“The cause of this disappointment is explained by a letter we have received from Birmingham; from which it appears that Preston and the Deaf’un had a fall out at Arthur Matthewson’s, which, after lots of chaff and a deposit of a sovereign a side, was to be decided by a fight the next morning, but on the Deaf’un going to the scratch Preston ‘would not have it.’ Some further chatter followed, in which Preston offered to fight Burke if he would reduce himself to 12 stone. This the Deaf’un declined, but offered to fight him £120 to £100, or £60 to £50. This would not suit Harry’s book, and thus the matter ended. The Deaf’un’s next trip is to Liverpool, and from thence to Scotland, where he is to join Bob Avery in Glasgow. Poor Tommy Roundhead has been undeservedly censured in this matter.”
That the Deaf’un had considerable pantomimic powers may be gathered from the fact that he was engaged by the experienced manager of the Manchester Theatre, to play Orson in the Christmas piece of “Valentine and Orson” at the Sheffield Theatre.
Thus wore away the year 1834. At Tom Spring’s Anniversary Dinner, January 14th, 1835, which was numerously attended, Burke announced that he was about to take a farewell benefit on the ensuing Wednesday evening, at the “Coach and Horses,” St. Martin’s Lane, previous to his starting for America, to fight the Irish Champion, O’Rourke, or any other man in the United States or Canada who might fancy him. He had come to this determination, he said, because, although ready and willing to fight Ward for £200, Ward, after proposing to fight for that sum, raised his price to £300, and then, finding even that large stake was likely to be obtained, valued himself at the still higher sum of £500, which was utterly beyond the reach of his (Burke’s) friends. For his own part, all he wanted was the glory of the title for which he was the candidate, and, to show that he was not afraid of any man breathing, he would fight even for £5; his friends were still ready to back him for £200 against the Champion, Ward. This speech, given in Burke’s sincere but blunt style, excited warm applause, and a pledge was given that his benefit should be well attended.
It was then suggested that the title of Champion of England ought not to depend on the capricious will of the person by whom it had been obtained, putting the sum at which he would risk its loss so high as to prevent the possibility of fair competition. Ward had gradually risen in his own estimation from £200 to £500, and he might, with as good a grace, if it depended on himself, say he would not fight for less than £1,000 or £10,000, and thus retain an honour to which other men might be entitled. This opinion seemed to meet the almost unanimous concurrence of the persons present, among whom were Spring, Jem Burn, Ned Neale, Young Dutch Sam, Dick Curtis, Owen Swift, Smith, Young Spring (Harry Wood, of Liverpool), and others, and a great number of amateurs and liberal supporters of the Ring. After some discussion, the following resolution was moved and seconded:—
“Resolved—That, in future, the maximum stake at which the Champion of England shall be considered bound to accept a challenge shall be £200; and that if he refuse to fight for this sum, he shall be considered as no longer holding the title of Champion.”
A gentleman proposed as an amendment that the sum should be £250, but this was negatived by a large majority, and the original resolution was carried with acclamation.
It was then moved and seconded—“That if Jem Ward refuses to fight Deaf Burke for £200, he shall no longer be considered Champion of England, but that Burke shall assume the title, until bound to yield to a man of greater merit.” This resolution was also carried unanimously.
These resolutions are certainly in the spirit of common sense, and if Ward’s situation in life placed him above the necessity of considering himself any longer a member of the Ring, it was no more than fair—as in the case of the veteran Tom Cribb and his successor Tom Spring—that he should retire; a step which certainly could not have stripped him of any of the honours to which he had previously entitled himself.
The disappointed Deaf’un now repaired to Liverpool, and departing thence, like another Childe Harold, “he sung, or might, or could, or should, or would have sung”:—
“Adieu! Adieu! My native shore