CHAPTERVII.

CHAPTERVII.HARRY ORME.1849–1853.Thebrown-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 afavourable “competitive examination” in the sparring schools, and Jem had declared, with a qualifyingif, that “Ifthere 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 opponentin futuroat a sparringsoiréein 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 forTHE 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 OrmeHARRY 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 drewfirst bloodin 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.9.—​Jones jobbed Orme on the nose, and then on the cheek, but the blows, although well from the shoulder, left no mark. Orme seemed remarkably slow in showing contusions, while Jones was already much disfigured. Jones forced Orme towards his corner; Orme rushed forward as Jones retreated in turn; he let go both left and right viciously, but was short. Jones lunged out desperately with his right, and nailing Orme on the side of the head, knocked him clean down in the middle of the ring. (Cheers for the Shrewsbury Youth. First knock-down for Jones.)10.—​Orme came up smiling, and as Jones made himself up for following his supposed advantage, surprised him by dashing in and planting his left a smasher on the nose. A pounding rally followed, in which some heavy counter-hitting took place, each man standing well to his gun, until Jones fell under the ropes.For the next fifteen rounds the fighting grew quicker, the sparring less tedious, and the rallies more frequent. Jones, taking a leaf out of his opponent’s book, planted several slashing hits with his right on the side of Orme’s head, but being the taller man, he frequently hit too high, and his hand, rather than Orme’s hard skull, suffered. The East-Ender took his punishment patiently, and was with Jones in nearly all his attempts, with heavy right-handers on the left ribs, which gradually impaired the force of Jones’s hitting, and when they got closer still, his ponderous right fell on his cheek-bone or temple, till Jones was nearly blinded. The Shrewsbury man, however, was yet as strong as Orme, and was the better wrestler, for he threw his adversary in several of these rounds. Towards the 25th round, however, the repeated right-handers of Orme began to tell their tale, and Jones grew slower and weaker. In the last-mentioned round Orme led off, and hit Jones sharply in the head, repeating the dose without a return. Jones attempted to force a rally, but Orme got down more cleverly than heretofore. Jones fought with great fairness, and was much applauded.26.—​Orme showed few marks of punishment, and was sent up by his seconds very clean, while Jones grew more disfigured each round. The men fought somewhat wildly, but managed to exchange some stinging counters, which led to a close; but Jones was now unable to throw his opponent, and both were down.27 to 35.—​(Two hours and twenty-nine minutes had elapsed, and no odds were obtainable; indeed, it was yet on the cards for either to win.) Burn called to his man, Jones, to come away from Orme’s corner, and let the East-Ender come to him. Jones, who was evidently distressed, did so, and the same style of fighting was pursued. Jones fell from weakness in the 32nd round, which Orme noting, he forced the fighting again, and, in the 35th round delivered several of his slogging hits at close quarters with such staggering effect that Jones, whose returns were slight, dropped in the rally.36.—​The last two or three rounds had told their tale, and it was evident that Jones’s chance was fading. (3 to 1 offered on Orme without takers.) Jones came up as game as a man could be, and still tried to look cheerful; but his knees were tottery, and he was plainly “going.” Orme went to him, forced another rally, and, after one or two heavy hits, dropped him with a right-hander. (“Take him away.”)37 and 38.—​In each of these rounds Jones came to the scratch, and made one or two futile attempts to stop his adversary’s rush, dropping on his knee on receiving a hit from Orme.39.—​Orme paused, as if hesitating to strike his opponent, who was quite at his mercy. Jones made a peck at him, and received a touch on the old spot in the ribs. It was but a push, yet it sent him to grass sideways.40.—​Loud cries of “Take him away!” Jones faced his opponent for the fortieth time, but he was all abroad. Orme gradually forced him back into his corner, and harmlessly sent him down, when Hannan threw up the sponge in token of Jones’s defeat.The fight lasted two hours and forty-five minutes, including several tedious rounds, and much useless breaking ground, advancing, and retreating. It was, nevertheless, a truly hard fight, and the two powerful boxers who made theirdébuton this occasion inflicted severe mutual punishment. It wasmanifest, early in the battle, that Orme was the more lasting of the two, and much the heavier hitter. It seemed, also, that Jones had commenced his career too early.Each man proved himself thorough game, and possessed of undoubted stamina. Orme, in beating a man taller, longer in the reach, a shade heavier, and much the favourite in the betting, had done all expected of him, and his friends resolved on quietly biding their time, and—​when that time did come—​on playing for a good stake. Their confidence in their champion was shown by the character of the next antagonist selected for him being no other than Nat Langham, whose fame already stood high among the few who had an opportunity of judging of his merits.Orme’scoup d’essaihaving proved eminently satisfactory, and Master Nat having been waiting in vain for a suitable customer from the day when he defeated Sparkes the Australian, as related in the previous chapter, a match was proposed for £50 a side, to be decided on the 6th day of May, 1851. A trip down the river being agreed on, “The Queen of the Thames” was the vessel engaged, and the oft-described voyage having been effected at two o’clock, the ring was pitched by Ould Tom Oliver, Tom Callas, and assistants. At three Orme tossed in his cap, and Langham followed his example. The usual ridiculous haggling with regard to a referee ensued, during which we adjourned to another part of the marsh, where a merry little mill between an Israelite and a son of Ishmael, in the person of a gipsy lad, which had been arranged for decision on this occasion, came off. The Hebrew was worsted after a stubborn resistance. This settled, we returned to the legitimate roped quadrangle called “the ring” because it isnotround. Here, after positively refusing an arbitration which carries with its exercise nought but unpleasantness, a veteran Ring-goer (Old Tom Oliver), with the snows of sixty winters on his head, accepted the office. At fifteen minutes past four the men were escorted to the scratch. Orme was esquired by Jemmy Welsh and Jack Grant; Langham by D’Orsay Turner and Johnny Hannan. The men, at scale, were stated to be respectively 11st.5lb.and 11st.2lb.; but upon this point we have our doubts, Orme appearing upon every point far the heavier man. Orme had trained upon the Chatham hills, and was as tough-looking a dark grained bit of stuff as ever was selected by shipwright of that famed dockyard locality. Langham took his breathings on Newmarket Heath, and was as fine as any thoroughbred fresh from its gallops. The betting was now even, Langham for choice. After waiting a few minutes for a hailstorm, which, according to the precedent of this“merry month,” will have its way, at a quarter past four the men stood up forTHE FIGHT.Round 1.—​Orme stood firmly, with his elbows rather high, his fists level and almost square, and his heavy, thick, round arms in anything but an elegant position; yet he loomed big, massive, and formidable, and his deep chest, matted with coarse black hair, and complexion of the deepest gipsy brown, gave an impression of hardihood and enduring strength. Langham was fine and fair in skin, clean built, with handsome shoulders and biceps, good length of reach and active pins. His attitude was artistic; the left well up and forward, the right playing easily across the mark, covering the short ribs, and ready for stop or delivery. Orme seemed a little flurried and worked forward, Langham shifting and retreating before him, coolly and collectedly. Orme let go his left, which Langham stopped, and caught Orme sharply on the cheekbone; Langham followed Orme on the bustle, and reached him slightly with the right, when Orme ducked his head, turned clean round, and rose up outside the ropes (laughter). Langham beckoned Orme, who came inside, nodding his head and smiling. Langham, cautious and steady, would not lead off. Orme tried to make his left, but was stopped, and following it immediately with his right was out of distance; Langham hit Orme sharply with the left in a quick exchange, drawing “first blood” from his mouth and nose. The men got at it, and fighting was the order of the round, Orme giving Langham a heavy body hit, but catching pepper about the frontispiece. Both down, Langham first, but with the best of the hitting.2.—​Nat retreating, measuring Orme with his left, till the latter let fly; pretty counter-hits with the left, Orme home on Langham’s cheek, Langham on Orme’s nasal organ, from which more of the ruby distilled. Some exchanges of no great moment, Langham slipping down from his own hit.3.—​Orme stopped Langham’s left neatly (applause); counters with left, Langham’s straightest, but did not seem much to mark Orme’s cast-iron nob. Orme bored in, pegging away; Langham propped him, but dropped when forced to the ropes.4.—​Orme made several feints, Langham shifted and laughed; Langham tried to draw his man, but the latter, advised by Welsh, pointed to the scratch. Langham tried his left, but Orme was with him, and, after some heavy weaving work, Langham fell because it suited him.5.—​Sparring; Langham cautious but lively. Orme had found that he got pepper whenever he attempted to lead off, and he paused awhile. There was some little chaff about each man having something in his hands, and they were shown to be empty. The mill recommenced by Langham rattling in one, two, catching Orme on the nose and ribs; in the scramble Langham was down.6.—​Nat visited Orme’s left eye a stinger, raising a “mouse.” Orme rushed in and delivered with tremendous half-arm energy; Langham fought up and was bored down.7.—​Orme rolled in, letting go both hands; Nat nobbed him, but Orme forced the fun, and ran Langham to earth.8.—​Orme had got terribly disfigured by Langham’s retreating shots, but they did not seem to impair his strength or resolution; he hit Langham heavily on the ribs in the rally, but got one, straight as an arrow, in the nose from Langham’s left; it was a smasher, and was followed by a lunge from the right, as he was already on the stagger, and down he went on his south pole. (First knock-down far Langham.Great cheering.)9.—​Orme came up more steady than was expected; he hemmed and coughed several times, as if troubled in the throat, but played about, waiting for Langham to begin. Langham led off, and made his left, but Orme dashed in desperately, and both were down in the rally. (6 to 4 on Langham.)10.—​Langham propped Orme on the nose; Orme hit rather out of distance, and Langham slipped down.11.—​Rapid exchanges. Langham made his straight left sharply on Orme’s right eye, raising a “mouse” to match the left. Orme got Langham in his arms, and, after a brief struggle, held him by the crook, forced him over, and threw him from his hip on his neck and head, lending his whole weight to the impetus of his fall. Langham, apparently stupefied, was picked up, all abroad, by Jem Turner and Hannan. (Cries of “It’s all over!”)12.—​Langham came up loose in the knees and puzzled, but he had not lost his style. Orme could not get on to him, and he fell on the saving suit.13.—​(“Time.”) Langham fought prettily on the defensive, but was in evident distress; indeed, he never entirely shook off effects of the throw in the previous round throughout the fight. Orme hit him in the body, but he was getting down when he received the blow.14, 15, 16.—​Langham still merely defensive but the last a good fighting round.17 to 20.—​Heavy work; both rather wild. Langham generally finished the rounds by getting to grass. (Offers of 3 to 2 on Orme.)21.—​Punishing exchanges. Nat getting steadier; Orme gave way a little after a job or two from Langham’s left. Langhamfollowed him. After some hard fighting Orme threw Langham.22.—​(A claim on account of Orme having some substance in his hand; it was disproved.) Ding-dong work, and Langham down in the hitting.23.—​Orme pursued Langham, determined not to allow him to recover his wind; hard, but rather wild hitting, during which Orme getting close, sent Langham down.24.—​Nat missed his left, Orme stepping back; Orme put out his tongue. Exchanges, and Langham fell.25.—​Langham hit Orme several times as he came in, but could not stop himself from being bored down.26.—​Langham tried his left twice, but was not near enough to his man. Orme let go his left, and Langham dropped. (An appeal from Orme on the plea that Langham dropped without a blow.)27.—​Heavy counters; Orme on Langham’s jowl; Langham on Orme’s eye, which was nearly shut up. A rattling round. Nat got on Orme’s best eye (the right), then on his note. Orme hammered away, but was short of distance, except when in-fighting; a close, and Langham under. (One hour.)28, 29.—​Exchanges; Langham precise, and timing his hits, got Orme to a standstill. When Orme came on again Langham fell. (Another claim.)30, 31.—​As before, Langham slipped down in the hitting. (A claim each round for Orme.)32.—​Orme wild and rushing; Langham steadied himself, and propped him severely. Langham fell at the ropes, Orme over him.33, 34.—​Langham delivered and fell from his own blows.35.—​Hard hitting; Orme would not be denied; Langham got down at the ropes, and Orme, bending his knee, tried to drop on him. (An appeal from Langham’s party, but overruled.)36 to 40.—​Nat nailed Orme dexterously, swelling his lips till he resembled the portrait of the elder Molyneaux. In the 40th round he got him to a standstill for a few seconds. (“Where’s your 2 to 1 now?”) Langham fought cunningly, and got through the ropes, down.41.—​Orme’s eye closed; he rushed at Langham, who dropped, and Orme was again charged with trying to “knee” him.42.—​Exchanges; Langham made his left prettily, but Orme gave him such a sneezer that he dropped.43.—​Langham game and clever, but weak. (80 minutes had elapsed.) In the struggle at the close Langham was undermost; a nasty back fall.44.—​Some sharp work, the men falling from their own hits, reaching the ground at the same time.45 to 60.—​It was wonderful to see how, round after round, such fighting could be kept up, Langham still holding the palm for generalship, straight hitting, and precision, but wanting strength from repeated falls. In the 60th round he fell weak. In the 64th, both men were again down in the hitting. From the 65th to the 100th round, time after time, did the men come up with fluctuating chances, the changes every three or four rounds being truly surprising. First Langham got so shaky that every round seemed his last; then Orme got such straight props from the shoulder, in return for his attempts to “go in and finish,” that it seemed a pity both could not win; several times he stood still, puzzled, but scorned to go down, while Langham could not get up steam enough to seize the advantage and secure victory. Orme was twice appealed against, on the ground that he lifted his foot when Langham was down. We do not think he either knew or intended to do what he did. Langham, too, was appealed against for going down, but the veteran referee would not have the battle snatched from such good men by a quibble. In the 100th round, 2 hours and 34 minutes having expired, Orme, on being carried to his corner, communicated to his seconds that he would fight no more; when the practised eye of Welsh perceiving that Langham’s head had dropped on Turner’s shoulder, he revived his man by the information that his opponent had “cut it.” Orme went up, but was not allowed to have it for asking. Langham showed, and pecked away like a game cock, though there was no power in his blows.102 to 108.—​Short rounds, as they well might be. Langham got a turn in his favour, for he hit Orme in the last-mentioned round, and his head dropped when picked up.109.—​Orme recovered quicker than could be expected, and again perceived that his opponent’s plight was no better than his own: he staggered in, punched away, and Langham fell.110 to 113.—​Orme very much abroad, but still the stronger. Langham fell in the 113th round on the ropes, and Orme upon him.114, 115.—​Both game as pebbles; Orme quite foggy in the optics; Langham staggering, and instinctively putting out his left for a pushing hit. (“Take them both away,” said a bystander. Orme shook his head, and Langham tried to muster the ghost of a smile.) The seconds went close to their men. “It’s all right,” said poor Langham to Jem Turner. If he thought so no one else did. After a slight pop with his left, Orme pushed Langham down, and fell over him.116.—​Orme on his knees, and Langham down anyhow, in a weak rally.117th and last.—​Langham sent out his left; Orme stepped back; Langham again hit out. He evidently did not perceive what was before him, and coming forward, from his own blow, fell on both knees and his hands. His seconds ran up to him, butit was all over. Orme stood in his corner for a few seconds, when time was called, to which the Leicester man was yet deaf, walked slowly across the ring, and taking the hand of his brave, fallen adversary, tried to muster an expression of admiration at his bravery. The sponge had before gone up from Langham’s corner, and thus, at the close oftwo hours and forty-six minutes, was brought to a decision one of the gamest battles the modern annals of the Ring can boast.The shades of evening were closing in as the voyagers got on board their respective steamers, many more, as is usual on such occasions, extending their patronage to the “men’s” peculiar boat on the upward voyage than came down by that conveyance; for the very obvious reason that as the voyage both ways was paid at starting, the disagreeable ceremony of paying would be insisted on, while having once got down by a Gravesender, tug, or other cheap conveyance, the homeward-bound voyage could be effectedgratis. It was nearly midnight when the “Queen of the Thames,” working against tide and a head wind, reached London Bridge; the voyage being shortened by many an anecdote of brave battles in bygone days, with which all agreed the present mill might well bear a comparison.Orme now rested for a year upon his well-earned laurels, when once again Aaron Jones, who during the interval of two years had, so rumour averred, wonderfully developed and immensely improved in the art, sought to reverse the verdict given against him in December, 1849. Aaron had, moreover, in the interim fought Bob Wade (the Dover Champion), a 12st.man, whom he defeated at Edenbridge, Kent, in one hour, in which forty-three punishing rounds were contested.Monday, May 10th, 1852, was the fixture, instead of the customary Tuesday; the moving reason thereto being that the Turfites, among whom were Jones’s prominent patrons, might attend another “ring” at Newmarket on the latter day. On Jones’s improvement the Sporting Oracle thus delivered itself: “When Jones first contended with Orme he was a youth of eighteen, weighing 11st.2lbs., and too young to bear the wear and tear of a long encounter. He has now increased in height and weight, stands 6 feet in height, and will draw a trifle over 12st., besides having materially improved in the pugilistic art.” At the last deposit of £10 a side, making up the stakes to £200, which took place on Tuesday last at Mr. Prior’s, “Nag’s Head,” South Audley Street, Jones had the call in the betting, his friends being West-enders and ready to back their own “stable.” As the rendezvous was in the vicinity of Newmarket, and a trip per Eastern Counties rail the mode of reaching the field of arms, we were glad, on presenting ourselves at the Shoreditch terminus at eight o’clock, to see at “the meet,” not only a large number of the Corinthian patrons of theRing, whose faces we have for some time missed from such gatherings, but many of the ex-professors of the art—​Owen Swift, Adams, Jem Burn, Shaw, Dan Pinxton, Jemmy Gardner, Alec Keene, Harry Milbourn, &c., &c. At a little before eight Jones arrived at the station, accompanied by the lively Bob Fuller and Alec Keene; the former being his trainer and the twain his selected seconds for the fistic duello. Jones looked remarkably bright and well, indeed, as Bob expressed it, he was “as fit as a fiddle,” and “would take a great deal of beating.” Orme did not put in an appearance at Shoreditch, but it was quickly made known that he had departed overnight for the neighbourhood of Newmarket, where he was awaiting the arrival of the “London particulars.” At a few minutes past eight the whistle sounded, and off we went, understanding that Chesterford, where we were told Orme awaited us, was our calling-place, and thence we should be conveyed to Mildenhall. This was a judicious ruse, but, as we shall presently see, failed in the trial. On arriving at Chesterford, however, our steam-steed merely took a drink of water, and sped on its way to Six Mile Bottom, on the Newmarket line. We must confess that we were a little staggered, knowing what we did of the Cambridge authorities, that the “managers” should have chosen their ground within that shire, and we argued that as one of the men had been training near the racing metropolis the watchful blues had doubtless an eye upon his movements.On mentioning our misgivings, however, to some of the parties concerned, and expressing our surprise that so hazardous an attempt should be made, we were assured that it was all right, that there were no magistrates within call, and that the fight was certain to be settled without interruption. While waiting for the arrival of Orme, our fears for the result were verified to the fullest extent by the appearance of a body of Cambridge police, both horse and foot, evidently determined to spoil sport. It was now determined to go on to Newmarket at once to fetch Orme, who had prudently retreated into the town on finding that the enemy was in the field. At Newmarket it was stated that he had chartered a fly, and was about to proceed across country to Mildenhall. A despatch was instantly sent to recall him, and, after a delay of about half an hour, he made his appearance, looking big, brown, hardy, and confident. He immediately took his place in the train, and an inhabitant of the district having intimated that he knew a spot where there was no chance of interruption, consented to act as pilot, the train was once more put in motion, and taking its course up the old Newmarket line, which was at that timeclosed for general traffic, was brought to a standstill by the side of a field at Bourne Bridge, a place rendered memorable as the scene of the first contest between Mr. Gully and Gregson, in days long vanished, passed away. Here a debarkation was effected, and when all thevoyageursby train were collected there were certainly not more than two hundred persons present. These, by the time the ropes and stakes were pitched, were increased by the arrival of some dozen equestrians from Cambridge and Newmarket, anxious, no doubt, to enjoy a treat so seldom witnessed by the inhabitants of those celebrated universities for the education of man and horse; but, as will be shortly seen, their arrival on horseback defeated the object they had in view, as it served to put the blues upon the scent, and enabled them, before much business had been got through, again to put in their unwelcome appearance, and once more to send the “peace breakers” to the right about.On the recommendation of “the pilot” the business of constructing the arena was set about with unusual celerity by young Fred Oliver and the veteran Tom Callas, under the superintendence of the ancient Commissary himself, and by a few minutes past one o’clock all was in readiness. A capital outer ring was formed, round which the “cheapsiders” took their stations, while comfortable straw hassocks were provided for the tenants of the inner circle who chose to pay the price demanded by those who had been so thoughtful as to provide such luxuries. Jem Burn, whose hind feet and legs were not sufficiently under his command to enable him to take up a position so close to mother-earth, was accommodated with a chair, around which were grouped several of his ancient patrons, and all appeared now to be satisfied that at length fortune was favourable, and that the mill would be brought to a conclusion without let or hindrance. Umpires and a referee were quickly chosen, and the men at once proceeded to their toilettes, Jones, as we have already stated, being waited on by Bob Fuller and Alec Keene, while Orme had for valets Jemmy Welsh and a “Jolly Butcher” from Southwark. On stripping, Jones confirmed the opinion we had formed in the morning, that he was as “fine as a star,” and as fit as Fuller could make him. Orme, on denuding himself of his outer rind, looked big enough and strong enough for anything. His skin, of a nut-brown tint, gave him altogether an appearance of hardihood which lead a spectator to infer that he was an adversary by no means to be sneezed at, even by those who considered themselves his superiors in the fistic art. It was clear, nevertheless, that he had not devoted quite asmuch time to his preparation as the nature of the encounter he had undertaken would have justified. There were indications of loose flesh about his ribs and chest which might have been well dispensed with. On inquiring his weight we were informed that he was about 11st.8lb., being just 4lb.more than when he encountered Langham. Notwithstanding this exuberance of meat he looked remarkably well, was extremely confident, and “eager for th’ affray.” All being at length in readiness, the colours (blue for Orme, and yellow with blue border for Jones) were nailed to the mast—​we mean, tied to the stake. Orme laid his adversary a bet of £25 to £20, which was duly posted. The men and their seconds shook hands—​silence was proclaimed—​“Time” was called (half-past one)—​the seconds retired to their corners, and left the men at the scratch to commenceTHE FIGHT.Round 1.—​On throwing themselves into attitude, which, as the dandies say, “is everything,” there was no very great display of artistic skill on either side. If anything, Jones’s position was the more graceful of the two; still he left his ribs totally unprotected, and held his hands much too far from his body to please our mind. Orme, on the contrary, held his arms, which loomed large and ponderous, closer to his corpus. He stood almost square, his thick, muscular legs seeming well calculated to support his enormous round shoulders, which resembled those of a miniature Atlas. Jones, after a dodge or two, feinted with his left, but Orme grinned and stepped back; Jones followed him up, when Orme stopped his further progress with a prop from his right on the side of the head. Counter-hits with the left followed without any mischief. Orme then swung round his right as if it was a sledgehammer, and caught Jones with tremendous force on the ribs under the left arm, in the region of the heart, where he left most unmistakable imprints of his knuckles, which never disappeared during the remainder of the battle. Jones returned slightly on the right ear, which led to a rally, in which Orme had the best of the hitting, again delivering a rib-bender with his right, removing the bark from Jones’s smeller, and drawingfirst bloodwith his left. A close, in which Orme held his man tight, and fibbed him on the nose and forehead until both were down in Jones’s corner.2.—​Jones led off with his left, reaching Orme’s cheek, and cleverly stopping the return. Counter-hits followed, Jones drawing claret from Orme’s mouth, catching it in return heavily on the cheek and chin. Some slogging hits were exchanged without any regard to science, and Jones at length slipped down.3.—​Jones again led off with his left, but was very wild in his deliveries, which passed over Orme’s shoulder. Had he been more precise his blows would have told a tale, for Orme appeared to think that “stopping” was quite beneath him. Orme went in, pegged away left and right on the left eye and ribs, and Jones fell.4.—​Jones on coming up displayed the marks of Orme’s handiwork in the last round in the shape of a mouse on his left eye. He appeared loth to come out of his corner, whereupon Orme went to him. Jones retreated as far as he could, and delivered his left as Orme came in. Orme “stopped the blow” with his left cheek, returned the compliment with interest by two heavy cracks on Jones’s injured peeper and his forehead, when Jones got down.5.—​Orme commenced business by rushing in and planting his left and right heavily on Jones’s mouth and nose, drawing more claret. Jones returned slightly on the left cheek and slipped down just as Orme was about to effect a delivery. He looked up as if anticipating afoul, but Orme restrained himself, grinned, shook his head, patted Jones on the back of his poll, and walked to his corner.6.—​Jones led off with his left, catching Orme on the potato-trap. Orme countered him on the nose heavily, stepped back again, went in, repeated the dose on Jones’s nose and his left eye, and the latter was again down.7.—​Jones came up much flushed, bleeding from the nose and left eye. His forehead was swelled, and altogether it was evident that Orme’s visitations had not been without their effect. The only mark Orme showed was a swelling under his left eye. Orme led off, caught Jones another rattler on the damaged ogle, drawing more of theruby. Jones wild, dashed in, planted a heavy blow on Orme’s left cheek, and fell on his latter end from the force of his own blow.8.—​Jones stopped Orme’s left neatly, and tried a return which was short. A rally followed, in which Jones’s deliveries were mostly thrown away, inasmuch as they passed over Orme’s shoulder. Orme, whose punches, although very round, in general got home, again planted on Jones’s left eye and nose. At length Jones got one on Orme’s left peeper, drawing blood, and then slipped down.9.—​Jones came up bleeding, and looking much the worse for wear, while Orme was all confidence. Jones led off with his left, got home slightly on Orme’s smeller, when suddenly was heard the unwelcome watchword of “Police”—​and sure enough, on looking round we perceived a detachment of neatly attired Cambridge “Peelers” making their way to the field of action. A cry of sauve qui peut was instantly raised, and the ground was cleared in a trice, every one making for the train and jumping into the first carriage that he could find open. It was soon discovered, however, that the object of the “powers that be” was not to apprehend any of the wrongdoers, but merely to prevent a breach of the peace in the county of Cambridge.A council of war was called; the referee, whose duty it was to name the next time and place, if possible on the same day, suggested that there was yet time to go to Mildenhall, where he knew the matter could be concluded in peace. The officials, however, connected with the railway, said that, inasmuch as the train would have to return up the old Newmarket line, and then go round by Cambridge, where it would be detained so as not to interfere with the general traffic, it was very probable that Mildenhall could not be reached in time to finish the business in hand before dark. It was then hinted by “the pilot” that the affair might be completed in the neighbourhood of Newmarket, that town being in the county of Suffolk, and out of the jurisdiction of the Cambridgeshire authorities. The plan appeared feasible, and “bock agin” to Newmarket was the order of the day. The pilot conducted the Commissary and assistants to a likely piece of turf behind the plantation of firs at the top of the training-ground, not much more than a mile from the town, and here a second ring was formed with all due diligence, and here, of course, the crowd of spectators was largely increased by detachments of lovers of the sport from the town itself and the surrounding districts. At twenty-two minutes after three, all being for the second time in readiness, in the midst of a shower of rain, round nine was resumed.THE FIGHT RESUMED.Round 9 continued.—​On the men throwing off their blankets both looked rather the worse for wear, Jones having a most unmistakable black eye, and the bark being off his frontispiece in several places. The marks also of Orme’s hammerings on his ribs were very apparent. Orme displayed a slight swelling and discolouration under his left eye, and an enlargement of his upper lip. Both seemed fresher from the rest they had taken, and appeared anxious now to finish the fight out of hand. Jones led off twice, but was short. Orme then delivered a spank on his left eye. Jones returned rather heavily on the nose and slipped down.10.—​Orme led off, planted his right again heavily on the ribs. Jones, after one or two wild plunges over his adversary’s shoulder, succeeded in reaching his damaged cheek, and slipped down.11.—​Jones again led off twice with his left, but in both instances the blows fell short; Orme then went to his man, slight taps were exchanged, after which Orme popped in a nasty one on the nose, and slipped down.12.—​Orme rushed in to fight, but Jones stepped back, caught him heavily on the left ear and left eye, drawing claret from the latter; Orme tried to return, but Jones got down cunning.13.—​Orme on coming to the scratch showed that Jones’s last two hits had not been without their effect; his left ogle began to show symptoms of shutting up shop, while his left ear was considerably discoloured. Jones led off, delivered his left and right on Orme’s injured optic and his ear, stopped Orme’s returns cleverly, and slipped down.14.—​Orme rushed in in a determined manner, but was again stopped. Jones stepped back, delivered his right on Orme’s left ear heavily; Orme would not be stalled off, but again bored in, when Jones slipped down.15.—​Jones led off, but the blow passed harmless over Orme’s head; good counter-hits followed, Orme delivering on Jones’s nose, and receiving a heavy visitation on his right peeper. Jones then received a one-two on the nose and ribs, when both got down together, and, after a slight scramble, were down side by side.16.—​Jones was again short in his deliveries, when Orme closed, and both were again down, no mischief being done.17.—​Both rattled in to their work, and some sharp exchanges took place, in which Jack was as good as his master. Orme then caught Jones round the neck, fibbed him heavily in the mouth and nose, and after a short struggle threw him heavily, and fell upon him.18.—​Jones, led off, his arm passing over his adversary’s head. He was more lucky in a second attempt, reaching Orme’s left ogle heavily. Some rattling exchanges followed, left and right, Jones catching it on the ribs and left eye, while he got home heavily on Orme’s ear, mouth, and left cheek. Orme bored in, planted his one-two on Jones’s nose and mouth, and was trying to improve his advantage when Jones slipped down cunning.19.—​Jones first to fight, Orme appearing to blow from want of condition. Jones got home again on the left ear and nose; Orme returned slightly, but his hits now appeared to lack steam. Jones in this round rattled away in style, had all the best of the hitting, but in the end Orme counterbalanced these advantages by closing and throwing him a cross buttock, and falling heavily on him.20.—​Jones led off, but was met by Orme with a sharp counter-hit, each reached his adversary’s left eye, after which Jones immediately got down. He had evidently been much shaken by the fall in the previous round.21.—​Orme attempted to take the lead, but was short; Jones delivered a heavy right-hander on the left ear; counter-hits followed, Orme reaching Jones’s left eye heavily, and received on the nose. Jones finished the round by delivering a spank on Orme’s right eye and getting down.22.—​Jones came up, bleeding from his left eye. Orme opened the ball by repeating the dose on the same optic, and drawing a fresh supply of the ruby. He attempted to do ditto ditto, but was cleverly stopped by Jones. Counter-hits followed, Orme succeeding in again planting upon the nearly closed eye of his adversary, who delivered on the left cheek and left ear and then got down.23.—​Jones attempted to take the lead, but was wofully short. Orme went to him, delivered his left and right heavily, received a slight tap in return, and Jones fell.It was now forty minutes past three, and before time could be called for the next round, “police!” was again the cry of the multitude—​a cry which, as at the first ring, proved to be only too true. Several individuals, clad in blue array, connected with the Suffolk constabulary, forced their way to the arena, and ordered the combatants to desist in the Queen’s name. A fly was close to the spot, and in this both men and their seconds quickly ensconced themselves. The stakes were once more drawn, and all repaired to the railway station, to once more ponder upon the reverses of a day which had dawned with every prospect of a successful expedition. The backers of the men applied to the referee to know his decision, and that functionary, after considering the circumstances of the case, decided that there must be another meeting, and, having taken council with the pilot, the excursionistsonce more re-entered the train, the pilot and a backer of Orme taking their station on the tender, the former undertaking to direct the engine driver to a spot where it was thought a satisfactory last act might be appended to the two which had already been performed. The train once more flew past Six Mile Bottom, where the blue-coated fraternity were still observable on thequi vive, to prevent a second invasion of their bailiwick. The old Newmarket line was a second time traversed for some miles, and at length the pilot gave orders to “heave to” at a field of clover, about two miles on the Newmarket side of Chesterford. And now comes the unpleasant part of our narrative. On the referee leaving the train, he was asked by some of Jones’s backers why the train had stopped, as they understood he had decided that the fight was to be postponed until another day. The referee stated that he had given no decision of the kind; the articles specified that in case of magisterial interference the referee was to name the next time and place, if possible on the same day. He had named a place (having directed the engine driver under the orders of “the pilot” to go where there was a probability of a satisfactory conclusion); that place had been reached, there was plenty of daylight, he saw no excuse for postponing the battle to a future day, and he had no alternative but to order the men to fight. Jones’s friends replied that Orme’s principal backer had told them when the police arrived at the second ring that there would be no more fight that day, but that he should take his man back to London at once. They had therefore given Jones oranges to eat, and brandy-and-water to drink, and had, moreover, been smoking in the same carriage with him. The referee stated that this, if it was the case, was highly reprehensible on their part; Orme’s backers had no power to decide whether the fight was to be resumed or not; that was discretionary on his (the referee’s) part. He had stated to one or two of Jones’s friends what his intentions were, and if there had been any doubt upon the point, the least that could have been done by his seconds and attendants would have been to ask the question before they allowed their man to commit the excesses they alluded to. It was then urged by Jones’s backers that it would be a cruel thing to order the men to fight again after being twice stripped and twice disturbed. The referee said that might or might not be the case; his duty, according to the articles, was imperative. The men must fight, unless they chose mutually to agree to a postponement, when of course he could have no objection. Orme and his friends would not hear of an adjournment, and wished to have the matter decided at once. Jones’s backers then became very excited,and one of them applied language to the referee which was utterly unjustifiable, and that gentleman said he would have nothing more to do with the matter, and that he would resign his office as referee. After a lengthened argumentproandcon, however, the referee, seeing that if he resigned his office the friends of Jones would attain the object they evidently had in view—​namely, to save any bets they might have upon the fight, by refusing to agree to any other referee, and thus procuring an adjournment—​consented to leave the railway carriage into which he had retired. He was again begged by Jones’s friends to adjourn the fight, but again repeated his decision that they must make another attempt on that day to bring the affair to an issue. Jones andCo.appeared still reluctant to renew the encounter, whereupon the referee stated that he would give them half an hour, and if Jones was not in the ring ready to fight by that time he would award the stakes to Orme. Orme went to the ring, which had already been formed, whither he was followed, after a short delay, by Jones and his seconds. Jones, whose left eye was completely closed, and who showed other symptoms of severe chastisement, pulled off his trousers and coat, and was about to denude himself of his other clothing, when suddenly he appeared to change his mind; he whispered to one of his seconds that it was “No use his fighting any more, as he was sure to be licked.” He then resumed his extra toggery and went to the referee, to whom he stated that he would not fight again unless another referee was chosen, as he had resigned his office. The referee replied that his resignation was only threatened, and was not consummated, inasmuch as it had not been accepted by the parties concerned, who had asked him (after he had said that he would resign) to adjourn the fight to another day, and had thus acknowledged his authority. He was not disposed now to give up that authority, and thus deprive Orme of any chance he might have of finishing the battle that night. He did not consider that either man was licked, or that there was any great advantage on either side in point of punishment; there were still two hours of daylight. As he had said before, he could see no ground for a postponement, and fight they must, or he would certainly award the battle in favour of Orme. Jones still persisted in his refusal to fight, and at length left the ring, repeating the observation, that if he fought again he knew he should be licked. He did not leave the arena, however, without hearing sundry complimentary speeches from the spectators upon the courage (?) he displayed in refusing to finish the battle in a manly, upright manner, and without resorting to any petty subterfuges to obtain anadjournment. Amongst others who commented in strong terms upon his behaviour was Jemmy Massey, who was backing him, and who has shown himself a pretty good judge of the quantity of punishment a man can take without being licked; Jemmy strongly advised Jones to at once leave the ring, acknowledge that he was afraid of Orme, and thus end the matter. The referee waited the promised half-hour, at the end of which time, finding that Jones still declined the contest, he awarded the victory to Orme, to whom he at once handed the sum of £45, being the bet of £25 to £20 which had been laid prior to the commencement of the fight. The battle lasted 15 minutes at Bourne Bridge, and 18 minutes at Newmarket—​total 33 minutes.Remarks.—​Few remarks are called for upon the style displayed by either of the combatants in this most unsatisfactory affair. Orme displayed all that fearless determination to do or die which has characterised his former encounters, but we could not perceive any improvement in his scientific acquirements since his battle with Nat Langham last year. His principal notion of stopping seemed to be with his head, which consequently received many sharp visitations from Jones’s wild deliveries, which a very little care would have enabled him entirely to escape. The art of getting away seemed to be one to the study of which he has paid very little attention. His game evidently is “nothing venture, nothing gain,” and he acted up to this to the fullest extent. Notwithstanding his want of skilful direction of his undoubted powers, Orme is a dangerous customer to any one at all near his weight. He is a very hard hitter, an extremely powerful and determined man, of indomitable courage, and, although his powers as a receiver were not severely tested on the present occasion, still, it is known that in his fight with Langham he showed that his qualities as a glutton are of the highest order. He is, moreover, possessed of an excellent temper, which enables him to control himself under circumstances which are calculated sometimes to “ruffle the feathers” of the coolest combatant. As to Jones, in whom we were taught to expect a most wonderful alteration for the better, we can only say that our expectations were grievously disappointed. He certainly did stop Orme’s swinging right-handers occasionally, but his returns, which from the opening afforded to him might have enabled him to punish his daring adversary’s temerity in a most signal manner, were mostly thrown to the winds. The tremendous blow he received on the ribs in the very first round appeared to take a good deal of the fight out of him, and it was with extreme caution that he trusted himself within reach of Orme’s pile-driving visitations. In the first ring, indeed, after the first round, he did little but receive what Orme could give, and on arriving at the second arena, previous to recommencing operations, it appeared to us that there was some little difficulty on the part of his seconds in persuading him that there was a chance left for him to snatch the laurel of victory from his more hardy opponent. When he did begin, however, he proved that he could fight very well if he chose, and that what he might lack in strength could be fully counterbalanced by steadiness; for whenever he collected himself and made up his mind to be with his man, the hits were pretty equally balanced, both as regarded their severity and their number. The fall which he received in the second act, to which was superadded the weight of Orme’s carcase, however, seemed again to take a good deal of fight out of him, and it was pretty evident to all, that although Orme was not likely to gain a victory without receiving a very considerable amount of punishment, still, barring an accident, victory must ultimately be his. The conduct of Jones at the third ring proved either that his heart was composed of a softer material than is necessary to render a man a successful bruiser, or that he acted under advice which, however well intended, was certainly as ill-timed as it was injudicious. We know that his seconds did all they could to endeavour to persuade him to fight, but finding that he was obviously disinclined, they, like clever counsellors, did their best for their client in trying to convert a bad cause into a good one, and obtain an adjournment to a future day; but, as has already been seen, the fiat had gone forth. Their man had but to choose one of two alternatives—​viz., to fight or lose the battle, and he, doubtless feeling assured in his own mind that the latter course would be the safer, declined to have any more, withdrew from the ring, leaving behind him a reputation little creditable to him as aman of courage, and little calculated to raise him in the opinion of those Corinthians who were prepared to witness a manly struggle for pre-eminence, without any of those paltry shifts and subterfuge which appear now to be almost necessary concomitants of every encounter.As was to be expected, the stakeholder received a legal notice from the backers of Jones, not to part with their portion of the money deposited. Nevertheless, on the Monday following, that gentleman handed over the £200 to Orme, pursuant to the decision of the referee. The stakeholder, in giving the money to Orme, animadverted severely on the conduct of the backers of Jones, which he characterised as unsportsmanlike and ill-judged. Such conduct was calculated to lower the already fallen fortunes of theP.R., and unless measures were taken to make an example of persons who could so far forget themselves, he feared that gentlemen would in future be deterred from putting down money to back men, from the fear that the backers of the opposing party would, if they found their man was getting the worst of it, take every unfair means in their power to prevent a manly and upright termination to the contest. On the present occasion two of Jones’s friends and supporters (whom he named) had, but whether with Jones’s consent he was unable to say, served him (the stakeholder) with a legal notice not to part with the money they had placed in his hands. Not feeling disposed to permit Orme to be thus deprived of a sum to which he had fairly entitled himself, he communicated the fact to the gentleman who staked the greater part of his money, and that gentle- and Orme executed a bond of indemnity to hold him (the stakeholder) harmless, in case Messrs. Ledger and Prior should take any further steps. The law expenses attending this bond of indemnity amounted to nearly £6. This sum would have to be paid by Orme, and it would make a considerable reduction in the amount of his winnings, which were already sufficiently circumscribed by the expenses incurred for training, paying his seconds,&c., &c.He felt assured that all persons who were disposed to look at the result of the contest in a proper light would agree with the referee in the decision he had given, and in this opinion he was upheld by remarks which had come to his ears, which had been made on the ground, by persons who had lost their money by backing Jones, many of whom said that the referee could not do otherwise than he had done. It was not necessary to trouble the company with any further remarks; they would form their own estimate of the proceedings of Jones andCo.; and in conclusion he was sure they would cordially agree with him in wishing that when Orme was again matched he would be more lucky in the choice of anopponent. It was certain that whenever he did fight again he would do his best to win, and it would be from no lack of determination on his part if he lost. The stakeholder then handed to Orme the £200, minus £5 17s. 4d., the amount of the lawyer’s bill for preparing the bond of indemnity.Orme expressed his thanks to the stakeholder for his determination in giving up the money. He said it was usual, when the winning man received the reward of his victory, to present the loser with something as a compensation for his disappointment. It had been his intention to act up to the custom on the present occasion, and give Jones a £5 note, if his (Jones’s) backers had not acted in such an unsportsmanlike manner. They had, however, put him to an expense of nearly £6, and this so reduced his winnings that he really could not afford to give anything. He was sorry for this, on Jones’s account, as he did not believe that he had any hand in the legal proceedings. Although he could not himself afford to do anything for Jones, however, he would make a collection among his friends.Orme’s determination to give nothing to Jones was applauded by the parties present, who expressed their opinion that this was the true method of punishing him for any countenance he might have given to the dealing with the lawyers which had been commenced by his friends. Orme then went round the room, and made a collection for Jones. This he handed over to Jones, who immediately rose and thanked the company. He assured them that he had nothing to do with the notice served upon the stakeholder, and all he could say was, he hoped when he fought again he should get a better character from the Press than he had received on the present occasion. He was no coward, and he trusted that the day would come when he might be able to prove himself as game a man as Orme. As to the amount subscribed for him, he thought he could not do better than hand it over to the stakeholder, to be appropriated towards Spring’s monument. Jones’s speech was much applauded, and he sat down amidst considerable cheering, and the remainder of the evening passed off harmoniously.Orme’s second victory over Aaron Jones, who, as must not be forgotten, was at this period (1852–3) looked upon by the Broomes and many good judges as the “coming man” for the championshipin futuro, marked him out as a boxer who in time to come must “give away weight,” and who was not to be tackled by any middle-weight; for the phenomenon of a ten-and-a-half stone Champion had not yet presented itself to men’s eyes, or to their minds as a possibility or even a probability. At this juncture theChampion’s title had passed into the hands of Harry Broome, in consequence of his very debatable conquest of the “Old Tipton” (through a foul blow), on the 27th of September, 1851, at Mildenhall, Suffolk. From that time Harry Broome had worn the title undisputed (Aaron Jones being of the Broome party), but now the East End friends of Orme thought they perceived their Champion within a “measurable distance” of the Championship. Accordingly Harry Orme, with laudable ambition, picked up the gauntlet thrown down by the Champion, the “other Harry,” and agreeing to the amount of stake, £500, articles were drawn, and the 23rd of March, 1853, fixed for its decision; owing, however, to that being the day of the Newmarket Handicap, a supplemental agreement was signed, postponing the battle to Monday, 18th of April. We need not here recapitulate the circumstances of the battle, seeing that they are minutely detailed in the Memoir ofHarry Broome, ChapterIX.of this volume.With this “glorious defeat,” more honourable to the loser than many victories, we close the Ring career of the brave, honest, and straightforward Harry Orme. We shall conclude our Ring memoirs of this courageous champion by a few words of quotation from a contemporary account of this final fight: “Orme is a remarkably quiet, civil fellow, and is much respected by his friends at the East End, and, indeed, by all who intimately know him. He is a man who never talks about fighting, except in the briefest terms, and then only when he means business. We do not ever recollect hearing from his lips, either at home or in public, any of that slang or loose talk which many of his brother professionals consider witty, or smart, and laughter-provoking. In fact, Harry Orme is singularly modest, and not only avoids boasting, but is always ready to concede credit to his opponent, and leave to others the praising of himself.”Harry Orme was for many years known as the landlord of the “Jane Shore,” in Shoreditch. He died on the 9th of June, 1864, in his 41st year, and rests beneath a neat memorial in Abney Cemetery.[26]“Rari quippe boni: numero vix sunt totidem, quotThebarum portæ, vel divitis ostia Nili.”—​Juvenal, Sat.

Thebrown-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 afavourable “competitive examination” in the sparring schools, and Jem had declared, with a qualifyingif, that “Ifthere 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 opponentin futuroat a sparringsoiréein 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 OrmeHARRY 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 drewfirst bloodin 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.9.—​Jones jobbed Orme on the nose, and then on the cheek, but the blows, although well from the shoulder, left no mark. Orme seemed remarkably slow in showing contusions, while Jones was already much disfigured. Jones forced Orme towards his corner; Orme rushed forward as Jones retreated in turn; he let go both left and right viciously, but was short. Jones lunged out desperately with his right, and nailing Orme on the side of the head, knocked him clean down in the middle of the ring. (Cheers for the Shrewsbury Youth. First knock-down for Jones.)10.—​Orme came up smiling, and as Jones made himself up for following his supposed advantage, surprised him by dashing in and planting his left a smasher on the nose. A pounding rally followed, in which some heavy counter-hitting took place, each man standing well to his gun, until Jones fell under the ropes.For the next fifteen rounds the fighting grew quicker, the sparring less tedious, and the rallies more frequent. Jones, taking a leaf out of his opponent’s book, planted several slashing hits with his right on the side of Orme’s head, but being the taller man, he frequently hit too high, and his hand, rather than Orme’s hard skull, suffered. The East-Ender took his punishment patiently, and was with Jones in nearly all his attempts, with heavy right-handers on the left ribs, which gradually impaired the force of Jones’s hitting, and when they got closer still, his ponderous right fell on his cheek-bone or temple, till Jones was nearly blinded. The Shrewsbury man, however, was yet as strong as Orme, and was the better wrestler, for he threw his adversary in several of these rounds. Towards the 25th round, however, the repeated right-handers of Orme began to tell their tale, and Jones grew slower and weaker. In the last-mentioned round Orme led off, and hit Jones sharply in the head, repeating the dose without a return. Jones attempted to force a rally, but Orme got down more cleverly than heretofore. Jones fought with great fairness, and was much applauded.26.—​Orme showed few marks of punishment, and was sent up by his seconds very clean, while Jones grew more disfigured each round. The men fought somewhat wildly, but managed to exchange some stinging counters, which led to a close; but Jones was now unable to throw his opponent, and both were down.27 to 35.—​(Two hours and twenty-nine minutes had elapsed, and no odds were obtainable; indeed, it was yet on the cards for either to win.) Burn called to his man, Jones, to come away from Orme’s corner, and let the East-Ender come to him. Jones, who was evidently distressed, did so, and the same style of fighting was pursued. Jones fell from weakness in the 32nd round, which Orme noting, he forced the fighting again, and, in the 35th round delivered several of his slogging hits at close quarters with such staggering effect that Jones, whose returns were slight, dropped in the rally.36.—​The last two or three rounds had told their tale, and it was evident that Jones’s chance was fading. (3 to 1 offered on Orme without takers.) Jones came up as game as a man could be, and still tried to look cheerful; but his knees were tottery, and he was plainly “going.” Orme went to him, forced another rally, and, after one or two heavy hits, dropped him with a right-hander. (“Take him away.”)37 and 38.—​In each of these rounds Jones came to the scratch, and made one or two futile attempts to stop his adversary’s rush, dropping on his knee on receiving a hit from Orme.39.—​Orme paused, as if hesitating to strike his opponent, who was quite at his mercy. Jones made a peck at him, and received a touch on the old spot in the ribs. It was but a push, yet it sent him to grass sideways.40.—​Loud cries of “Take him away!” Jones faced his opponent for the fortieth time, but he was all abroad. Orme gradually forced him back into his corner, and harmlessly sent him down, when Hannan threw up the sponge in token of Jones’s defeat.The fight lasted two hours and forty-five minutes, including several tedious rounds, and much useless breaking ground, advancing, and retreating. It was, nevertheless, a truly hard fight, and the two powerful boxers who made theirdébuton this occasion inflicted severe mutual punishment. It wasmanifest, early in the battle, that Orme was the more lasting of the two, and much the heavier hitter. It seemed, also, that Jones had commenced his career too early.

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 OrmeHARRY ORME.

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 drewfirst bloodin 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.

9.—​Jones jobbed Orme on the nose, and then on the cheek, but the blows, although well from the shoulder, left no mark. Orme seemed remarkably slow in showing contusions, while Jones was already much disfigured. Jones forced Orme towards his corner; Orme rushed forward as Jones retreated in turn; he let go both left and right viciously, but was short. Jones lunged out desperately with his right, and nailing Orme on the side of the head, knocked him clean down in the middle of the ring. (Cheers for the Shrewsbury Youth. First knock-down for Jones.)

10.—​Orme came up smiling, and as Jones made himself up for following his supposed advantage, surprised him by dashing in and planting his left a smasher on the nose. A pounding rally followed, in which some heavy counter-hitting took place, each man standing well to his gun, until Jones fell under the ropes.

For the next fifteen rounds the fighting grew quicker, the sparring less tedious, and the rallies more frequent. Jones, taking a leaf out of his opponent’s book, planted several slashing hits with his right on the side of Orme’s head, but being the taller man, he frequently hit too high, and his hand, rather than Orme’s hard skull, suffered. The East-Ender took his punishment patiently, and was with Jones in nearly all his attempts, with heavy right-handers on the left ribs, which gradually impaired the force of Jones’s hitting, and when they got closer still, his ponderous right fell on his cheek-bone or temple, till Jones was nearly blinded. The Shrewsbury man, however, was yet as strong as Orme, and was the better wrestler, for he threw his adversary in several of these rounds. Towards the 25th round, however, the repeated right-handers of Orme began to tell their tale, and Jones grew slower and weaker. In the last-mentioned round Orme led off, and hit Jones sharply in the head, repeating the dose without a return. Jones attempted to force a rally, but Orme got down more cleverly than heretofore. Jones fought with great fairness, and was much applauded.

26.—​Orme showed few marks of punishment, and was sent up by his seconds very clean, while Jones grew more disfigured each round. The men fought somewhat wildly, but managed to exchange some stinging counters, which led to a close; but Jones was now unable to throw his opponent, and both were down.

27 to 35.—​(Two hours and twenty-nine minutes had elapsed, and no odds were obtainable; indeed, it was yet on the cards for either to win.) Burn called to his man, Jones, to come away from Orme’s corner, and let the East-Ender come to him. Jones, who was evidently distressed, did so, and the same style of fighting was pursued. Jones fell from weakness in the 32nd round, which Orme noting, he forced the fighting again, and, in the 35th round delivered several of his slogging hits at close quarters with such staggering effect that Jones, whose returns were slight, dropped in the rally.

36.—​The last two or three rounds had told their tale, and it was evident that Jones’s chance was fading. (3 to 1 offered on Orme without takers.) Jones came up as game as a man could be, and still tried to look cheerful; but his knees were tottery, and he was plainly “going.” Orme went to him, forced another rally, and, after one or two heavy hits, dropped him with a right-hander. (“Take him away.”)

37 and 38.—​In each of these rounds Jones came to the scratch, and made one or two futile attempts to stop his adversary’s rush, dropping on his knee on receiving a hit from Orme.

39.—​Orme paused, as if hesitating to strike his opponent, who was quite at his mercy. Jones made a peck at him, and received a touch on the old spot in the ribs. It was but a push, yet it sent him to grass sideways.

40.—​Loud cries of “Take him away!” Jones faced his opponent for the fortieth time, but he was all abroad. Orme gradually forced him back into his corner, and harmlessly sent him down, when Hannan threw up the sponge in token of Jones’s defeat.

The fight lasted two hours and forty-five minutes, including several tedious rounds, and much useless breaking ground, advancing, and retreating. It was, nevertheless, a truly hard fight, and the two powerful boxers who made theirdébuton this occasion inflicted severe mutual punishment. It wasmanifest, early in the battle, that Orme was the more lasting of the two, and much the heavier hitter. It seemed, also, that Jones had commenced his career too early.

Each man proved himself thorough game, and possessed of undoubted stamina. Orme, in beating a man taller, longer in the reach, a shade heavier, and much the favourite in the betting, had done all expected of him, and his friends resolved on quietly biding their time, and—​when that time did come—​on playing for a good stake. Their confidence in their champion was shown by the character of the next antagonist selected for him being no other than Nat Langham, whose fame already stood high among the few who had an opportunity of judging of his merits.

Orme’scoup d’essaihaving proved eminently satisfactory, and Master Nat having been waiting in vain for a suitable customer from the day when he defeated Sparkes the Australian, as related in the previous chapter, a match was proposed for £50 a side, to be decided on the 6th day of May, 1851. A trip down the river being agreed on, “The Queen of the Thames” was the vessel engaged, and the oft-described voyage having been effected at two o’clock, the ring was pitched by Ould Tom Oliver, Tom Callas, and assistants. At three Orme tossed in his cap, and Langham followed his example. The usual ridiculous haggling with regard to a referee ensued, during which we adjourned to another part of the marsh, where a merry little mill between an Israelite and a son of Ishmael, in the person of a gipsy lad, which had been arranged for decision on this occasion, came off. The Hebrew was worsted after a stubborn resistance. This settled, we returned to the legitimate roped quadrangle called “the ring” because it isnotround. Here, after positively refusing an arbitration which carries with its exercise nought but unpleasantness, a veteran Ring-goer (Old Tom Oliver), with the snows of sixty winters on his head, accepted the office. At fifteen minutes past four the men were escorted to the scratch. Orme was esquired by Jemmy Welsh and Jack Grant; Langham by D’Orsay Turner and Johnny Hannan. The men, at scale, were stated to be respectively 11st.5lb.and 11st.2lb.; but upon this point we have our doubts, Orme appearing upon every point far the heavier man. Orme had trained upon the Chatham hills, and was as tough-looking a dark grained bit of stuff as ever was selected by shipwright of that famed dockyard locality. Langham took his breathings on Newmarket Heath, and was as fine as any thoroughbred fresh from its gallops. The betting was now even, Langham for choice. After waiting a few minutes for a hailstorm, which, according to the precedent of this“merry month,” will have its way, at a quarter past four the men stood up for

THE FIGHT.Round 1.—​Orme stood firmly, with his elbows rather high, his fists level and almost square, and his heavy, thick, round arms in anything but an elegant position; yet he loomed big, massive, and formidable, and his deep chest, matted with coarse black hair, and complexion of the deepest gipsy brown, gave an impression of hardihood and enduring strength. Langham was fine and fair in skin, clean built, with handsome shoulders and biceps, good length of reach and active pins. His attitude was artistic; the left well up and forward, the right playing easily across the mark, covering the short ribs, and ready for stop or delivery. Orme seemed a little flurried and worked forward, Langham shifting and retreating before him, coolly and collectedly. Orme let go his left, which Langham stopped, and caught Orme sharply on the cheekbone; Langham followed Orme on the bustle, and reached him slightly with the right, when Orme ducked his head, turned clean round, and rose up outside the ropes (laughter). Langham beckoned Orme, who came inside, nodding his head and smiling. Langham, cautious and steady, would not lead off. Orme tried to make his left, but was stopped, and following it immediately with his right was out of distance; Langham hit Orme sharply with the left in a quick exchange, drawing “first blood” from his mouth and nose. The men got at it, and fighting was the order of the round, Orme giving Langham a heavy body hit, but catching pepper about the frontispiece. Both down, Langham first, but with the best of the hitting.2.—​Nat retreating, measuring Orme with his left, till the latter let fly; pretty counter-hits with the left, Orme home on Langham’s cheek, Langham on Orme’s nasal organ, from which more of the ruby distilled. Some exchanges of no great moment, Langham slipping down from his own hit.3.—​Orme stopped Langham’s left neatly (applause); counters with left, Langham’s straightest, but did not seem much to mark Orme’s cast-iron nob. Orme bored in, pegging away; Langham propped him, but dropped when forced to the ropes.4.—​Orme made several feints, Langham shifted and laughed; Langham tried to draw his man, but the latter, advised by Welsh, pointed to the scratch. Langham tried his left, but Orme was with him, and, after some heavy weaving work, Langham fell because it suited him.5.—​Sparring; Langham cautious but lively. Orme had found that he got pepper whenever he attempted to lead off, and he paused awhile. There was some little chaff about each man having something in his hands, and they were shown to be empty. The mill recommenced by Langham rattling in one, two, catching Orme on the nose and ribs; in the scramble Langham was down.6.—​Nat visited Orme’s left eye a stinger, raising a “mouse.” Orme rushed in and delivered with tremendous half-arm energy; Langham fought up and was bored down.7.—​Orme rolled in, letting go both hands; Nat nobbed him, but Orme forced the fun, and ran Langham to earth.8.—​Orme had got terribly disfigured by Langham’s retreating shots, but they did not seem to impair his strength or resolution; he hit Langham heavily on the ribs in the rally, but got one, straight as an arrow, in the nose from Langham’s left; it was a smasher, and was followed by a lunge from the right, as he was already on the stagger, and down he went on his south pole. (First knock-down far Langham.Great cheering.)9.—​Orme came up more steady than was expected; he hemmed and coughed several times, as if troubled in the throat, but played about, waiting for Langham to begin. Langham led off, and made his left, but Orme dashed in desperately, and both were down in the rally. (6 to 4 on Langham.)10.—​Langham propped Orme on the nose; Orme hit rather out of distance, and Langham slipped down.11.—​Rapid exchanges. Langham made his straight left sharply on Orme’s right eye, raising a “mouse” to match the left. Orme got Langham in his arms, and, after a brief struggle, held him by the crook, forced him over, and threw him from his hip on his neck and head, lending his whole weight to the impetus of his fall. Langham, apparently stupefied, was picked up, all abroad, by Jem Turner and Hannan. (Cries of “It’s all over!”)12.—​Langham came up loose in the knees and puzzled, but he had not lost his style. Orme could not get on to him, and he fell on the saving suit.13.—​(“Time.”) Langham fought prettily on the defensive, but was in evident distress; indeed, he never entirely shook off effects of the throw in the previous round throughout the fight. Orme hit him in the body, but he was getting down when he received the blow.14, 15, 16.—​Langham still merely defensive but the last a good fighting round.17 to 20.—​Heavy work; both rather wild. Langham generally finished the rounds by getting to grass. (Offers of 3 to 2 on Orme.)21.—​Punishing exchanges. Nat getting steadier; Orme gave way a little after a job or two from Langham’s left. Langhamfollowed him. After some hard fighting Orme threw Langham.22.—​(A claim on account of Orme having some substance in his hand; it was disproved.) Ding-dong work, and Langham down in the hitting.23.—​Orme pursued Langham, determined not to allow him to recover his wind; hard, but rather wild hitting, during which Orme getting close, sent Langham down.24.—​Nat missed his left, Orme stepping back; Orme put out his tongue. Exchanges, and Langham fell.25.—​Langham hit Orme several times as he came in, but could not stop himself from being bored down.26.—​Langham tried his left twice, but was not near enough to his man. Orme let go his left, and Langham dropped. (An appeal from Orme on the plea that Langham dropped without a blow.)27.—​Heavy counters; Orme on Langham’s jowl; Langham on Orme’s eye, which was nearly shut up. A rattling round. Nat got on Orme’s best eye (the right), then on his note. Orme hammered away, but was short of distance, except when in-fighting; a close, and Langham under. (One hour.)28, 29.—​Exchanges; Langham precise, and timing his hits, got Orme to a standstill. When Orme came on again Langham fell. (Another claim.)30, 31.—​As before, Langham slipped down in the hitting. (A claim each round for Orme.)32.—​Orme wild and rushing; Langham steadied himself, and propped him severely. Langham fell at the ropes, Orme over him.33, 34.—​Langham delivered and fell from his own blows.35.—​Hard hitting; Orme would not be denied; Langham got down at the ropes, and Orme, bending his knee, tried to drop on him. (An appeal from Langham’s party, but overruled.)36 to 40.—​Nat nailed Orme dexterously, swelling his lips till he resembled the portrait of the elder Molyneaux. In the 40th round he got him to a standstill for a few seconds. (“Where’s your 2 to 1 now?”) Langham fought cunningly, and got through the ropes, down.41.—​Orme’s eye closed; he rushed at Langham, who dropped, and Orme was again charged with trying to “knee” him.42.—​Exchanges; Langham made his left prettily, but Orme gave him such a sneezer that he dropped.43.—​Langham game and clever, but weak. (80 minutes had elapsed.) In the struggle at the close Langham was undermost; a nasty back fall.44.—​Some sharp work, the men falling from their own hits, reaching the ground at the same time.45 to 60.—​It was wonderful to see how, round after round, such fighting could be kept up, Langham still holding the palm for generalship, straight hitting, and precision, but wanting strength from repeated falls. In the 60th round he fell weak. In the 64th, both men were again down in the hitting. From the 65th to the 100th round, time after time, did the men come up with fluctuating chances, the changes every three or four rounds being truly surprising. First Langham got so shaky that every round seemed his last; then Orme got such straight props from the shoulder, in return for his attempts to “go in and finish,” that it seemed a pity both could not win; several times he stood still, puzzled, but scorned to go down, while Langham could not get up steam enough to seize the advantage and secure victory. Orme was twice appealed against, on the ground that he lifted his foot when Langham was down. We do not think he either knew or intended to do what he did. Langham, too, was appealed against for going down, but the veteran referee would not have the battle snatched from such good men by a quibble. In the 100th round, 2 hours and 34 minutes having expired, Orme, on being carried to his corner, communicated to his seconds that he would fight no more; when the practised eye of Welsh perceiving that Langham’s head had dropped on Turner’s shoulder, he revived his man by the information that his opponent had “cut it.” Orme went up, but was not allowed to have it for asking. Langham showed, and pecked away like a game cock, though there was no power in his blows.102 to 108.—​Short rounds, as they well might be. Langham got a turn in his favour, for he hit Orme in the last-mentioned round, and his head dropped when picked up.109.—​Orme recovered quicker than could be expected, and again perceived that his opponent’s plight was no better than his own: he staggered in, punched away, and Langham fell.110 to 113.—​Orme very much abroad, but still the stronger. Langham fell in the 113th round on the ropes, and Orme upon him.114, 115.—​Both game as pebbles; Orme quite foggy in the optics; Langham staggering, and instinctively putting out his left for a pushing hit. (“Take them both away,” said a bystander. Orme shook his head, and Langham tried to muster the ghost of a smile.) The seconds went close to their men. “It’s all right,” said poor Langham to Jem Turner. If he thought so no one else did. After a slight pop with his left, Orme pushed Langham down, and fell over him.116.—​Orme on his knees, and Langham down anyhow, in a weak rally.117th and last.—​Langham sent out his left; Orme stepped back; Langham again hit out. He evidently did not perceive what was before him, and coming forward, from his own blow, fell on both knees and his hands. His seconds ran up to him, butit was all over. Orme stood in his corner for a few seconds, when time was called, to which the Leicester man was yet deaf, walked slowly across the ring, and taking the hand of his brave, fallen adversary, tried to muster an expression of admiration at his bravery. The sponge had before gone up from Langham’s corner, and thus, at the close oftwo hours and forty-six minutes, was brought to a decision one of the gamest battles the modern annals of the Ring can boast.

THE FIGHT.

Round 1.—​Orme stood firmly, with his elbows rather high, his fists level and almost square, and his heavy, thick, round arms in anything but an elegant position; yet he loomed big, massive, and formidable, and his deep chest, matted with coarse black hair, and complexion of the deepest gipsy brown, gave an impression of hardihood and enduring strength. Langham was fine and fair in skin, clean built, with handsome shoulders and biceps, good length of reach and active pins. His attitude was artistic; the left well up and forward, the right playing easily across the mark, covering the short ribs, and ready for stop or delivery. Orme seemed a little flurried and worked forward, Langham shifting and retreating before him, coolly and collectedly. Orme let go his left, which Langham stopped, and caught Orme sharply on the cheekbone; Langham followed Orme on the bustle, and reached him slightly with the right, when Orme ducked his head, turned clean round, and rose up outside the ropes (laughter). Langham beckoned Orme, who came inside, nodding his head and smiling. Langham, cautious and steady, would not lead off. Orme tried to make his left, but was stopped, and following it immediately with his right was out of distance; Langham hit Orme sharply with the left in a quick exchange, drawing “first blood” from his mouth and nose. The men got at it, and fighting was the order of the round, Orme giving Langham a heavy body hit, but catching pepper about the frontispiece. Both down, Langham first, but with the best of the hitting.

2.—​Nat retreating, measuring Orme with his left, till the latter let fly; pretty counter-hits with the left, Orme home on Langham’s cheek, Langham on Orme’s nasal organ, from which more of the ruby distilled. Some exchanges of no great moment, Langham slipping down from his own hit.

3.—​Orme stopped Langham’s left neatly (applause); counters with left, Langham’s straightest, but did not seem much to mark Orme’s cast-iron nob. Orme bored in, pegging away; Langham propped him, but dropped when forced to the ropes.

4.—​Orme made several feints, Langham shifted and laughed; Langham tried to draw his man, but the latter, advised by Welsh, pointed to the scratch. Langham tried his left, but Orme was with him, and, after some heavy weaving work, Langham fell because it suited him.

5.—​Sparring; Langham cautious but lively. Orme had found that he got pepper whenever he attempted to lead off, and he paused awhile. There was some little chaff about each man having something in his hands, and they were shown to be empty. The mill recommenced by Langham rattling in one, two, catching Orme on the nose and ribs; in the scramble Langham was down.

6.—​Nat visited Orme’s left eye a stinger, raising a “mouse.” Orme rushed in and delivered with tremendous half-arm energy; Langham fought up and was bored down.

7.—​Orme rolled in, letting go both hands; Nat nobbed him, but Orme forced the fun, and ran Langham to earth.

8.—​Orme had got terribly disfigured by Langham’s retreating shots, but they did not seem to impair his strength or resolution; he hit Langham heavily on the ribs in the rally, but got one, straight as an arrow, in the nose from Langham’s left; it was a smasher, and was followed by a lunge from the right, as he was already on the stagger, and down he went on his south pole. (First knock-down far Langham.Great cheering.)

9.—​Orme came up more steady than was expected; he hemmed and coughed several times, as if troubled in the throat, but played about, waiting for Langham to begin. Langham led off, and made his left, but Orme dashed in desperately, and both were down in the rally. (6 to 4 on Langham.)

10.—​Langham propped Orme on the nose; Orme hit rather out of distance, and Langham slipped down.

11.—​Rapid exchanges. Langham made his straight left sharply on Orme’s right eye, raising a “mouse” to match the left. Orme got Langham in his arms, and, after a brief struggle, held him by the crook, forced him over, and threw him from his hip on his neck and head, lending his whole weight to the impetus of his fall. Langham, apparently stupefied, was picked up, all abroad, by Jem Turner and Hannan. (Cries of “It’s all over!”)

12.—​Langham came up loose in the knees and puzzled, but he had not lost his style. Orme could not get on to him, and he fell on the saving suit.

13.—​(“Time.”) Langham fought prettily on the defensive, but was in evident distress; indeed, he never entirely shook off effects of the throw in the previous round throughout the fight. Orme hit him in the body, but he was getting down when he received the blow.

14, 15, 16.—​Langham still merely defensive but the last a good fighting round.

17 to 20.—​Heavy work; both rather wild. Langham generally finished the rounds by getting to grass. (Offers of 3 to 2 on Orme.)

21.—​Punishing exchanges. Nat getting steadier; Orme gave way a little after a job or two from Langham’s left. Langhamfollowed him. After some hard fighting Orme threw Langham.

22.—​(A claim on account of Orme having some substance in his hand; it was disproved.) Ding-dong work, and Langham down in the hitting.

23.—​Orme pursued Langham, determined not to allow him to recover his wind; hard, but rather wild hitting, during which Orme getting close, sent Langham down.

24.—​Nat missed his left, Orme stepping back; Orme put out his tongue. Exchanges, and Langham fell.

25.—​Langham hit Orme several times as he came in, but could not stop himself from being bored down.

26.—​Langham tried his left twice, but was not near enough to his man. Orme let go his left, and Langham dropped. (An appeal from Orme on the plea that Langham dropped without a blow.)

27.—​Heavy counters; Orme on Langham’s jowl; Langham on Orme’s eye, which was nearly shut up. A rattling round. Nat got on Orme’s best eye (the right), then on his note. Orme hammered away, but was short of distance, except when in-fighting; a close, and Langham under. (One hour.)

28, 29.—​Exchanges; Langham precise, and timing his hits, got Orme to a standstill. When Orme came on again Langham fell. (Another claim.)

30, 31.—​As before, Langham slipped down in the hitting. (A claim each round for Orme.)

32.—​Orme wild and rushing; Langham steadied himself, and propped him severely. Langham fell at the ropes, Orme over him.

33, 34.—​Langham delivered and fell from his own blows.

35.—​Hard hitting; Orme would not be denied; Langham got down at the ropes, and Orme, bending his knee, tried to drop on him. (An appeal from Langham’s party, but overruled.)

36 to 40.—​Nat nailed Orme dexterously, swelling his lips till he resembled the portrait of the elder Molyneaux. In the 40th round he got him to a standstill for a few seconds. (“Where’s your 2 to 1 now?”) Langham fought cunningly, and got through the ropes, down.

41.—​Orme’s eye closed; he rushed at Langham, who dropped, and Orme was again charged with trying to “knee” him.

42.—​Exchanges; Langham made his left prettily, but Orme gave him such a sneezer that he dropped.

43.—​Langham game and clever, but weak. (80 minutes had elapsed.) In the struggle at the close Langham was undermost; a nasty back fall.

44.—​Some sharp work, the men falling from their own hits, reaching the ground at the same time.

45 to 60.—​It was wonderful to see how, round after round, such fighting could be kept up, Langham still holding the palm for generalship, straight hitting, and precision, but wanting strength from repeated falls. In the 60th round he fell weak. In the 64th, both men were again down in the hitting. From the 65th to the 100th round, time after time, did the men come up with fluctuating chances, the changes every three or four rounds being truly surprising. First Langham got so shaky that every round seemed his last; then Orme got such straight props from the shoulder, in return for his attempts to “go in and finish,” that it seemed a pity both could not win; several times he stood still, puzzled, but scorned to go down, while Langham could not get up steam enough to seize the advantage and secure victory. Orme was twice appealed against, on the ground that he lifted his foot when Langham was down. We do not think he either knew or intended to do what he did. Langham, too, was appealed against for going down, but the veteran referee would not have the battle snatched from such good men by a quibble. In the 100th round, 2 hours and 34 minutes having expired, Orme, on being carried to his corner, communicated to his seconds that he would fight no more; when the practised eye of Welsh perceiving that Langham’s head had dropped on Turner’s shoulder, he revived his man by the information that his opponent had “cut it.” Orme went up, but was not allowed to have it for asking. Langham showed, and pecked away like a game cock, though there was no power in his blows.

102 to 108.—​Short rounds, as they well might be. Langham got a turn in his favour, for he hit Orme in the last-mentioned round, and his head dropped when picked up.

109.—​Orme recovered quicker than could be expected, and again perceived that his opponent’s plight was no better than his own: he staggered in, punched away, and Langham fell.

110 to 113.—​Orme very much abroad, but still the stronger. Langham fell in the 113th round on the ropes, and Orme upon him.

114, 115.—​Both game as pebbles; Orme quite foggy in the optics; Langham staggering, and instinctively putting out his left for a pushing hit. (“Take them both away,” said a bystander. Orme shook his head, and Langham tried to muster the ghost of a smile.) The seconds went close to their men. “It’s all right,” said poor Langham to Jem Turner. If he thought so no one else did. After a slight pop with his left, Orme pushed Langham down, and fell over him.

116.—​Orme on his knees, and Langham down anyhow, in a weak rally.

117th and last.—​Langham sent out his left; Orme stepped back; Langham again hit out. He evidently did not perceive what was before him, and coming forward, from his own blow, fell on both knees and his hands. His seconds ran up to him, butit was all over. Orme stood in his corner for a few seconds, when time was called, to which the Leicester man was yet deaf, walked slowly across the ring, and taking the hand of his brave, fallen adversary, tried to muster an expression of admiration at his bravery. The sponge had before gone up from Langham’s corner, and thus, at the close oftwo hours and forty-six minutes, was brought to a decision one of the gamest battles the modern annals of the Ring can boast.

The shades of evening were closing in as the voyagers got on board their respective steamers, many more, as is usual on such occasions, extending their patronage to the “men’s” peculiar boat on the upward voyage than came down by that conveyance; for the very obvious reason that as the voyage both ways was paid at starting, the disagreeable ceremony of paying would be insisted on, while having once got down by a Gravesender, tug, or other cheap conveyance, the homeward-bound voyage could be effectedgratis. It was nearly midnight when the “Queen of the Thames,” working against tide and a head wind, reached London Bridge; the voyage being shortened by many an anecdote of brave battles in bygone days, with which all agreed the present mill might well bear a comparison.

Orme now rested for a year upon his well-earned laurels, when once again Aaron Jones, who during the interval of two years had, so rumour averred, wonderfully developed and immensely improved in the art, sought to reverse the verdict given against him in December, 1849. Aaron had, moreover, in the interim fought Bob Wade (the Dover Champion), a 12st.man, whom he defeated at Edenbridge, Kent, in one hour, in which forty-three punishing rounds were contested.

Monday, May 10th, 1852, was the fixture, instead of the customary Tuesday; the moving reason thereto being that the Turfites, among whom were Jones’s prominent patrons, might attend another “ring” at Newmarket on the latter day. On Jones’s improvement the Sporting Oracle thus delivered itself: “When Jones first contended with Orme he was a youth of eighteen, weighing 11st.2lbs., and too young to bear the wear and tear of a long encounter. He has now increased in height and weight, stands 6 feet in height, and will draw a trifle over 12st., besides having materially improved in the pugilistic art.” At the last deposit of £10 a side, making up the stakes to £200, which took place on Tuesday last at Mr. Prior’s, “Nag’s Head,” South Audley Street, Jones had the call in the betting, his friends being West-enders and ready to back their own “stable.” As the rendezvous was in the vicinity of Newmarket, and a trip per Eastern Counties rail the mode of reaching the field of arms, we were glad, on presenting ourselves at the Shoreditch terminus at eight o’clock, to see at “the meet,” not only a large number of the Corinthian patrons of theRing, whose faces we have for some time missed from such gatherings, but many of the ex-professors of the art—​Owen Swift, Adams, Jem Burn, Shaw, Dan Pinxton, Jemmy Gardner, Alec Keene, Harry Milbourn, &c., &c. At a little before eight Jones arrived at the station, accompanied by the lively Bob Fuller and Alec Keene; the former being his trainer and the twain his selected seconds for the fistic duello. Jones looked remarkably bright and well, indeed, as Bob expressed it, he was “as fit as a fiddle,” and “would take a great deal of beating.” Orme did not put in an appearance at Shoreditch, but it was quickly made known that he had departed overnight for the neighbourhood of Newmarket, where he was awaiting the arrival of the “London particulars.” At a few minutes past eight the whistle sounded, and off we went, understanding that Chesterford, where we were told Orme awaited us, was our calling-place, and thence we should be conveyed to Mildenhall. This was a judicious ruse, but, as we shall presently see, failed in the trial. On arriving at Chesterford, however, our steam-steed merely took a drink of water, and sped on its way to Six Mile Bottom, on the Newmarket line. We must confess that we were a little staggered, knowing what we did of the Cambridge authorities, that the “managers” should have chosen their ground within that shire, and we argued that as one of the men had been training near the racing metropolis the watchful blues had doubtless an eye upon his movements.

On mentioning our misgivings, however, to some of the parties concerned, and expressing our surprise that so hazardous an attempt should be made, we were assured that it was all right, that there were no magistrates within call, and that the fight was certain to be settled without interruption. While waiting for the arrival of Orme, our fears for the result were verified to the fullest extent by the appearance of a body of Cambridge police, both horse and foot, evidently determined to spoil sport. It was now determined to go on to Newmarket at once to fetch Orme, who had prudently retreated into the town on finding that the enemy was in the field. At Newmarket it was stated that he had chartered a fly, and was about to proceed across country to Mildenhall. A despatch was instantly sent to recall him, and, after a delay of about half an hour, he made his appearance, looking big, brown, hardy, and confident. He immediately took his place in the train, and an inhabitant of the district having intimated that he knew a spot where there was no chance of interruption, consented to act as pilot, the train was once more put in motion, and taking its course up the old Newmarket line, which was at that timeclosed for general traffic, was brought to a standstill by the side of a field at Bourne Bridge, a place rendered memorable as the scene of the first contest between Mr. Gully and Gregson, in days long vanished, passed away. Here a debarkation was effected, and when all thevoyageursby train were collected there were certainly not more than two hundred persons present. These, by the time the ropes and stakes were pitched, were increased by the arrival of some dozen equestrians from Cambridge and Newmarket, anxious, no doubt, to enjoy a treat so seldom witnessed by the inhabitants of those celebrated universities for the education of man and horse; but, as will be shortly seen, their arrival on horseback defeated the object they had in view, as it served to put the blues upon the scent, and enabled them, before much business had been got through, again to put in their unwelcome appearance, and once more to send the “peace breakers” to the right about.

On the recommendation of “the pilot” the business of constructing the arena was set about with unusual celerity by young Fred Oliver and the veteran Tom Callas, under the superintendence of the ancient Commissary himself, and by a few minutes past one o’clock all was in readiness. A capital outer ring was formed, round which the “cheapsiders” took their stations, while comfortable straw hassocks were provided for the tenants of the inner circle who chose to pay the price demanded by those who had been so thoughtful as to provide such luxuries. Jem Burn, whose hind feet and legs were not sufficiently under his command to enable him to take up a position so close to mother-earth, was accommodated with a chair, around which were grouped several of his ancient patrons, and all appeared now to be satisfied that at length fortune was favourable, and that the mill would be brought to a conclusion without let or hindrance. Umpires and a referee were quickly chosen, and the men at once proceeded to their toilettes, Jones, as we have already stated, being waited on by Bob Fuller and Alec Keene, while Orme had for valets Jemmy Welsh and a “Jolly Butcher” from Southwark. On stripping, Jones confirmed the opinion we had formed in the morning, that he was as “fine as a star,” and as fit as Fuller could make him. Orme, on denuding himself of his outer rind, looked big enough and strong enough for anything. His skin, of a nut-brown tint, gave him altogether an appearance of hardihood which lead a spectator to infer that he was an adversary by no means to be sneezed at, even by those who considered themselves his superiors in the fistic art. It was clear, nevertheless, that he had not devoted quite asmuch time to his preparation as the nature of the encounter he had undertaken would have justified. There were indications of loose flesh about his ribs and chest which might have been well dispensed with. On inquiring his weight we were informed that he was about 11st.8lb., being just 4lb.more than when he encountered Langham. Notwithstanding this exuberance of meat he looked remarkably well, was extremely confident, and “eager for th’ affray.” All being at length in readiness, the colours (blue for Orme, and yellow with blue border for Jones) were nailed to the mast—​we mean, tied to the stake. Orme laid his adversary a bet of £25 to £20, which was duly posted. The men and their seconds shook hands—​silence was proclaimed—​“Time” was called (half-past one)—​the seconds retired to their corners, and left the men at the scratch to commence

THE FIGHT.Round 1.—​On throwing themselves into attitude, which, as the dandies say, “is everything,” there was no very great display of artistic skill on either side. If anything, Jones’s position was the more graceful of the two; still he left his ribs totally unprotected, and held his hands much too far from his body to please our mind. Orme, on the contrary, held his arms, which loomed large and ponderous, closer to his corpus. He stood almost square, his thick, muscular legs seeming well calculated to support his enormous round shoulders, which resembled those of a miniature Atlas. Jones, after a dodge or two, feinted with his left, but Orme grinned and stepped back; Jones followed him up, when Orme stopped his further progress with a prop from his right on the side of the head. Counter-hits with the left followed without any mischief. Orme then swung round his right as if it was a sledgehammer, and caught Jones with tremendous force on the ribs under the left arm, in the region of the heart, where he left most unmistakable imprints of his knuckles, which never disappeared during the remainder of the battle. Jones returned slightly on the right ear, which led to a rally, in which Orme had the best of the hitting, again delivering a rib-bender with his right, removing the bark from Jones’s smeller, and drawingfirst bloodwith his left. A close, in which Orme held his man tight, and fibbed him on the nose and forehead until both were down in Jones’s corner.2.—​Jones led off with his left, reaching Orme’s cheek, and cleverly stopping the return. Counter-hits followed, Jones drawing claret from Orme’s mouth, catching it in return heavily on the cheek and chin. Some slogging hits were exchanged without any regard to science, and Jones at length slipped down.3.—​Jones again led off with his left, but was very wild in his deliveries, which passed over Orme’s shoulder. Had he been more precise his blows would have told a tale, for Orme appeared to think that “stopping” was quite beneath him. Orme went in, pegged away left and right on the left eye and ribs, and Jones fell.4.—​Jones on coming up displayed the marks of Orme’s handiwork in the last round in the shape of a mouse on his left eye. He appeared loth to come out of his corner, whereupon Orme went to him. Jones retreated as far as he could, and delivered his left as Orme came in. Orme “stopped the blow” with his left cheek, returned the compliment with interest by two heavy cracks on Jones’s injured peeper and his forehead, when Jones got down.5.—​Orme commenced business by rushing in and planting his left and right heavily on Jones’s mouth and nose, drawing more claret. Jones returned slightly on the left cheek and slipped down just as Orme was about to effect a delivery. He looked up as if anticipating afoul, but Orme restrained himself, grinned, shook his head, patted Jones on the back of his poll, and walked to his corner.6.—​Jones led off with his left, catching Orme on the potato-trap. Orme countered him on the nose heavily, stepped back again, went in, repeated the dose on Jones’s nose and his left eye, and the latter was again down.7.—​Jones came up much flushed, bleeding from the nose and left eye. His forehead was swelled, and altogether it was evident that Orme’s visitations had not been without their effect. The only mark Orme showed was a swelling under his left eye. Orme led off, caught Jones another rattler on the damaged ogle, drawing more of theruby. Jones wild, dashed in, planted a heavy blow on Orme’s left cheek, and fell on his latter end from the force of his own blow.8.—​Jones stopped Orme’s left neatly, and tried a return which was short. A rally followed, in which Jones’s deliveries were mostly thrown away, inasmuch as they passed over Orme’s shoulder. Orme, whose punches, although very round, in general got home, again planted on Jones’s left eye and nose. At length Jones got one on Orme’s left peeper, drawing blood, and then slipped down.9.—​Jones came up bleeding, and looking much the worse for wear, while Orme was all confidence. Jones led off with his left, got home slightly on Orme’s smeller, when suddenly was heard the unwelcome watchword of “Police”—​and sure enough, on looking round we perceived a detachment of neatly attired Cambridge “Peelers” making their way to the field of action. A cry of sauve qui peut was instantly raised, and the ground was cleared in a trice, every one making for the train and jumping into the first carriage that he could find open. It was soon discovered, however, that the object of the “powers that be” was not to apprehend any of the wrongdoers, but merely to prevent a breach of the peace in the county of Cambridge.

THE FIGHT.

Round 1.—​On throwing themselves into attitude, which, as the dandies say, “is everything,” there was no very great display of artistic skill on either side. If anything, Jones’s position was the more graceful of the two; still he left his ribs totally unprotected, and held his hands much too far from his body to please our mind. Orme, on the contrary, held his arms, which loomed large and ponderous, closer to his corpus. He stood almost square, his thick, muscular legs seeming well calculated to support his enormous round shoulders, which resembled those of a miniature Atlas. Jones, after a dodge or two, feinted with his left, but Orme grinned and stepped back; Jones followed him up, when Orme stopped his further progress with a prop from his right on the side of the head. Counter-hits with the left followed without any mischief. Orme then swung round his right as if it was a sledgehammer, and caught Jones with tremendous force on the ribs under the left arm, in the region of the heart, where he left most unmistakable imprints of his knuckles, which never disappeared during the remainder of the battle. Jones returned slightly on the right ear, which led to a rally, in which Orme had the best of the hitting, again delivering a rib-bender with his right, removing the bark from Jones’s smeller, and drawingfirst bloodwith his left. A close, in which Orme held his man tight, and fibbed him on the nose and forehead until both were down in Jones’s corner.

2.—​Jones led off with his left, reaching Orme’s cheek, and cleverly stopping the return. Counter-hits followed, Jones drawing claret from Orme’s mouth, catching it in return heavily on the cheek and chin. Some slogging hits were exchanged without any regard to science, and Jones at length slipped down.

3.—​Jones again led off with his left, but was very wild in his deliveries, which passed over Orme’s shoulder. Had he been more precise his blows would have told a tale, for Orme appeared to think that “stopping” was quite beneath him. Orme went in, pegged away left and right on the left eye and ribs, and Jones fell.

4.—​Jones on coming up displayed the marks of Orme’s handiwork in the last round in the shape of a mouse on his left eye. He appeared loth to come out of his corner, whereupon Orme went to him. Jones retreated as far as he could, and delivered his left as Orme came in. Orme “stopped the blow” with his left cheek, returned the compliment with interest by two heavy cracks on Jones’s injured peeper and his forehead, when Jones got down.

5.—​Orme commenced business by rushing in and planting his left and right heavily on Jones’s mouth and nose, drawing more claret. Jones returned slightly on the left cheek and slipped down just as Orme was about to effect a delivery. He looked up as if anticipating afoul, but Orme restrained himself, grinned, shook his head, patted Jones on the back of his poll, and walked to his corner.

6.—​Jones led off with his left, catching Orme on the potato-trap. Orme countered him on the nose heavily, stepped back again, went in, repeated the dose on Jones’s nose and his left eye, and the latter was again down.

7.—​Jones came up much flushed, bleeding from the nose and left eye. His forehead was swelled, and altogether it was evident that Orme’s visitations had not been without their effect. The only mark Orme showed was a swelling under his left eye. Orme led off, caught Jones another rattler on the damaged ogle, drawing more of theruby. Jones wild, dashed in, planted a heavy blow on Orme’s left cheek, and fell on his latter end from the force of his own blow.

8.—​Jones stopped Orme’s left neatly, and tried a return which was short. A rally followed, in which Jones’s deliveries were mostly thrown away, inasmuch as they passed over Orme’s shoulder. Orme, whose punches, although very round, in general got home, again planted on Jones’s left eye and nose. At length Jones got one on Orme’s left peeper, drawing blood, and then slipped down.

9.—​Jones came up bleeding, and looking much the worse for wear, while Orme was all confidence. Jones led off with his left, got home slightly on Orme’s smeller, when suddenly was heard the unwelcome watchword of “Police”—​and sure enough, on looking round we perceived a detachment of neatly attired Cambridge “Peelers” making their way to the field of action. A cry of sauve qui peut was instantly raised, and the ground was cleared in a trice, every one making for the train and jumping into the first carriage that he could find open. It was soon discovered, however, that the object of the “powers that be” was not to apprehend any of the wrongdoers, but merely to prevent a breach of the peace in the county of Cambridge.

A council of war was called; the referee, whose duty it was to name the next time and place, if possible on the same day, suggested that there was yet time to go to Mildenhall, where he knew the matter could be concluded in peace. The officials, however, connected with the railway, said that, inasmuch as the train would have to return up the old Newmarket line, and then go round by Cambridge, where it would be detained so as not to interfere with the general traffic, it was very probable that Mildenhall could not be reached in time to finish the business in hand before dark. It was then hinted by “the pilot” that the affair might be completed in the neighbourhood of Newmarket, that town being in the county of Suffolk, and out of the jurisdiction of the Cambridgeshire authorities. The plan appeared feasible, and “bock agin” to Newmarket was the order of the day. The pilot conducted the Commissary and assistants to a likely piece of turf behind the plantation of firs at the top of the training-ground, not much more than a mile from the town, and here a second ring was formed with all due diligence, and here, of course, the crowd of spectators was largely increased by detachments of lovers of the sport from the town itself and the surrounding districts. At twenty-two minutes after three, all being for the second time in readiness, in the midst of a shower of rain, round nine was resumed.

THE FIGHT RESUMED.Round 9 continued.—​On the men throwing off their blankets both looked rather the worse for wear, Jones having a most unmistakable black eye, and the bark being off his frontispiece in several places. The marks also of Orme’s hammerings on his ribs were very apparent. Orme displayed a slight swelling and discolouration under his left eye, and an enlargement of his upper lip. Both seemed fresher from the rest they had taken, and appeared anxious now to finish the fight out of hand. Jones led off twice, but was short. Orme then delivered a spank on his left eye. Jones returned rather heavily on the nose and slipped down.10.—​Orme led off, planted his right again heavily on the ribs. Jones, after one or two wild plunges over his adversary’s shoulder, succeeded in reaching his damaged cheek, and slipped down.11.—​Jones again led off twice with his left, but in both instances the blows fell short; Orme then went to his man, slight taps were exchanged, after which Orme popped in a nasty one on the nose, and slipped down.12.—​Orme rushed in to fight, but Jones stepped back, caught him heavily on the left ear and left eye, drawing claret from the latter; Orme tried to return, but Jones got down cunning.13.—​Orme on coming to the scratch showed that Jones’s last two hits had not been without their effect; his left ogle began to show symptoms of shutting up shop, while his left ear was considerably discoloured. Jones led off, delivered his left and right on Orme’s injured optic and his ear, stopped Orme’s returns cleverly, and slipped down.14.—​Orme rushed in in a determined manner, but was again stopped. Jones stepped back, delivered his right on Orme’s left ear heavily; Orme would not be stalled off, but again bored in, when Jones slipped down.15.—​Jones led off, but the blow passed harmless over Orme’s head; good counter-hits followed, Orme delivering on Jones’s nose, and receiving a heavy visitation on his right peeper. Jones then received a one-two on the nose and ribs, when both got down together, and, after a slight scramble, were down side by side.16.—​Jones was again short in his deliveries, when Orme closed, and both were again down, no mischief being done.17.—​Both rattled in to their work, and some sharp exchanges took place, in which Jack was as good as his master. Orme then caught Jones round the neck, fibbed him heavily in the mouth and nose, and after a short struggle threw him heavily, and fell upon him.18.—​Jones, led off, his arm passing over his adversary’s head. He was more lucky in a second attempt, reaching Orme’s left ogle heavily. Some rattling exchanges followed, left and right, Jones catching it on the ribs and left eye, while he got home heavily on Orme’s ear, mouth, and left cheek. Orme bored in, planted his one-two on Jones’s nose and mouth, and was trying to improve his advantage when Jones slipped down cunning.19.—​Jones first to fight, Orme appearing to blow from want of condition. Jones got home again on the left ear and nose; Orme returned slightly, but his hits now appeared to lack steam. Jones in this round rattled away in style, had all the best of the hitting, but in the end Orme counterbalanced these advantages by closing and throwing him a cross buttock, and falling heavily on him.20.—​Jones led off, but was met by Orme with a sharp counter-hit, each reached his adversary’s left eye, after which Jones immediately got down. He had evidently been much shaken by the fall in the previous round.21.—​Orme attempted to take the lead, but was short; Jones delivered a heavy right-hander on the left ear; counter-hits followed, Orme reaching Jones’s left eye heavily, and received on the nose. Jones finished the round by delivering a spank on Orme’s right eye and getting down.22.—​Jones came up, bleeding from his left eye. Orme opened the ball by repeating the dose on the same optic, and drawing a fresh supply of the ruby. He attempted to do ditto ditto, but was cleverly stopped by Jones. Counter-hits followed, Orme succeeding in again planting upon the nearly closed eye of his adversary, who delivered on the left cheek and left ear and then got down.23.—​Jones attempted to take the lead, but was wofully short. Orme went to him, delivered his left and right heavily, received a slight tap in return, and Jones fell.

THE FIGHT RESUMED.

Round 9 continued.—​On the men throwing off their blankets both looked rather the worse for wear, Jones having a most unmistakable black eye, and the bark being off his frontispiece in several places. The marks also of Orme’s hammerings on his ribs were very apparent. Orme displayed a slight swelling and discolouration under his left eye, and an enlargement of his upper lip. Both seemed fresher from the rest they had taken, and appeared anxious now to finish the fight out of hand. Jones led off twice, but was short. Orme then delivered a spank on his left eye. Jones returned rather heavily on the nose and slipped down.

10.—​Orme led off, planted his right again heavily on the ribs. Jones, after one or two wild plunges over his adversary’s shoulder, succeeded in reaching his damaged cheek, and slipped down.

11.—​Jones again led off twice with his left, but in both instances the blows fell short; Orme then went to his man, slight taps were exchanged, after which Orme popped in a nasty one on the nose, and slipped down.

12.—​Orme rushed in to fight, but Jones stepped back, caught him heavily on the left ear and left eye, drawing claret from the latter; Orme tried to return, but Jones got down cunning.

13.—​Orme on coming to the scratch showed that Jones’s last two hits had not been without their effect; his left ogle began to show symptoms of shutting up shop, while his left ear was considerably discoloured. Jones led off, delivered his left and right on Orme’s injured optic and his ear, stopped Orme’s returns cleverly, and slipped down.

14.—​Orme rushed in in a determined manner, but was again stopped. Jones stepped back, delivered his right on Orme’s left ear heavily; Orme would not be stalled off, but again bored in, when Jones slipped down.

15.—​Jones led off, but the blow passed harmless over Orme’s head; good counter-hits followed, Orme delivering on Jones’s nose, and receiving a heavy visitation on his right peeper. Jones then received a one-two on the nose and ribs, when both got down together, and, after a slight scramble, were down side by side.

16.—​Jones was again short in his deliveries, when Orme closed, and both were again down, no mischief being done.

17.—​Both rattled in to their work, and some sharp exchanges took place, in which Jack was as good as his master. Orme then caught Jones round the neck, fibbed him heavily in the mouth and nose, and after a short struggle threw him heavily, and fell upon him.

18.—​Jones, led off, his arm passing over his adversary’s head. He was more lucky in a second attempt, reaching Orme’s left ogle heavily. Some rattling exchanges followed, left and right, Jones catching it on the ribs and left eye, while he got home heavily on Orme’s ear, mouth, and left cheek. Orme bored in, planted his one-two on Jones’s nose and mouth, and was trying to improve his advantage when Jones slipped down cunning.

19.—​Jones first to fight, Orme appearing to blow from want of condition. Jones got home again on the left ear and nose; Orme returned slightly, but his hits now appeared to lack steam. Jones in this round rattled away in style, had all the best of the hitting, but in the end Orme counterbalanced these advantages by closing and throwing him a cross buttock, and falling heavily on him.

20.—​Jones led off, but was met by Orme with a sharp counter-hit, each reached his adversary’s left eye, after which Jones immediately got down. He had evidently been much shaken by the fall in the previous round.

21.—​Orme attempted to take the lead, but was short; Jones delivered a heavy right-hander on the left ear; counter-hits followed, Orme reaching Jones’s left eye heavily, and received on the nose. Jones finished the round by delivering a spank on Orme’s right eye and getting down.

22.—​Jones came up, bleeding from his left eye. Orme opened the ball by repeating the dose on the same optic, and drawing a fresh supply of the ruby. He attempted to do ditto ditto, but was cleverly stopped by Jones. Counter-hits followed, Orme succeeding in again planting upon the nearly closed eye of his adversary, who delivered on the left cheek and left ear and then got down.

23.—​Jones attempted to take the lead, but was wofully short. Orme went to him, delivered his left and right heavily, received a slight tap in return, and Jones fell.

It was now forty minutes past three, and before time could be called for the next round, “police!” was again the cry of the multitude—​a cry which, as at the first ring, proved to be only too true. Several individuals, clad in blue array, connected with the Suffolk constabulary, forced their way to the arena, and ordered the combatants to desist in the Queen’s name. A fly was close to the spot, and in this both men and their seconds quickly ensconced themselves. The stakes were once more drawn, and all repaired to the railway station, to once more ponder upon the reverses of a day which had dawned with every prospect of a successful expedition. The backers of the men applied to the referee to know his decision, and that functionary, after considering the circumstances of the case, decided that there must be another meeting, and, having taken council with the pilot, the excursionistsonce more re-entered the train, the pilot and a backer of Orme taking their station on the tender, the former undertaking to direct the engine driver to a spot where it was thought a satisfactory last act might be appended to the two which had already been performed. The train once more flew past Six Mile Bottom, where the blue-coated fraternity were still observable on thequi vive, to prevent a second invasion of their bailiwick. The old Newmarket line was a second time traversed for some miles, and at length the pilot gave orders to “heave to” at a field of clover, about two miles on the Newmarket side of Chesterford. And now comes the unpleasant part of our narrative. On the referee leaving the train, he was asked by some of Jones’s backers why the train had stopped, as they understood he had decided that the fight was to be postponed until another day. The referee stated that he had given no decision of the kind; the articles specified that in case of magisterial interference the referee was to name the next time and place, if possible on the same day. He had named a place (having directed the engine driver under the orders of “the pilot” to go where there was a probability of a satisfactory conclusion); that place had been reached, there was plenty of daylight, he saw no excuse for postponing the battle to a future day, and he had no alternative but to order the men to fight. Jones’s friends replied that Orme’s principal backer had told them when the police arrived at the second ring that there would be no more fight that day, but that he should take his man back to London at once. They had therefore given Jones oranges to eat, and brandy-and-water to drink, and had, moreover, been smoking in the same carriage with him. The referee stated that this, if it was the case, was highly reprehensible on their part; Orme’s backers had no power to decide whether the fight was to be resumed or not; that was discretionary on his (the referee’s) part. He had stated to one or two of Jones’s friends what his intentions were, and if there had been any doubt upon the point, the least that could have been done by his seconds and attendants would have been to ask the question before they allowed their man to commit the excesses they alluded to. It was then urged by Jones’s backers that it would be a cruel thing to order the men to fight again after being twice stripped and twice disturbed. The referee said that might or might not be the case; his duty, according to the articles, was imperative. The men must fight, unless they chose mutually to agree to a postponement, when of course he could have no objection. Orme and his friends would not hear of an adjournment, and wished to have the matter decided at once. Jones’s backers then became very excited,and one of them applied language to the referee which was utterly unjustifiable, and that gentleman said he would have nothing more to do with the matter, and that he would resign his office as referee. After a lengthened argumentproandcon, however, the referee, seeing that if he resigned his office the friends of Jones would attain the object they evidently had in view—​namely, to save any bets they might have upon the fight, by refusing to agree to any other referee, and thus procuring an adjournment—​consented to leave the railway carriage into which he had retired. He was again begged by Jones’s friends to adjourn the fight, but again repeated his decision that they must make another attempt on that day to bring the affair to an issue. Jones andCo.appeared still reluctant to renew the encounter, whereupon the referee stated that he would give them half an hour, and if Jones was not in the ring ready to fight by that time he would award the stakes to Orme. Orme went to the ring, which had already been formed, whither he was followed, after a short delay, by Jones and his seconds. Jones, whose left eye was completely closed, and who showed other symptoms of severe chastisement, pulled off his trousers and coat, and was about to denude himself of his other clothing, when suddenly he appeared to change his mind; he whispered to one of his seconds that it was “No use his fighting any more, as he was sure to be licked.” He then resumed his extra toggery and went to the referee, to whom he stated that he would not fight again unless another referee was chosen, as he had resigned his office. The referee replied that his resignation was only threatened, and was not consummated, inasmuch as it had not been accepted by the parties concerned, who had asked him (after he had said that he would resign) to adjourn the fight to another day, and had thus acknowledged his authority. He was not disposed now to give up that authority, and thus deprive Orme of any chance he might have of finishing the battle that night. He did not consider that either man was licked, or that there was any great advantage on either side in point of punishment; there were still two hours of daylight. As he had said before, he could see no ground for a postponement, and fight they must, or he would certainly award the battle in favour of Orme. Jones still persisted in his refusal to fight, and at length left the ring, repeating the observation, that if he fought again he knew he should be licked. He did not leave the arena, however, without hearing sundry complimentary speeches from the spectators upon the courage (?) he displayed in refusing to finish the battle in a manly, upright manner, and without resorting to any petty subterfuges to obtain anadjournment. Amongst others who commented in strong terms upon his behaviour was Jemmy Massey, who was backing him, and who has shown himself a pretty good judge of the quantity of punishment a man can take without being licked; Jemmy strongly advised Jones to at once leave the ring, acknowledge that he was afraid of Orme, and thus end the matter. The referee waited the promised half-hour, at the end of which time, finding that Jones still declined the contest, he awarded the victory to Orme, to whom he at once handed the sum of £45, being the bet of £25 to £20 which had been laid prior to the commencement of the fight. The battle lasted 15 minutes at Bourne Bridge, and 18 minutes at Newmarket—​total 33 minutes.

Remarks.—​Few remarks are called for upon the style displayed by either of the combatants in this most unsatisfactory affair. Orme displayed all that fearless determination to do or die which has characterised his former encounters, but we could not perceive any improvement in his scientific acquirements since his battle with Nat Langham last year. His principal notion of stopping seemed to be with his head, which consequently received many sharp visitations from Jones’s wild deliveries, which a very little care would have enabled him entirely to escape. The art of getting away seemed to be one to the study of which he has paid very little attention. His game evidently is “nothing venture, nothing gain,” and he acted up to this to the fullest extent. Notwithstanding his want of skilful direction of his undoubted powers, Orme is a dangerous customer to any one at all near his weight. He is a very hard hitter, an extremely powerful and determined man, of indomitable courage, and, although his powers as a receiver were not severely tested on the present occasion, still, it is known that in his fight with Langham he showed that his qualities as a glutton are of the highest order. He is, moreover, possessed of an excellent temper, which enables him to control himself under circumstances which are calculated sometimes to “ruffle the feathers” of the coolest combatant. As to Jones, in whom we were taught to expect a most wonderful alteration for the better, we can only say that our expectations were grievously disappointed. He certainly did stop Orme’s swinging right-handers occasionally, but his returns, which from the opening afforded to him might have enabled him to punish his daring adversary’s temerity in a most signal manner, were mostly thrown to the winds. The tremendous blow he received on the ribs in the very first round appeared to take a good deal of the fight out of him, and it was with extreme caution that he trusted himself within reach of Orme’s pile-driving visitations. In the first ring, indeed, after the first round, he did little but receive what Orme could give, and on arriving at the second arena, previous to recommencing operations, it appeared to us that there was some little difficulty on the part of his seconds in persuading him that there was a chance left for him to snatch the laurel of victory from his more hardy opponent. When he did begin, however, he proved that he could fight very well if he chose, and that what he might lack in strength could be fully counterbalanced by steadiness; for whenever he collected himself and made up his mind to be with his man, the hits were pretty equally balanced, both as regarded their severity and their number. The fall which he received in the second act, to which was superadded the weight of Orme’s carcase, however, seemed again to take a good deal of fight out of him, and it was pretty evident to all, that although Orme was not likely to gain a victory without receiving a very considerable amount of punishment, still, barring an accident, victory must ultimately be his. The conduct of Jones at the third ring proved either that his heart was composed of a softer material than is necessary to render a man a successful bruiser, or that he acted under advice which, however well intended, was certainly as ill-timed as it was injudicious. We know that his seconds did all they could to endeavour to persuade him to fight, but finding that he was obviously disinclined, they, like clever counsellors, did their best for their client in trying to convert a bad cause into a good one, and obtain an adjournment to a future day; but, as has already been seen, the fiat had gone forth. Their man had but to choose one of two alternatives—​viz., to fight or lose the battle, and he, doubtless feeling assured in his own mind that the latter course would be the safer, declined to have any more, withdrew from the ring, leaving behind him a reputation little creditable to him as aman of courage, and little calculated to raise him in the opinion of those Corinthians who were prepared to witness a manly struggle for pre-eminence, without any of those paltry shifts and subterfuge which appear now to be almost necessary concomitants of every encounter.

Remarks.—​Few remarks are called for upon the style displayed by either of the combatants in this most unsatisfactory affair. Orme displayed all that fearless determination to do or die which has characterised his former encounters, but we could not perceive any improvement in his scientific acquirements since his battle with Nat Langham last year. His principal notion of stopping seemed to be with his head, which consequently received many sharp visitations from Jones’s wild deliveries, which a very little care would have enabled him entirely to escape. The art of getting away seemed to be one to the study of which he has paid very little attention. His game evidently is “nothing venture, nothing gain,” and he acted up to this to the fullest extent. Notwithstanding his want of skilful direction of his undoubted powers, Orme is a dangerous customer to any one at all near his weight. He is a very hard hitter, an extremely powerful and determined man, of indomitable courage, and, although his powers as a receiver were not severely tested on the present occasion, still, it is known that in his fight with Langham he showed that his qualities as a glutton are of the highest order. He is, moreover, possessed of an excellent temper, which enables him to control himself under circumstances which are calculated sometimes to “ruffle the feathers” of the coolest combatant. As to Jones, in whom we were taught to expect a most wonderful alteration for the better, we can only say that our expectations were grievously disappointed. He certainly did stop Orme’s swinging right-handers occasionally, but his returns, which from the opening afforded to him might have enabled him to punish his daring adversary’s temerity in a most signal manner, were mostly thrown to the winds. The tremendous blow he received on the ribs in the very first round appeared to take a good deal of the fight out of him, and it was with extreme caution that he trusted himself within reach of Orme’s pile-driving visitations. In the first ring, indeed, after the first round, he did little but receive what Orme could give, and on arriving at the second arena, previous to recommencing operations, it appeared to us that there was some little difficulty on the part of his seconds in persuading him that there was a chance left for him to snatch the laurel of victory from his more hardy opponent. When he did begin, however, he proved that he could fight very well if he chose, and that what he might lack in strength could be fully counterbalanced by steadiness; for whenever he collected himself and made up his mind to be with his man, the hits were pretty equally balanced, both as regarded their severity and their number. The fall which he received in the second act, to which was superadded the weight of Orme’s carcase, however, seemed again to take a good deal of fight out of him, and it was pretty evident to all, that although Orme was not likely to gain a victory without receiving a very considerable amount of punishment, still, barring an accident, victory must ultimately be his. The conduct of Jones at the third ring proved either that his heart was composed of a softer material than is necessary to render a man a successful bruiser, or that he acted under advice which, however well intended, was certainly as ill-timed as it was injudicious. We know that his seconds did all they could to endeavour to persuade him to fight, but finding that he was obviously disinclined, they, like clever counsellors, did their best for their client in trying to convert a bad cause into a good one, and obtain an adjournment to a future day; but, as has already been seen, the fiat had gone forth. Their man had but to choose one of two alternatives—​viz., to fight or lose the battle, and he, doubtless feeling assured in his own mind that the latter course would be the safer, declined to have any more, withdrew from the ring, leaving behind him a reputation little creditable to him as aman of courage, and little calculated to raise him in the opinion of those Corinthians who were prepared to witness a manly struggle for pre-eminence, without any of those paltry shifts and subterfuge which appear now to be almost necessary concomitants of every encounter.

As was to be expected, the stakeholder received a legal notice from the backers of Jones, not to part with their portion of the money deposited. Nevertheless, on the Monday following, that gentleman handed over the £200 to Orme, pursuant to the decision of the referee. The stakeholder, in giving the money to Orme, animadverted severely on the conduct of the backers of Jones, which he characterised as unsportsmanlike and ill-judged. Such conduct was calculated to lower the already fallen fortunes of theP.R., and unless measures were taken to make an example of persons who could so far forget themselves, he feared that gentlemen would in future be deterred from putting down money to back men, from the fear that the backers of the opposing party would, if they found their man was getting the worst of it, take every unfair means in their power to prevent a manly and upright termination to the contest. On the present occasion two of Jones’s friends and supporters (whom he named) had, but whether with Jones’s consent he was unable to say, served him (the stakeholder) with a legal notice not to part with the money they had placed in his hands. Not feeling disposed to permit Orme to be thus deprived of a sum to which he had fairly entitled himself, he communicated the fact to the gentleman who staked the greater part of his money, and that gentle- and Orme executed a bond of indemnity to hold him (the stakeholder) harmless, in case Messrs. Ledger and Prior should take any further steps. The law expenses attending this bond of indemnity amounted to nearly £6. This sum would have to be paid by Orme, and it would make a considerable reduction in the amount of his winnings, which were already sufficiently circumscribed by the expenses incurred for training, paying his seconds,&c., &c.He felt assured that all persons who were disposed to look at the result of the contest in a proper light would agree with the referee in the decision he had given, and in this opinion he was upheld by remarks which had come to his ears, which had been made on the ground, by persons who had lost their money by backing Jones, many of whom said that the referee could not do otherwise than he had done. It was not necessary to trouble the company with any further remarks; they would form their own estimate of the proceedings of Jones andCo.; and in conclusion he was sure they would cordially agree with him in wishing that when Orme was again matched he would be more lucky in the choice of anopponent. It was certain that whenever he did fight again he would do his best to win, and it would be from no lack of determination on his part if he lost. The stakeholder then handed to Orme the £200, minus £5 17s. 4d., the amount of the lawyer’s bill for preparing the bond of indemnity.

Orme expressed his thanks to the stakeholder for his determination in giving up the money. He said it was usual, when the winning man received the reward of his victory, to present the loser with something as a compensation for his disappointment. It had been his intention to act up to the custom on the present occasion, and give Jones a £5 note, if his (Jones’s) backers had not acted in such an unsportsmanlike manner. They had, however, put him to an expense of nearly £6, and this so reduced his winnings that he really could not afford to give anything. He was sorry for this, on Jones’s account, as he did not believe that he had any hand in the legal proceedings. Although he could not himself afford to do anything for Jones, however, he would make a collection among his friends.

Orme’s determination to give nothing to Jones was applauded by the parties present, who expressed their opinion that this was the true method of punishing him for any countenance he might have given to the dealing with the lawyers which had been commenced by his friends. Orme then went round the room, and made a collection for Jones. This he handed over to Jones, who immediately rose and thanked the company. He assured them that he had nothing to do with the notice served upon the stakeholder, and all he could say was, he hoped when he fought again he should get a better character from the Press than he had received on the present occasion. He was no coward, and he trusted that the day would come when he might be able to prove himself as game a man as Orme. As to the amount subscribed for him, he thought he could not do better than hand it over to the stakeholder, to be appropriated towards Spring’s monument. Jones’s speech was much applauded, and he sat down amidst considerable cheering, and the remainder of the evening passed off harmoniously.

Orme’s second victory over Aaron Jones, who, as must not be forgotten, was at this period (1852–3) looked upon by the Broomes and many good judges as the “coming man” for the championshipin futuro, marked him out as a boxer who in time to come must “give away weight,” and who was not to be tackled by any middle-weight; for the phenomenon of a ten-and-a-half stone Champion had not yet presented itself to men’s eyes, or to their minds as a possibility or even a probability. At this juncture theChampion’s title had passed into the hands of Harry Broome, in consequence of his very debatable conquest of the “Old Tipton” (through a foul blow), on the 27th of September, 1851, at Mildenhall, Suffolk. From that time Harry Broome had worn the title undisputed (Aaron Jones being of the Broome party), but now the East End friends of Orme thought they perceived their Champion within a “measurable distance” of the Championship. Accordingly Harry Orme, with laudable ambition, picked up the gauntlet thrown down by the Champion, the “other Harry,” and agreeing to the amount of stake, £500, articles were drawn, and the 23rd of March, 1853, fixed for its decision; owing, however, to that being the day of the Newmarket Handicap, a supplemental agreement was signed, postponing the battle to Monday, 18th of April. We need not here recapitulate the circumstances of the battle, seeing that they are minutely detailed in the Memoir ofHarry Broome, ChapterIX.of this volume.

With this “glorious defeat,” more honourable to the loser than many victories, we close the Ring career of the brave, honest, and straightforward Harry Orme. We shall conclude our Ring memoirs of this courageous champion by a few words of quotation from a contemporary account of this final fight: “Orme is a remarkably quiet, civil fellow, and is much respected by his friends at the East End, and, indeed, by all who intimately know him. He is a man who never talks about fighting, except in the briefest terms, and then only when he means business. We do not ever recollect hearing from his lips, either at home or in public, any of that slang or loose talk which many of his brother professionals consider witty, or smart, and laughter-provoking. In fact, Harry Orme is singularly modest, and not only avoids boasting, but is always ready to concede credit to his opponent, and leave to others the praising of himself.”

Harry Orme was for many years known as the landlord of the “Jane Shore,” in Shoreditch. He died on the 9th of June, 1864, in his 41st year, and rests beneath a neat memorial in Abney Cemetery.

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“Rari quippe boni: numero vix sunt totidem, quotThebarum portæ, vel divitis ostia Nili.”—​Juvenal, Sat.

“Rari quippe boni: numero vix sunt totidem, quotThebarum portæ, vel divitis ostia Nili.”—​Juvenal, Sat.

“Rari quippe boni: numero vix sunt totidem, quotThebarum portæ, vel divitis ostia Nili.”—​Juvenal, Sat.

“Rari quippe boni: numero vix sunt totidem, quot

Thebarum portæ, vel divitis ostia Nili.”—​Juvenal, Sat.

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