Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1858 — The Prize Fight. [ARTICLE]

The Prize Fight.

This disgusting exhibit-ion was not so physically damaging to the two principal brutes as the telegraph reported. The Buffalo Express says: “Morrissey is the worst punished man of the two, and bears numerous evidences on his face of the weight of his adversary’s blows. His nose is badly caved in, and his whole countenance, in sporting parlance, wears a “mourning aspect.” Heenan has a cut in his upper lip, and his lips are swollen somewhat; otherwise on his arrival he conversed cheerfully with his friends and walked oft’ the boat. It is said that he has been under the doctor’s care for nearly a week, and that he was in nd condition whatever *for the fight. An effort was made to induce him to give up the stakes before the fight, but he firmly declined, and said he would go to the field if he had to go on one leg. “It is said, with how much truth we know not, that he has a fever sore on one of his legs. His friends profess to be willing to back him for SIO,OOO against Morrissey, and find much fault with his trainers for allowing him to appear at all in such a condition, and for not letting the actual facts in regard to him be known. “From the Buffalo . Commercial and the Buffalo Courier we condense the facts connected with the fight. The four loads of blacklegs and bruisers, with a natural sprinkling of thimble-riggers and thieves, arrived off’ Long Point, in Canada, at daylight on Wednesday morning. The crowd landed in small boats, five hours being consumed in the and many being obliged to wade in the .water up to their arm-pits, the boats being often swamped. Unfortunately none of the rascals were drowned, and we are sorry to say not an accident occurred during the whole affair by which the number of the biped brutes was made one less, “Hours weie spent in settling the place for the ring, and Heenau claimed J hat the spot chosen by Morrissey was not according to agreement—that it should have been turf, not sand. Heenan, however, in the most magnanimous style, waived this objection rather than disappoint the crowd. Perhaps this magnanimity was accelerated by the fact that Morrissey’s fri’ends were largely in the ascendant, and Heenan thought his? chances of life-were better in fighting one man than in fighting a thousand. Gentle-, men who go to see a prize fight are of that class who do not brook disappointment. “Each was cheered as he entered the ring. Morrissey was boastful and braggart; Heenan cool and composed, but evidently under a cloud, ae the sequel showed. Some two hours were then spent in settling on referees, and the crowd showing signs of impatience,’ the two gladiators themselves took up the question and appointed the referees, and the combatants stripped about four o’clock, the principals and seconds walked to the center, shook hands, then walked back to their corners, and the fighters then commenced their butchery.. On the first round, Heenan hit Morrissey a terrifici blow on the nose, bringing a spout of blood; the latter retreated, but Heenan followed him to the ropes, and giving another blow would have finished Morrissey had Heenan’s hand not hit a stake instead, breaking his hand badly; they then clinched, and Morrissey was thrown. On the second round—there 1 being thirty seconds between—awful blows] were received by each, and upon a clinch 1 Morrissey was thrown. On the third round both came up to the scratch looking fa- • tigued, both received blows, Heenan on his body and Morrissey on his face— or, in sporting* parlance, on his “mug” —and Heenan was thrown. At the fourth round Morrissey was cheered and Heenan camel i up limping, but they fought terribly, and] Heenan was thrown, Morrissey falling heavily on him. On the fifth round Heenan I drove Morrissey to the ropes, and got in i such a blow as to fairly lift him from the] ground, and laid him sprawling; in other . words he fell as if kicked by a horse. On the sixth round Heenan made blood fly from j Morrissey’s nose in a stream, but driven to] the ropes, he clinched Heenan and threw him. The remaining rounds were in Morrissey’s fnVor, his blows on Heenan’s body and his way of falling on his adversary, took the breath out of Heenan, and at the 12th I round he could not come up, and Morrissey was declared victor. “It is conceded that Heenan is the ‘best’ man, and nothing lost him the battle but his bad condition, and the breaking of his hand against the stake. Another fight is talked of between the same men in three months. Morrissey has his nose broken, his eye and cheek terribly cut, while Heenan is but slightly injured. Morrissey was, in fact, whipped on the first round, but—like Gen- ‘ era! Taylor at Buena Vista—didn’t knpw it. It is said that $500,000 changed hands on ] the result of this fight. i “The question has been put to uh: why does ■ the Express— a respectable paper—notice ! these disgusting exhibitions of brutality'? Weanswer: To save those of our respectI able readers who take only the Express the ] trouble of borrowing a neighbor’s paper. (Kj“A mail robber was recently caught , by the post-master at Little Rock, Arks., in ] a novel manner. A clerk in the office was ■ put in a mail-bag, and hung up on the wall, in such a manner that he could see any one who entered the office. The thief soon after entered, was recognized and arrested. r*** Protracted Battle in Mexico.—The late battle in Mexico between Vidauri nnd Miratnon and their followers, near Ahulasco, lasted four long days. Vidauri finally retreated to the city of Monterey, and at last accounts was preparing for a desperate attack on Miram«>n and his forces.