87.—Caunt, although so repeatedly hit, came up as fresh and strong as ever (?) He was incapable, however, of parrying the cunning dodges of Bendy, who again gave him a stinging rap on the cheek, and, staggering back, fell, amidst cries of “Foul,” and appeals from Caunt’s friends to the referee; but in the din which prevailed no decision was obtained. [They were both fencing for “time,” and told by the Squire to “go on.”—Ed. “Pugilistica.”]
88.—Two hours had now elapsed, and still there was no apparent approximation towards a termination of the combat, while the confusion which prevailed round the ring prevented anything like a dispassionate criticism of the operations within. Bendy came up slowly, while Caunt was evidently disposed to annihilate him, as indeed his formidable fists induced every one to believe he would have done long before, but Bendy prudently kept out of distance until a slight opening in the guard of Caunt enabled him to jump in and deliver his left twice in succession, on effecting which he slipped down, and looked up with a triumphant leer at the mystified Champion.
89.—Bendy again made himself up for mischief, and, cleverly avoiding Caunt’s attempt to reach him left and right, delivered a heavy hit with his right on the Champion’s ribs, which was distinctly heard amidst the row; after which he dropped, and Caunt retired to the corner.
90.—A close, and struggle for the fall, which Caunt easily obtained, falling heavily on his adversary, and his knee again happily escaped pressure on a vital part. From Bendy’s shifty tactics it was impossible for Caunt to avoid falling as he did. It, however, led to a fresh appeal by Johnny Hannan, on the part of Bendigo, and a contradiction by Molyneux on the part of Caunt. The umpires disagreed, and the question having been put to the referee, amidst a horrible outcry raised by both parties, he decided “Fair,” declaring that there was nothing intentional on the part of Caunt.
91.—A scrambling round. A close, in which, after having delivered his left, Bendy contrived to get down, amidst fresh cries of “Foul,” “Fair.”
92.—Exchanges of hits with the left, when Bendy, stooping to avoid the repetition of Caunt’s blow, as he was going down struck Caunt below the waistband and near the bottom of his stomach. Bendy fell on his back at the moment, while Caunt dropped his hands upon the place affected, and fell as if in great pain. An indescribable scene of turmoil ensued; shouts of “Foul” and “Fair” escaped from “a thousand tongues—a thousand pair of iron lungs,” many evidently influenced by their desires and not their convictions. There is no doubt that the blow, according to the rules of the Ring, was foul; but that it was intentional we cannot say, as it was struck when Bendy was in the act of falling. At last the umpires, disagreeing, made the customary appeal to the referee, who, almost deafened by the roaring of the multitude, finally said he had not seen the blow, and consequently could not pronounce it foul.[9] The seconds immediately returned to their principals, and the latter, time being called, commenced the
93rd and last round.—The men were quickly at the scratch, and Caunt commenced operating left and right, catching Bendy slightly on the forehead. Bendigo was forced back upon the ropes almost in a recumbent position, but got up and was again knocked down, and Caunt turned from him, considering the round had concluded. Bendy, however, awake to every chance of administering punishment, jumped up as he had done before, and rushing after Caunt, who was half turned from him, was about to let fly, when Caunt dropped on his nether end, evidently disinclined to renew or continue that round.[10] And now a final, and, as it turned out, a decisive appeal was made to the referee (not by the umpires, but by Jem Ward, Hannan, and others), who, with very little hesitation, pronounced the fatal word “Foul,” declaring that he considered Caunt had deliberately violated the rules of the Ring by going down without a blow, and had therefore lost the fight. This verdict was hailed with the loudest vociferations by the roughs, and Bendy, without further delay, was borne off the scene of his unexpected triumph by his partisans, and carried to his carriage amidst reiterated acclamations. So sudden was this issue to the affair that thousands were for some time unable to discover who was the real victor, many imagining that the foul blow in the previous round had led to the decision being against Bendigo. It was only by those immediately contiguous to the ring that the true state of the case was known; and the mortification and disappointment of the friends of Caunt, who stood up immediately afterwards to renew the fight, were beyond description. Caunt himself, as well as Spring and his seconds, was incredulous as to the result, but personal application to the referee, who had escaped from the rabble, left no doubt on the subject. He declared “he had seen Caunt go down without a blow, and that upon his conviction of the unfairness of such conduct, he had pronounced against him.” Spring remarked that there had been clearly an exchange of blows; that to all appearance the round had been finished; and that when Caunt went down he did so from a determination not to be taken by surprise or to renew the struggle till “time” was again called. The referee said, in answer, he was not aware of this fact, nor had such a representation been made to him. He judged from what he saw in the overwhelming difficulties in which he was placed, and he had given his decision accordingly. He had been chosen referee by both parties, and he had accepted the office against his own inclination. In discharging his duty he had done so impartially to the best of his abilities, and certainly had no bias in favour of one man or the other. What he had said could not now be recalled, and therefore the business was at an end. We must here repeat that the umpires were not consulted, nor did they express any difference of opinion. It was the duty of the referee to have withheld his decision till properly appealed to, not by the interested partisans, but by the appointed officials, who were on the other side of the ring from him, and could hold no immediate communication with him. He ought to have been placed between those persons. He was clearly bullied and hurried into a premature judgment. Had he been allowed to reflect, we are persuaded he would have hesitated in pronouncing a fiat which the state of Bendigo rendered almost indispensable to his success.
The time occupied by “the battle,” such as it was, according to our watch, when we could venture to have a peep at it, was two hours and ten minutes. We do not intend to speak to a minute, nor is a minute more or less important on this occasion, few bets having been made on “time,” and those certainly not having reference to so long a period as that recorded. We heard that long odds were taken that Caunt won in half an hour, and others that Bendy would not be licked, if at all, in one hour, and these are of course settled by the issue of the fight, as well as the first blood and first knock-down blow, both of which were properly booked to Bendy. On Bendy reaching his carriage, we are informed he was dreadfully exhausted from the repetition of heavy falls to which he had been exposed, as well as his own continued exertions under a broiling sun; but his punishment being of comparatively a trifling description, he soon recovered on the application of proper restoratives. The only perceptible marks of the visitations of Caunt to his cranium were a cut over his right eye, a few contusions of the cheek, mouth, scalp, and forehead, and a little enlargement of his auricular organ. He was quickly conveyed from the ground to his “quarters,” both he and his friends highly elated at the result of their operations. Caunt, on quitting the arena, although displaying convincing marks of the severity with which his opponent could use his mawleys, was strong on his legs, but dreadfully mortified at having been thus suddenly stripped of his laurels, and deprived of the proud distinction which he had so long held. Spring, who had throughout acted as his fidus Achates, was not less mentally depressed; he was “dead beat,” not only from his incessant exertions to procure “fair play” throughout the fight and the cowardly assaults to which he was exposed, but from a perfect conviction that the decision against his man was not only premature, but utterly opposed to the rules of the Ring. He lost no time in returning with Caunt to the Cock, at Stony Stratford, and the great event of the day having been concluded, the immense multitude followed suit. The scenes exhibited on the road home were of the most extraordinary description. Every house of entertainment was besieged, and the call for swizzle so continuous that many of the best-filled cellars were exhausted, and even water at last became an acceptable luxury to those who never pretended to be patrons of the hydropathic system. We have neither time nor space however to dwell on these vicissitudes, and shall proceed at once to offer such general observations as the events of the day seem to warrant.
Remarks.—Upon the character of “the Great Fight for the Championship of England,” we have no doubt our readers have formed their own opinions. During the last thirty years it has been our fate to witness almost every important battle in the P.R., but we confess, although we have occasionally had to record transactions of the most discreditable description, and to administer castigation to wrong-doers in no measured terms, the proceedings on Tuesday far exceed in enormity anything we had before witnessed.
With regard to the pretensions of the two men who took so prominent a part in the day’s proceedings, few remarks are necessary. Caunt, although a big man, and possessed of great physical strength, does not possess the attributes of an accomplished boxer. He is deficient in science, and wants the art of using the gifts of nature with that tact and precision which are calculated to ensure success. There was a wildness and indecision in his deliveries which prevented his doing execution, and the major part of his blows either flew over Bendigo’s head or were short or wide of their destination. Had he been steady and self-possessed, and hitting at points, this would not have been the case, and did he understand the perfect art of self-defence, four-fifths of the punishment he received might have been avoided; but he left himself open to attack, and thus his opponent was enabled to plant on him with stinging severity. With a man of his own bulk the case might have been different; and perhaps there are few if any of the present day who would prove superior to him in fair fighting.