entirely at -Newmarket m company with his own brother and Macdonald, but required very little, if any, looking after. His feats as a pedestrian, ' during his work were, something extraordinary ; six miles and a "bifcfcock" did he turn m ordinary walking, and many a spin and a' tie-op did he, give j to some of qur crack , jock's, among whom are to be found co mean specimens of fair toe-and-heel walkers. Heenante spins at the top of bis speed, too, not a little "astonished the Browns" ; he could on a pinch do his quarter m 56 seconds—, not bad for a fourteen-stonc man, standing nearly 6ft. 2in. When stripped his frame was a perfect model for a sculptor. Beery muscle was swollen out to a gigantic size, and every tendon and sinew was distinctly visible-? taken altogether, such a specimen of a Herculean frame had not been, seen m the British P.R. for -very-many, years. Kiiig'-s Tverjiiit on the occasion of the fight, which xcofe

OPUGILIS.")

place at Wadhurst, Sussex, on December 10v . 1863, was -thirteen stone. It will he m the recollection of all how, after I a brave, but by no means a clever bat* tie of 24 rounds, occupying but 25 mm-> utes r the gallant Tom . thoroughly extinguished Heenan's pretensions to the laurels of the championship. From this period, with the • exception of an appearance before the quarter sessions at Colchester, with King • and others, on a charge . of breach of the peace at Wadhurst -on the day aforesaid, which v ended m jn acquittal, Heenan's career— he is still m England— faas not belonged to public life. We may also note that this, was Tom Sayers'- last appearance m the roped ring, he acting m the capacity of second to his former adversary, the Benieia Boy. We will now hark back to London and the doings of the day previous to the eventful 17th of April, 1860. Though it was made known to those who invested their gold m the tickets for the .journey "to and from London that, the; start' would be as early as four o'clock, this seemed to have . no effect m -deterring those who had resolved to be 'ftbar," as .our Yankee visiir ors expressed it* The ;scene at Owen Swift's and at Harry Bruhton's, where tickets were obtainable on Monday night, beggars description ;. the crush was terrific; and many were, entirely unsuccessful 1 m getting tickets at all. Nat L-angham's, Alec Keene's,; and- other/ sporting houses were also crammed, but there was not the same difficulty m carrying on the business of the landlords as at the first houses named, where at one time trade was at a standstill. Many- of tbe .frequenters of the sporting hostelries evidently determined to . make a night of it m order to make a certainty of being up betimes m the morning, and that they carried their intentions fully into effect was plainly visible . m their countenances on their emerging .into daylight. The more prudent ring-goers', however, took time by the forelock, : and early ensconced themselves m, their beds until the summons to' be up and doing should arouse them. •■'•'■ The scene at London Bridge station was one of continual bustle for at least an hour before the time appointed for the start, and, judging from the' early arrivals; all seemed impressed with the necessity of taking time by the forelock. ' The lirecin^ts of the station reminded us of the crush on, Derby Day, but. the effect was far more striking ftoir the circumstance of its being a "midnight flitting." The company's auiMipemeirfcs, however, were such as to meet the pressing requirements, and the travellers by the late trains from the provinces, and those who had postponed the • purchase of their tickets until the last moment were enabled to provide themselves with the necessary passport. Two t .monster trains were prepared, and ,as early as half-past three the first, which consisted of thirty-three carriages, was so full that the non-arrival of the fftien, both of whom were accommodated at private lodgings close by, alone delayed its departure. The champiok nrr-ived first, and his fresh, stylish app.earance indicated a good night's rest, and especial pains vrith bis toilette. He was soon followed liy Heenan, who seemed to- wish to avoid recognition, and instantly proceeded to a compartment reserved for him and his seconds. The tickets .were then collected, and at twenty minutes past ■•> four they started on theix journey; By this time the night had cast off her sable mantle, ! and "day dawned with that, peculiar tint which foretold the brilliant sunny weather ; | with which that expedition was favored. | Throughout the whole of the metropolitan districts, which' extended for sixteen miles from" London, the police, both \ mounted and on foot, and all armed with cutlasses, were on the lookout oa ' each, side of the line, even at this early, hour ; but the speed at which .fh? tram proceeded at once satisfied those watchful guardians that the mill was never intended to take place within. their bailiwick,.after leaving which ■ scarcely a - soul was to be seen beyond husbandmen proceeding to - their daily avocations. „..■■ .

Great preparations were made to "stop the mill" further down, both ou the Dover and Brighton lines.; but they were unnecessary, as the travellers turned ofi ■ at Keigate Junction on to the Guildford line, along which the. train rattled at a good pace — we may say, "m peaceful serenity"— until within a short distance of ■ the latter old-fashioned country town, where the first stoppage was made for, water. la due course the journey "was resumed, and m a short time the travellers, entered the wild district where the military town of Aldershot is situated, the deserted appearance of which satisfied all that the "pilot" to whom the selection of" the locale had been entrusted, had . made a "happy choice." It was near, seven o'clock when the first train discharged its living burden at Farnborough- f station, after a most pleasant journey through one of the preflitest countries m England, which; illumined by a ilortous; sun, and shooting forth m venal beauty, must hay© inspired all with,- feelings oC. intense gratification.; , whilst the tienicia. Boy and the numerous Americans present <i •must have been struck with the highly • favorable contrast to the miserable pilgrimage which, from all accounts, preceded, their representative's last appearance m the ring, when he fought Morrissey m America. No time was lost m choosing* the spot for the ring, which was quicKly and well formed by the veteran Tom Oliver and his son,, m a meadow adjoining the railway, situate on the borders of Hampshire and Surrey, and within., half-a-mile of the Farnbprpugh station on., the South Western line. v By this time the . second train had reached its destination, and the crowd could not have numbered fewer than twelve hundred persons, both of high and low degree, though compared with former mills tne present "congregation" must unhesitatingly be pronounced the most aristocratic ever assembled at the ring side. It included the bearers of names highly distinguished m the pages of Burke and Dcbrett, officers of the army and navy, members of Parliament, justices of the peace, and even brethren, of the cloth ; whilst the muster of literati, on behalf of the leading metropolitan Jour- i nals and the most popular periodicals arid miscellanies— to say nothing of the.: editorial and pictorial staffs of our American contemporaries, "Willies' s Spirit of the Times'' and "Leslie's Illustrated News," gave *]uite a new feature to the gathering, and evinced at the same time, the overwhelming interest and excitement th.is great national event has created throughout both hemispheres: The sale of inner-ring tickets (raised to 10s each on this occasion) produced a large revenue to the Pugilistic Benevolent Association, and Duncan's speculation m chairs must have been a most successful one, judging from the demand for these conveniences, by means of wftich the " spectators were enabled to v "see the fight" with comparative comfort. ■ APPEARANCE OF -THE MJiiN.— All . being m readiness, and tlie immense crowd disposed m tolerable order by the exertions of these pf the. ringrJfeepers who chose to do their duty, Torn Sayers appeared at the ring-side, and having deposited his hat within the. ropes, quicltly followed it himself, attended by his old pal, Harry Brunton,' and the accomplished Jemmy Welsh, as seconds. The Benicia-. Boy was not long m following his example, attended by Jack Macdonald and his trainer, Cusick. Tom looked as dapper and well set Up as ever, and was full of smiles. The Boy, whose attire \?as not quite so fashionable, v/as also all on the broad grin. eyed one another curiously for a* few seconds, this being, it must . l>e recollected, their first meeting, j and then advancing, shopk hands most cordially together, each ' regarding the other with evident friendly feeling. The warmth- of the greeting appeared to give great satisfaction to the surrounding multitude, who cheered vociferously. The men j conversed for a few minutes, but, of course, the subject of their interview did not transpire. Umpires and a referee having now been appointed, tne signal was given to prepare for cotwl)at.\ The first ceremony, that of tying . the cblsrs to 'the stakes, was then proceeded with, ami no time was cut to waste m dofliiag their upper toggery. Each had taken the precaution to put op. his nootis aafl drawers previous to entering tne ring, so that the usual tedious process of . lacing the mdn's boots was dispensed with.; In Recnan's case, however, there would have , been no necessity for tJiis, as his boots were of f ashionabltt make, wif h .elastic sides. He was the first to appear m buff, awl- a single glance was sufficient -.to. 'show that; his condition was alj that could be re^ ; quired by the most fastidious. Tom's mahogany bust was quickly after bared to the gaze of the multitude, and here, too, was evidence of strict attention to his TCprk. They hp.d a /mal riib fronl .their seconds, and now advanced to give the I final friendly shake. This was the tiirc to pet a fair idea of their respcctiye-:pio-porfcrons, and m size it really looked a [.•horse, to a hen. • , I .- . ■ (To be UonUnued.)