From Scotland, Molineaux went on a sparring tour into Ireland; and at the latter end of the year 1817, he was travelling over the northern parts of that country, teaching the stick fighting natives the use of their fists; an accomplishment which might save many a jury the trouble of a trial ending in a verdict of manslaughter or even of murder. But the sun of his prosperity was set; and according to an obituary sketch (given in the Sporting Magazine, vol. ii., p. 230, 1818), he was dependent for bare existence on the humanity of two coloured compatriots, serving in the 77th regiment then quartered at Galway. He expired in the band-room of that regiment, on the 4th of August, 1818, a wasted skeleton, the mere shadow of his former self. For the last four years he strolled about the country. Intemperance, and its sure follower disease, brought down the once formidable gladiator to a mere anatomy, and he latterly declined to fight the oft-defeated and gone-by Dan Dogherty. Molineaux was illiterate and ostentatious, but good-tempered, liberal, and generous to a fault. Fond of gay life, fine clothes, and amorous to the extreme, he deluded himself with the idea that his strength of constitution was proof against excesses. Alas! poor Molineaux found out the vanity of his conceited boast, and repented, but too late, his folly. Peace be to his manes! he was a brave but reckless and inconsiderate man, on whose integrity and straightforwardness none who knew him ever cast a slur; nevertheless he was the worst of fools, inasmuch as he sacrificed fame, fortune, and life; excusing himself by the absurd plea, that “he was a fool to no one but himself.”
CHAPTER III.
BILL RICHMOND—1804–1818.
Quoad the biography of this clever man of colour, we may safely follow “Boxiana,” seeing that he was a contemporary of Pierce Egan, who took his accounts, for better or for worse, of what happened outside the circle of his knowledge from one or other of the men whose memoirs are scattered fragmentarily up and down the five volumes of his “Sketches.”
Richmond was born at a place called Richmond, otherwise Cockold’s Town, on Staaten Island,[[145]] New York, on August 5th, 1763. His mother was owned by a reverend divine of the name of Charlton, to whose worldly wealth young Bill was of course an accession. When the English troops, in 1777, held New York during the War of Independence, General Earl Percy, afterwards Duke of Northumberland, finding Bill to possess good capacity took him under his protection, and he served him for some time till he came to England, whither he brought the sable youth with him, and considerately put him to school in Yorkshire. Nor did the English nobleman stop here. He apprenticed him to a cabinet maker in York, where he worked at his trade with credit to himself and satisfaction to his employers. Richmond, however, had the childish and nigger propensity for fine clothes and the service of a “gran’ massa,” and as black servants were the fashion of the day, he became what in the prevailing slang was called a “knight of the rainbow,” taking service with that very “fast” nobleman Lord Camelford, as Pierce Egan incidentally informs us.
The first display in the pugilistic art which brought Bill into notice was with one George Moore, a soldier in the 19th regiment, known by the name of Docky Moore, who insulted Richmond upon the course at York, during the time of the races. This Docky before his enlistment had been known as “the hero of Sheffield.” He was well proportioned, possessing considerable strength, and the necessary requisites for milling; in height five feet nine inches and a half, and weighing fourteen stone. The friends of Richmond persuaded him from attempting to fight with such a man, Bill only weighing ten stone twelve pounds; but he was not to be deterred, and the event proved his judgment, for in the course of twenty-five minutes, our hero punished Docky so completely that he gave in, and was taken out of the ring.
On the same course, not long after the above affair, in a quarrel arising out of the former exploit, Richmond beat two soldiers, one after the other, belonging to the Inniskillen dragoons.
Richmond’s milling qualities getting noised abroad, a few of the Yorkshire lads who had a bit of fight in their composition, envied his success. One in particular, a blacksmith weighing thirteen stone, and in height about five feet ten inches, took the following method of provoking Bill to have a brush. Richmond was noticed in York for going smart, and appearing clean after he had done his work. Bill met this hammer-man one evening, as he was taking a walk, who openly insulted him with opprobrious epithets. Our hero remonstrated with him on the impropriety of his behaviour, and told the blacksmith that if he wanted to fight him he should be accommodated at the Groves the next morning, on which they agreed to meet, when the son of Vulcan was quickly satisfied, and acknowledged Richmond the best man.
Richmond, in passing through the streets of York one evening, with a female under his protection, was accosted by one Frank Myers, with the epithets of “black devil,” etc, who otherwise insulted the young woman for being in company of a man of colour. Bill, with a becoming spirit of indignation, requested him to desist for the present, but to meet him at the Groves on the next Monday morning, when they would settle this difference (this circumstance happening on a Saturday night), to which Myers agreed. This affair of honour being buzzed about, a great concourse of people assembled early the next day to witness the conflict. Richmond was there at the appointed hour, but after a considerable time, Myers not making his appearance, the spectators became impatient, and it was judged expedient that Richmond and his friends should repair to the house of Myers to remind him of his engagement. Myers returned with them, and the battle commenced, and raged with fury for some time, Myers getting the worst of it, and eventually Richmond taught him to acknowledge that it was wrong, and beneath the character of an Englishman, to insult any individual on account of his country or his colour. Myers received a complete milling.