The brown-skinned, hardy, game, and resolute boxer, whose name heads this somewhat brief biography, demands a niche in our gallery of prize pugilists who have aspired to the Championship, were it only for the obstinately contested battles in which he was engaged on each of the four occasions in which he made a public appearance in the twenty-four foot enclosure. In the short period between December, 1849, and April, 1853, Harry advanced from the position of a “novice” to that of a candidate, and a very dangerous one, for the Championship of England; reckoning among those who succumbed to his prowess, Aaron Jones (twice), the accomplished Nat Langham—the only conqueror of Tom Sayers—and closing his career by one of the most memorable battles of modern times, in which he fell before the conquering arm of Harry Broome.
Harry Orme was by birth a Londoner, having first seen daylight at Old Ford, near Bow, in the month of May, 1826; in which year, also, were born his antagonist, Harry Broome, and the yet more renowned Tom Sayers, doubtless under the influence of some pugilistic planet. Harry, who “came of decent people,” was introduced to the London Ring with less preliminary paragraphing than usual; he was an East-Ender by birth, parentage, and associations, and an East-Ender he remained to the end of his career.
It so happened that in the year 1849, Jem Burn, the Mæcenas of millers, had among his visitors at the “Queen’s Head” a powerful big one, hight Aaron Jones, of Shrewsbury, 20 years of age, weighing 11st. 4lb., standing 5ft. 10½in. in his stocking-feet, who had friends among the “proud Salopians,” who were anxious to get on a match with any “trial horse” Jem might select for their promising novice. Jones had passed a favourable “competitive examination” in the sparring schools, and Jem had declared, with a qualifying if, that “If there was the right stuff in him he was big enough and clever enough for anything then on the list.” The “sages of the East” were of opinion that they had a novice as good as he of the West, so Harry, after taking stock of his opponent in futuro at a sparring soirée in Windmill Street, returned to his friends at the “Blue Anchor,” and “reported progress.” The result was favourable to a venture of the East against the West, the Orientals already well knowing that their man would take a great deal of beating to turn him from brown to blue. Articles were accordingly formulated at Mr. Hunter’s, “Weavers’ Arms,” Kingsland Road, with deposits at “Jolly Jem’s,” for a fight to come off on the 18th December, 1849, each man not to exceed 11st. 4lb. on the day before the fight. Frimley Green, Surrey, was duly reached per train on the day appointed, and at a quarter to one, in a drizzle of cold rain, the men entered the ring. The “Shrewsbury Youth” was waited on by Jack Hannan and Bob Fuller, the pedestrian; Orme by two well-known East End professionals, Joe Rowe and John Hazeltine. Umpires and a referee were quickly agreed upon; and the colours, a blue birdseye for Orme, and a fancy orange, shot with green, with a blue border, for Jones, being knotted to the stake, the men and their seconds crossed hands, and the principal performers stood up for
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—Considering that the men were novices, there was a good deal of money laid out on the mill, Jones being made the favourite at 5 and 6 to 4—chiefly from having the wealthier backers. He certainly, though young and light downwards, was lathy, long, and muscular, and looked dangerously like a fighter; while Orme, compact, well knit, and determined, seemed, with his mahogany frontispiece and walnut-brown skin, more like a gipsy than ever. Orme squared his elbows in the old-fashioned style that was called “navigatorish;” while Jones, though awkward and nervous, showed the superior school in which he had graduated. The Young One tried his left, but Orme jumped away, going bang against one of the stakes. The men crept close again, each sparring in what was meant to be a finished style, till Jones let fly with his left, but almost out of distance, so that he barely reached his man. After feeling his way again, Jones let go, but was stopped neatly, and in the exchanges that followed Orme threw in his right heavily on Jones’s left cheek. There was weight in this blow; the Young One shook his head as if puzzled, then went in resolutely. Orme missed his one, two. A rally followed, during which Jones hit Orme in the mouth, and received on the right eye in return. Both rolled down. In this, his very first round within the ropes, it was seen that Orme’s favourite weapon was his right, and that he was a heavy hitter.
2 to 6.—These rounds were much alike, and although there were some sharp exchanges all through them, they were tedious. Novices are generally in one extreme or the other; they either rush at their opponents as if fights were to be won in a gallop, or else are ambitious to show how scientific they are, and so spar and manœuvre without any definite end in view. The fighting took place chiefly in Orme’s corner, the length of arm possessed by Jones forcing his opponent to retreat; here they manœuvred and jumped in and out, till at last they got close, and then staggering counter-hits would be exchanged. The closes were scrambling affairs, and generally ended in the men rolling down together.
HARRY ORME.
7.—Another tedious example of ring manœuvring, without the skill which makes such fiddling, squaring, advancing, retreating, feinting, and shifting tolerable. Both novices, however, were actuated by a desire not to throw a chance away; but on a wet December day a little less generalship and busier work would have suited the spectators. The round lasted 27 minutes, but tedious as it was, it was wound up by a slashing rally, in which the big ones hit with all their steam. Jones drew first blood in profusion from Orme’s nose and mouth, while Harry delivered his right with tremendous force on Jones’s left ribs and left eye, badly marking the one and almost entirely closing the other.
8.—Both slow in answering the call of time; more than a minute elapsed before they appeared at the scratch, the heavy hitting in the last round having told its tale. Orme, instead of going in and taking advantage of his weight and power of arm, stood out and retreated, by advice of his friends. The round lasted 17 minutes, and at last was closed by another desperate rally, Jones improving in his style, and using both hands well, but the returns of Orme were heaviest and most effective. Jones threw Orme cleverly in the close.