APPENDIX TO PERIOD VII.
Of the numerous pugilistic pretenders who did battle during the years comprised between the Championships of Bendigo and that of Harry Broome, few deserve the honour of a separate memoir, or even of a recapitulation of their battles. The best of the fights, indeed, may be safely credited to the middle and light-weight men, who were, by their class, excluded from competing with the big ones for the Championship.
Of these, Hammer Lane, Jem Wharton (Young Molyneaux), Johnny Broome, Johnny Hannan, Owen Swift, Ned Adams, Mike Madden, Bill Hayes, Donnelly, and others, will be found in the Author’s “Recollections of the Ring,” to which the reader is referred. Here it is proposed to insert, with a brief notice, the best battle of such heavy-weights as appear in these pages as the antagonists of the men whose biographies are included in this Period.
I.—BRASSEY (JOHN LEECHMAN), of Bradford, and YOUNG LANGAN, of Liverpool, for £100.
In the Memoir of Caunt (ante [pp. 60–69]) will be found the details of Brassey’s gallant contest with the gigantic Champion, October 26th, 1840. That John Leechman had fair pretentions to be selected by his patrons to do battle with “Big Ben,” the subjoined account of his fight with Young Langan, of Liverpool, in the October of the previous year, will show.
John Leechman, whose height was six feet, and weight 12st. 7lbs., was born at Bradford, in Yorkshire, on the 1st of January, 1815. His first battle, recorded in “Fistiana,” was in 1831, when, at the age of 16, he defeated one Thomas Hartley, at Eccles Moor, near Leeds, after a tough fight of an hour and a quarter. On August 24th, in the same year, he took the same time to batter one Ned Batterson, in 72 rounds. He then fought, at Harpurhey, near Manchester, in May, 1833, Young Winterflood, of Nottingham, for an hour, when the affair ended in a wrangle. Brassey next met the well-known Jem Bailey, at Baildon Moor, and beat him, on the 24th of April, 1835, in 74 rounds, occupying 2 hours and a quarter; Brassey being at the same time sadly out of condition. Tom Scrutton was also disposed of in 20 minutes, 17 rounds, on January 11th, 1836; and this brings us to Brassey’s battle with the eccentric Bendigo. In the memoir of that boxer (ante pp. [7], [8]), will be found the particulars of that defeat, which took place near Sheffield, on the 24th of May, 1836. Brassey’s former antagonist, Jem Bailey, now came out, and demanded a second trial, to which Brassey assented, and the men met at Hales Green, near Pulham, Norfolk. Although Brassey had won the fight in the 71st round, through the indecision or misconduct of the referee, Bailey’s backers raised a dispute, sued the stakeholder, and recovered back their money. We now come to the battle with Young Langan, of Liverpool, which, except his defeat by Tass Parker, is Brassey’s only fight worth preserving.
This contest, which was decided on the 8th of October, 1839, at Woodhead, in Cheshire, excited an unusual degree of interest, not only among the friends of each man, but throughout all sporting circles in Yorkshire, Lancashire and the Midlands. Brassey was trained near Norwich, under the personal superintendence of the veteran Ned Painter, who accompanied his pupil to the scene of action. Langan took his exercise at Bootle, near Liverpool, in company with Tommy Britton, and his condition was pronounced “perfect.” The ring was formed by the Liverpool Commissary, and at 25 minutes past one Brassey, accompanied by Bill Hall, and Gregson Green, the “sporting sweep,” as seconds, threw in his hat, and was quickly followed by Young Langan, amidst loud cheering from the Liverpool contingent. The day was magnificent, the sun shining with splendour, and as Langan lost the toss for corners, Brassey was placed with his face to the north. Each man was near upon 13 stone, but Brassey was a little the taller. An objection having been taken to the length of the spikes in Langan’s shoes, “the Morocco Prince,” who acted as his second, condescended to waive his dignity, and a file being procured, he sat down, and in a most workmanlike style reduced the sharp projections to the dimensions of “sparrowbills.” Again some delay took place in the selection of a referee; this point settled, the men stripped for action. The colours, an orange bandanna for Brassey, and a green and yellow for Langan, being knotted to the stake, at 23 minutes past two the men shook hands and stood up for
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—Each advanced to the scratch, Langan cool and smiling, Brassey looking serious and earnest. After slight manœuvring, Langan tried his left, and caught his opponent upon the mug. Brassey was impetuous, as if his anxiety was outstripping his prudence. He looked sternly at his antagonist, let fly, and planted two successive right-handers upon Langan’s frontispiece—one upon the left eye, and the other on the potato-trap; a close, and both down. Upon Langan’s rising “first blood” was claimed for Brassey, which was perceptible upon Langan’s mouth.
2.—Langan still wore a good-natured smile, while Brassey appeared serious, and the eagerness which he displayed was checked by several of his friends, who saw that although “his soul was in arms and eager for the fray,” yet a little more of “the better part of valour—discretion,” might prevent an accident. A little sparring—Brassey using his arms à la Bendigo. Closer and closer went the men, and a few smart exchanges took place, when they fell upon the ropes; a brief struggle ensued, and both went to the ground.