10.—This round was similar to the famous one between Painter and Sutton during their first fight. Crawley was so severely hit from the scratch that he never put up his hands. (“Take him away,” from all parts of the ring.)
11.—This round was nearly as bad; but the game of Young Rump Steak was much praised. The Gas Man did not go without some sharp punishment.
12.—Crawley floored in a twinkling. Long, very long, before this period it was “Tom Cribb’s Memorial to Congress” to a penny chant. Crawley could not resist the heavy hitting of his opponent.
13 and last.—The Gas-light Man had completely put his opponent in darkness, and he only appeared this round to receive the coup de grace. Thirteen minutes and a half finished the affair.
Remarks.—The Gas Man retained all his blaze; in fact, he burnt brighter in his own opinion than before. However, he was pronounced by the cognoscenti not a good fighter. Indeed, a few words will suffice. Hickman appeared too fond of rushing to mill his opponent, regardless of the result to himself, and often hit with his left hand open. The good judges thought well of the Gas-light Man from the specimen he had displayed, yet urged that there was great room for improvement; and when possessing the advantage of science, he would doubtless prove a teaser to all of his own, and even above, his weight. Crawley had outgrown his strength.
In this battle Hickman injured one of his hands severely in the third round; indeed, he kept looking at one of his fingers, and complained of it to his second, Tom Shelton. The latter, with much bluntness, told him “to hold his chaffing; such conduct was not the way to win; he was not hurt!” The Gas-light Man took the hint, and was silent during the remainder of the battle. In a few days after the fight his hand was so painful, and had assumed such a livid appearance, that he was compelled to have the advice of a surgeon. On examination it was found one of his fingers had been broken.
The Gas-light Man was now looked upon as somebody by the fancy; and several matches were talked over for him, but they all went off except the following, which was made up in a very hasty manner, for a purse of £20, at the Tennis Court, at Cy. Davis’s benefit.
In this contest Hickman entered the lists with the scientific George Cooper, at Farnham Royal, Dawney Common, near Stowe, Buckinghamshire, twenty-four miles from London, on Tuesday, March 28, 1820, after Cabbage and Martin had left the ring. This contest was previously termed fine science against downright ruffianism, and seven to four and two to one was the current betting on Cooper without the slightest hesitation. On entering the ring the latter looked pale; but when he stripped, his frame had an elegant appearance. He had for his seconds Oliver and Bill Gibbons. Hickman was under the guidance of Randall and Shelton. Hickman laughed in the most confident manner, observing, “That he was sure to win.” Previously to the combatants commencing the battle, Mr. Jackson called them both to him, stating the amount of the subscriptions he had collected for the winner. “I am quite satisfied,” replied Hickman; “I will fight, if it is only for a glass of gin!” This sort of braggadocio quite puzzled all the swells, and the Gas-light Man was put down as a great boaster, or an out-and-outer extraordinary. Notwithstanding all the confidence of Hickman, the well-known superior science possessed by George Cooper rendered him decidedly the favourite.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—On setting-to Cooper placed himself in an elegant position, and a few seconds passed in sparring and in getting room to make play. Every eye was on the watch for the superiority of Cooper; but the rapidity of attack made by the Gas Man was so overwhelming that he drove Cooper to the ropes, and the exchange of hits was terrific, till Cooper went down like a shot, out of the ropes, from a terrible blow on the tip of his nose, with his face pinked all over. (The shouting was tremendous: “Bravo, Gas! it’s all up with his science.”)