59.—Turner endeavoured to make play, but it was all up. Martin fibbed him severely at the ropes, got Turner down, and fell on him with his knee nearly on his throat.
60 and last.—In a struggle Martin fell with all his weight on Turner. Turner was placed on his second’s knee. Martin, who was most anxiously viewing the state of his brave but fallen opponent with one eye, was with the other looking anxiously for the umpires to call “time.” The game Turner did not hear it, and Martin gave a jump on being proclaimed the victor, and ran out of the ring towards his vehicle. After Turner had been taken care of, and led out of the ring, Randall (apparently in great rage) threw up his hat and offered to fight Martin for £300 a-side, in three months. “I’ll bet five to one,” said an amateur, “no one dares to make it.”
The amateur, in offering the above bet, had miscalculated, for Martin, having turned the tables upon one adversary, appeared to think it would be an easy task to do so with another, and very shortly after the above fight reminded Randall of his offer, and declared his readiness to accept it. This was just the proposition that suited Randall, and the match being made, came off, as we have already stated (ante, p. 351), on the 11th of September, ending in the defeat of Martin, in one round and eight minutes and a half.
Martin was matched for £100 a side with Aby Belasco, but the Jew’s friends paid forfeit.
The following matrimonial announcement may serve as a specimen of sporting paragraphs half a century ago.
“Great Ring Match.—None but the brave deserve the fair! A celebrated pugilist, who has twice entered the lists with Randall, made a tie with Turner, disposed of Oliver the second, conquered Paddington Johnson, floored the hardy Scroggins, got the best of Josh. Hudson, polished off a big Gipsy, caused Dav. Hudson to blink and Cabbage to wink, and finally lowered the leek of the gallant Ned Turner—who has lately moreover become known as a first-rate ‘turf-man,’ and at all times as an upright and well-behaved man—appeared a few days since at the hymeneal scratch, at Lambeth, where he duly signed articles (for a match of £2,500 down) with a young lady, no time specified, but understood to be for life.
“Of his feats and his battles he surely may sing,
Whose first and last prizes were gained by the ring.”
Martin, from this period, was well known and universally respected. He became a boniface, and it would have been well had he not been tempted to return to the ring he had quitted as a conqueror.
After a lapse of seven years, diversified only by a match with Jem Burn, to fight in October 20, 1824, which ended in a “draw” of the stakes, Martin was induced by irritated feelings to challenge young Dutch Sam (Samuel Evans). The circumstances of his defeat, which took place November 4, 1828, at Knowle Hill, Berks, will be found under the memoir of the victor in Period VI.