39 to 43.—All these rounds were very short, and O’Donnell evidently had the advantage.

44.—O’Donnell, from having continually throughout the combat used his right hand, had severely strained it, and it was expected that this circumstance would have obliged him to give in, but dexterously putting in a blow with the left hand, he brought down his adversary.

45.—O’Donnell in this round repeated his winding dose in the stomach, which undoubtedly decided the battle, for Smith never afterwards struck any blow of consequence.

The 48th round decided the contest in favour of the Hibernian, Smith being almost too much exhausted to support his guard. O’Donnell by a dreadful blow brought him down, when he immediately gave in, after a contest of one hour and twenty minutes. O’Donnell throughout the battle had constantly struck his antagonist on the left ribs, which part, when the battle ceased, was greatly swelled and bruised.

Coady, Gamble, Berks, Belcher, Wood, and many professors of the art were present. O’Donnell’s countrymen carried him home in triumph, exulting in his glory.

O’Donnell’s game, if not his skill, or his capabilities for punishing, was fully established by this encounter, and he was backed to fight one Henigan. The miscarriage of this event may be read in the subjoined paragraph:—“Tuesday, the 18th of January, 1803, was the day determined upon for the decision of a pugilistic contest between O’Donnell, who was now considered by the Irish as their champion, and the restorer of their fame in the noble science of pugilism, and one Henigan, a new candidate of bruising celebrity, brought forward and matched by Jackling, the brother-in-law of the well-known and lamented Tom Johnson. On the night before, however, both these heroes, notwithstanding they each boasted strength in the fore paw, felt somewhat confused by a visit from Armstrong, who without much ceremony conveyed them to Worship Street, and bound them in sureties of £400 to keep the peace for six months. O’Donnell on hearing this considered the fight at an end, but Henigan fearing lest such a restriction might blast his rising genius, determined to run all risks, and accordingly repaired to Dulwich, the appointed Campus Martius. His opponent, however, was not there, and the travellers returned with great chagrin depicted in their countenances.”

O’Donnell’s next opponent was the well-known Caleb Baldwin; but here his friends had made a mistake. He was polished off triumphantly (October 13th, 1803), by the Westminster hero. (See Caleb Baldwin, ante, p. 213.) Pierce Egan thus pathetically records this defeat:—“O’Donnell was matched against Caleb Baldwin, but being defeated—MARK THE DIFFERENCE!!!—No smiles! no shouts! no shoulders offered to support the drooping hero! but he was placed in a hackney coach, to groan and reflect upon the reverse of fortune! Any further comment is unnecessary!!!” With this we fully agree. Where were the “warm-hearted countrymen?”

O’Donnell having some altercation at Belcher’s about his defeat of Pardo Wilson, a challenge was the result. On this occasion O’Donnell, who is styled by Pierce “the celebrated Irish hero,” embraced the opportunity of meeting Tom for a subscription purse of twenty guineas, at Shepperton, Surrey, April 17, 1805, when he was thoroughly thrashed in fifteen rounds.[[124]]

A big fellow of the name of Emery, who, we learn incidentally, had on a former occasion beaten O’Donnell, was challenged by him for fifty guineas, and the challenge accepted. We copy the report:—

“On Tuesday, December 3rd (1805), a battle was fought in the Five Fields, Chelsea, between O’Donnell, the Irish bruiser, and a man of the name of Emery, for a subscription purse. The combatants had some time since quarrelled, when Emery being the bigger man, and O’Donnell out of health, he had an easy conquest, but the result of this battle proved a salutary warning to those who under the conceit of superior strength presume to try conclusions against practised skill.