12.—Dogherty was again brought to the scratch, and made play, although almost in a doubled state. The combatants managed a rally, but in a state of weakness perhaps unparalleled; they could stand, but although within arm’s length were incapable of hitting. Silverthorne, however, recovered, and knocked down his opponent for the last time.
The contest lasted twenty-two minutes. A pigeon was immediately despatched to Jem Belcher’s, but in passing over Wimbledon Common it fell a prey to the gun of some cockney spoil-sport. Both combatants were dreadfully beaten, and were immediately put to bed and bled. Silverthorne proved himself a worthy disciple of Caleb, and possesses that degree of strength which cannot fail to make him formidable to men of his own weight. Dogherty’s strength failed somewhat sooner than usual, which was attributed to indisposition.
This remarkable success so elated Caleb and his friends that they at once proposed a match with Tom Belcher for 100 guineas. What came of this may be seen at pages 158, 159, ante.
Silverthorne, who bore the character of a steady, temperate, and well-conducted man, now publicly announced his retirement from the ring, in reply to a challenge from Dogherty, adding, he was resolved not to fight, “except when the necessity of the moment forced it upon him, when he hoped he should never be found backward to defend himself.” However, in 1812, at Coombe Warren, being provoked by Ben Burn, he departed from his resolution, and gave that boxer a thorough thrashing. From this time forth, though his name is sometimes mentioned, we hear no more of Silverthorne in the ring. In 1821 (May), we find the following in “Notices of Boxers who have retired from the P. R.”
“Silverthorne, once distinguished for his contests with Dogherty and Belcher. He is a teacher in a Sunday school, highly respected, and follows his business as a master fishmonger.”
JACK POWER.
With by no means first-rate qualifications, Jack Power is one of the examples of what personal popularity will do in exaggerating mediocrity into the foremost position. In the first volume of “Boxiana” many pages are given to Power, and in the second an obituary eulogium, from which we extract the salient points.
Power was born in London on the 8th of August, 1790, and descended from Irish parents. His father apprenticed him to a plumber, and Pierce Egan gives us the usual number of six-feet-two men, butchers, etc., who surrendered to “our hero” while yet a stripling.
Power’s first regular ring battle was with Dogherty, on the 25th of October, 1808, at Moulsey Hurst. This was the third battle on that day: the first being Tom Cribb’s victory over Gregson; the second, Tom Belcher’s conquest of Bill Cropley. The reporter simply says, “After a game battle of one hour and a quarter, Dogherty was triumphant.” Egan says, “Dogherty gave in three times during the fight; but Power being a new one, and Dogherty more experienced, it was managed in that sort of way, that the latter was pronounced the victor.” What this may mean we cannot tell, with “the Duke of York, the Marquis of Tweeddale, Lords Yarmouth, Craven, Barrymore, Brook, and Somerville, and Paul Methuen on the ground” (“Pancratia,” p. 322), and with Fletcher Reid as umpire.
Power’s next battle was with one Frere, April 1, 1809, which he won in twenty-one minutes.