NATHANIEL LANGHAM.
1843-1857.
“Take him for all in all,” the subject of this chapter, as a
middle-weight, was “a man” of whom might be safely said “we shall not
look upon his like again.” He was of the weight so often described by
the “old school” as the “unlucky 11 stone; too heavy for the light,
and too light for the heavy ones.” Yet at that weight it is
indisputable that the finest specimens of skill, strength, and
activity have been developed, where courage and endurance have been
duly combined, “to give the world assurance of a man.”
Nathaniel Langham was born in May, 1820, at Hinckley in Leicestershire;
his height 5 feet 10 inches, and weight, as already stated, 11 stone.
Nat’s earlier years were passed as a country labourer’s are usually.
In his boyish days he worked in the fields, and as soon as he was
fitted, made his way into Leicester, where he was engaged by a
tradesman, as he himself has told us, to “deliver goods with a horse
and cart.” While in this town he attained, in the years 1841-1843, an
insight into the more scientific manœuvres of the art pugilistic, for
which he had a natural taste and instinctive aptitude, being much
praised by Dick Cain, who often encouraged him to “put on the mittens”
with rural roughs who might fancy their fistic abilities, and who gave
Nat the best of tactical advice and instruction. Notwithstanding this
episode of town life, it is certain that in February, 1843, Langham
was again at his native village of Hinckley, for in _Bell’s Life_ of
February 12th we find the following paragraph, recording the first
Ring fight of our hero:――
[Illustration: NAT LANGHAM.
_From a Painting by_ WILLIAMS.]
“A fight came off on Thursday last, near Hinckley,
Leicestershire, between Nathaniel Langham, of Hinckley, and
William Ellis, of Sabcote (an adjacent village), for £5 a
side. The men were of pretty equal proportions, each
standing a little under six feet, but, if anything, Ellis is
the larger man; he is an old fighter, and was considered by
his backers (though they must now be convinced to the
contrary) invincible. Langham, too, has appeared in the Ring
before, and distinguished himself as a man of no small
talent as regards his milling capabilities. The fight took
place about eleven o’clock, when both men went to work hard
and fast, Langham hitting well at his man, and getting his
blows home. Ellis was unable to hit his antagonist with
effect, and at the expiration of the eighth round showed his
sense by giving in, having his peepers most effectually
darkened, his lips cut, and other very visible marks of
heavy and frequent visitations from Langham’s skilfully
directed ‘fives.’”
Nat after this took his way to the great mart for all rising talent,
the Metropolis, landing at Ben Caunt’s early in 1844. On the 7th of
May in that year Langham found himself one of a pugilistic party,
headed by Ben Caunt, on board of the “Nymph” steamer, outward bound in
search of a convenient battle-field for the settlement of the
“difference of opinion” between Joe Bostock (a former opponent of
Johnny Broome) and Turner, the “Wychwood Forester.” This affair
disposed of, by Bostock winning in thirty-four minutes, a purse was
collected for “an afterpiece.” Thereupon Tom Lowe, a stalwart
coal-whipper of some repute as conqueror in various bye-battles, and
who afterwards beat Hurley at 12 stone, presented himself. Nat
proposed to answer the challenger, and “Big Ben” gave his approval of
the experiment. D’Orsay Turner, and Mike Driscoll seconded Langham,
Jack Cullen and Ned Adams picking up Lowe. The battle was a curious,
scrambling affair, according to the meagre paragraph which is afforded
to it in _Bell’s Life_. In fact, it is within our knowledge that the
reporter on this occasion had left the ring and gone aboard the
steamer before it was known that a second fight was arranged. In the
43rd round, when Lowe was said to have “the best of the battle” (?) we
are told, “On getting up from his corner Lowe, much to the surprise of
most parties, went up to his adversary, and shaking hands with him,
declined fighting any more; Langham was of course proclaimed the
victor, after fighting 50 minutes.” We suspect the verbal amateur
reporter of this affair did not know so much about Nat Langham’s
capabilities as Mr. Lowe had found out during the 50 minutes he had
faced him. At any rate, Caunt was so satisfied with his “novice’s”
display that he offered to back him for £25 against any man of his
weight. Langham also put forth a challenge to fight Joe Bostock, the
conqueror in this day’s battle, “for £25, to meet within six weeks of
signing articles;” but Johnny Broome, who was behind Bostock, and than
whom in his day there was no better judge, having availed himself of
an opportunity of trying Nat with the gloves, would not have the
engagement at any price, and so the affair came to nought. A clear
twelvemonth now elapsed before Nat could meet with a customer,
although we find him offering himself as a candidate for pugilistic
honours at 11 stone, and give 7lb., for £25; money ready at “The
Lion,” at Hinckley, or the “Coach and Horses,” St. Martin’s Lane.
In the month of June, 1845, Langham being then under the wing of Ben
Caunt, an outsider presented himself at the Champion’s hostelrie, and
in the course of conversation announced himself as “Doctor” Campbell;
he was soon recognised as the successful opponent of Ben Hart, in a
punishing fight of seventy-one rounds, which took place on the 3rd of
November, 1842, in the Kentish marshes. A bout with the gloves with
“brother Bob” (certainly no great “trial-horse”) was followed by the
“Doctor,” who weighed close on 12 stone, declaring himself to be “in
want of a job,” whereon Nat suggested to his patron Ben that he
thought he could accommodate the “Doctor” by giving him a few pounds’
weight and a beating. Ben, who was ever close-fisted, offered to put
down a “fiver” for Nat; and, as the “Doctor’s” friends were not flush
of money, that modest sum remained without increase until the 12th of
June, when Big Ben, as M.C., taking advantage of the hiring of a
steamer for a more important “excursion,” shipped his man Nat, and
conveyed him to the battle-field at Rainham Ferry, at which place
“Doctor” Campbell and friends were in waiting. No contemporary report
of the rounds is extant, but we know from eye-witnesses that Nat,
though with small preparation, in the short space of thirty-five
minutes so used his left “pickaxe”――as it was afterwards expressively
termed by no less a master of arts than Tom Sayers himself――that the
“Doctor” was completely “physicked.” In the 27th round he “retired
from professional practice,” entirely disabled, and declined further
contest, and never again showed within the ropes of the P.R.
Dan Hagerty, who had beaten Bill Amos, Jack Johnston, and subsequently
the hard-hitting Aby Durell, was challenged by Nat for £25 a side; but
Dan’s backers, after some conference, thought it best to leave the
Leicester man alone, and a sov. down was forfeited.
Nat now retired into country quarters, and we next hear of him as
matched with a boxer of great local renown, hight George Gutteridge,
of Bourne, in Lincolnshire. Gutteridge, who was born in 1823, stood 5
feet 9 inches, and weighed 11 stone 7 lbs., began his rising career in
April, 1845, by beating, in 23 sharp rounds, George Graham (known as
the “Potter”); this he followed in June, 1846, by defeating Macdonald,
of Derby (the conqueror of Jem Bailey and several others), in a
slashing fight of thirty-five minutes, in which 31 rattling rounds
were contested. About this time we saw Gutteridge in London, at
Caunt’s, and a more likely young fellow for wear and tear, his pluck
being undoubted, we have seldom seen. His skill as a fighter, like all
rural champions, was, of course, ridiculously overrated; and when Ben
pointed him out to us as “that’s the chap that’s matched against
Langham, what do you think of him?” there was a sort of hesitancy in
the Champion’s tone, that expressed anxious doubt for the safety of
the “quarter of a hundred,” besides “training ex’s,” which he had
invested on the “wager of battle.” Caunt having received £7 from
Gutteridge’s friends, for the right of naming the place of meeting,
Mr. Banton’s, New Inn, at Bourne, South Lincolnshire, was named as the
rendezvous, and thither on the overnight of the battle, Tuesday, June
9th, 1846, Caunt, with Langham and friends, repaired. At 8 a.m. the
men went to scale, Langham drawing 11 stone, Gutteridge 11 stone 8
lbs. Langham looked thin but hard, as if somewhat overtrained.
Gutteridge showed wonderfully strong, though a trifle fleshy. An
excellent ring was formed at South Farm Pastures, about three miles
from Bourne, and around it was grouped a large attendance of the
gentry, yeomen, farmers, and labourers, with a sprinkling of sporting
men from Leicestershire and the Midlands. The order, good-temper, and
we might say decorum of the assembly, and the conduct of the
spectators throughout the fight, were an example to such gatherings
which we despair in these days to see imitated, either down rail or
river. Langham had for his seconds Dan Bufton and John Gill;
Gutteridge was excited on by Homer Howden and his former antagonist
“Potter George” (Graham). The colours, a canary yellow for Langham,
and a blue and white spot for Gutteridge, being tied to the stakes,
the men shook hands cheerfully, and the battle began, the current odds
being 6 and 7 to 4 on Gutteridge.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.――The attitude of Nat was by far the more
artistic, though that of the Lincolnshire man was by no
means awkward or constrained; yet he held his arms too
close and across to deliver at a well-judged distance;
accordingly, after a little sparring just to feel his
way, Nat popped in a couple of such sharp facers,
jumping back from the return, that the question of
“first blood” was settled almost in the first hit, the
crimson fluid trickling from Gutteridge’s left optic.
The Lincoln man, who was evidently no flincher, went in
ding-dong, Langham retreating perforce from his
determined rush, but delivering two or three cutting
left-handers on his assailant’s frontispiece before he
went down at the ropes on the saving suit.
2.――Nat came up cool as a cucumber, with no visible
marks of hitting save a red bump on his left
cheek-bone, and a slight flush of colour which rather
improved his complexion. Gutteridge, on the contrary,
had a gaping cut over the right eye, a prominent blue
mouse under the left optic, and his teeth were tinged
from his cut lip. He rattled in undismayed, but got
little by the motion, the balance of the exchanges
being all in favour of Leicester. In a close, however,
he gripped Master Nat, and embracing him, showed his
superior strength by forcing him down and falling on
him heavily. (Cheering for Gutteridge.)
3.――Nat dodging in, and then retreating, to get his man
to follow. Gutteridge, by advice of his seconds,
refusing to do so, Nat woke him up by twice visiting
his left eye clean over his guard, whereupon
Gutteridge, stung by these long shots, rushed to close
quarters, and after taking a prop or two fought Nat
down in his own corner. (The Lincoln man’s friends in
high glee.)
4 to 10.――Langham seemed steady and cool, and none the
worse for Mr. Gutteridge’s lunges, and the rapid
rallies which followed at close quarters. Not so
Gutteridge, whose portrait was gradually painted in
crimson by a master-hand. Though there was active
fighting on both sides, there was a somewhat tedious
similarity in the rounds, Langham improving his lead in
every bout, and Gutteridge failing in most cases, in
clenching his adversary for the throw.
From the 11th to the 50th round Gutteridge showed
himself dangerous, and with unflinching game every now
and then raised the hopes of his partisans by remaining
on his legs after severe exchanges of blows, then
walking to his corner to seat himself on his second’s
knee, while Nat, husbanding his strength, was tenderly
carried, often sedan fashion, by his careful attendants
to his appointed resting-place.
In the 51st round, to the surprise of all, Langham
seemed to recover second wind; perceiving the shaky
state of his brave opponent, he assumed the offensive,
and delivered half a dozen hits left and right at arm’s
length, the last of which sent down Gutteridge in his
corner all of a heap; the first fair knock down. From
this point the rounds became short, poor Gutteridge
gradually losing almost every glimpse of daylight,
coming up round after round until the 93rd, when,
perceiving the last chance of his man had vanished,
Hodgkiss threw up the sponge in Gutteridge’s corner in
token of defeat, and Nat was hailed the victor of the
day, after a severe contest of _one hour and
twenty-five minutes_ of active and actual fighting;
Langham’s superiority as a boxer being evident from
first to last.
At the giving up of the stakes at Caunt’s on the following Thursday,
Angelo, of Windsor, was backed against Langham for £50 a side, but the
match went off, Gutteridge’s backer posting a small deposit for a
second encounter, which was covered on the part of Langham, who
afterwards received forfeit, the Lincolnshire friends of the former
considering the first judgment of the referee not likely to be
reversed on a new trial.
William Sparkes, a hardy Australian, having fought his way to fame at
the Antipodes, and made the voyage to the Old Country, in further
search of “the bubble reputation,” was introduced in the early part of
1847 to the London Ring, under the patronage of Johnny Broome, and
that ’cute observer at once commended him to his Corinthian visitors,
as “just the sort of man to polish off Master Nat,” who, in the
estimate of Johnny, “was dangerously clever, but had no constitution.”
Sparkes, at this time, was certainly a fine, hardy specimen of a
“corn-stalk” as could be seen in a summer’s day. Twenty-six years of
age, firmly put together, round-limbed, muscular, and active, and not
only bringing with him a belt as a pugilist, but also a trophy won by
his fleetness of foot as a pedestrian “champion,” he was certainly a
“representative man,” so far as Australian prowess was in question.
With him, then, Langham was matched, as champion of the honour of the
Old Country, for £50 a side, and Tuesday, May 4th, 1847, was fixed for
the final settlement of the question.
On that day, at an early hour, the “Nymph” being chartered for the
voyage, the party embarked from the now-abolished Hungerford Market
Pier, and thence dropped down to Blackwall, where, on the Brunswick
Pier, a goodly muster of the Fancy had assembled, and where, also, a
coal-tug or two, laden with “Cheapside” customers, were in waiting to
follow in the wake of the Fancy “flag-ship.” From some petty jealousy,
into the cause of which we do not care to inquire, Tom Spring, Peter
Crawley, and a group of Corinthians here shipped themselves on board
the regular Gravesend passenger-boat, instead of taking tickets by the
chartered “Fancy” craft. Johnny Broome, who was in command, suppressed
any mortification he might have felt, but did not the less determine
to balance accounts with the Separatists, as the sequel will show. The
“Nymph” cast off from the Blackwall Pier, and led the way towards
Charlton, where Langham was taken on board, having been trained by
Robinson (“Caunt’s Pet”), near Dartford; the Australian had already
been shipped at Hungerford. While we lay-to off Charlton Pier, the
Gravesend boat, with the two crowded tugs in attendance, pursued their
downward course. Soon after, as the “Nymph,” at half-speed, was
nearing Erith, Johnny Broome called “a council of war,” wherein he
announced his resolution to disappoint those who had shown such a want
of that unanimity which we had so often publicly advocated on these
occasions. He proposed that we should “about ship,” and make a return
voyage, leaving the “secessionists,” including the “tuggites” and the
Gravesend passengers, to the enjoyment of their excursion, without the
prospect of seeing the day’s mill, from the appointed and legitimate
mode of being present at which they had thus wilfully disentitled
themselves. His arguments were unanswerable. The bow of the “Nymph”
was quickly put up stream, the tide was flowing, and back we went;
indeed, almost before the downward voyagers were aware of our change
of course, we were steaming through the Pool, and thence pursued our
way, never stopping until Nine Elms Pier was reached. There the men
and their friends disembarked, and, availing themselves of a train by
the South Western Railway, proceeded to Woking Common. On arriving,
the Commissary and assistants quickly prepared a ring, on the ground
where Barnash and Martin fought a fortnight previous; and in half an
hour, the party having refreshed themselves meantime at a neighbouring
hostelrie, a select party of about one hundred spectators surrounded
the roped enclosure, heartily laughing at “the sell” practised upon
the “Secesh,” who had cut themselves off by their own want of _esprit
du corps_ from witnessing the fight. Among the disappointed were some
“knowing ones,” who, in those days of “pigeon expresses,” had carried
down their feathered messengers, with the view of conveying to their
London confederates the first news of the battle and its result.
At half-past two o’clock the combatants entered the lists; Langham
esquired by D’Orsay Turner and Barnash, Sparkes seconded by Sam
Simmonds (of Birmingham) and Joe Rowe. The “sestette” shook hands in a
friendly manner, and the men proceeded to their toilettes, while
umpires and a referee were chosen. All preliminaries being adjusted,
and the colours (white with a scarlet border for Sparkes, and a blue
birdseye for Langham) knotted to the stake, the men toed the scratch
for
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.――On throwing themselves into position, the
advantage on the part of Langham as to height and
length was obvious to all, while the brawny frame of
the Australian showed him to be the more powerful of
the two. He stood with his left arm straight out from
the shoulder, with his right hand well up, his body
being inclined backwards in an extraordinary manner.
Langham threw his arms about quickly, as if to put the
Australian off his guard, but in vain. At length
Langham led off with his right, which was twice
cleverly stopped. Sparkes made play, catching Langham
slightly on the side of the jaw with his left. Langham
again tried his left, but was again stopped. In another
attempt he was more successful, and caught the
Australian on the nose slightly. Sparkes closed,
delivered two good body blows, and both were down. (The
opinion round the ring was that the Australian was far
from being the “novice” that he was anticipated to be.)
2.――Langham led off at the nose with his left, and got
on smartly. Sparkes returned heavily with his right on
the body and side of the head with his left, knocking
Langham off his legs. (_First knock-down for Sparkes_,
amidst some astonishment.)
3.――Langham immediately led off, getting slightly home
on the body. Sparkes dashed in, hit up on the forehead,
then fibbed his man in the ribs with the right, and
Langham got down.
4.――Langham made play and worked in at his man, who got
cleverly away. Sparkes then went to him, delivered his
favourite body blow, Langham staggered back against the
ropes, and got down.
5.――No hesitation on either side; Sparkes stopped two
well-intended compliments from his adversary’s left.
Counter-hits exchanged, Sparkes getting it on the nose
twice, but without impression. Langham slipped down.
6.――Sparkes tried his left and right, but was short in
both attempts. Langham jobbed him in the left cheek
heavily, and got down in the half-arm hitting,
evidently not anxious to test the strength of his
adversary in a close.
7.――Langham led off with his left, but Sparkes met him
with a heavy hit on the body, and Langham went down.
8.――Langham again tried to lead off, but the Australian
was as quick as himself, countered him in the forehead,
Langham getting in sharply, at a well-judged distance,
on his adversary’s nose, from which he displaced the
bark, and drew _first blood_. Sparkes delivered his
right heavily on the ribs, knocking Langham down for
the second time.
9.――Langham first to fight, catching Sparkes on the
side of his nose, Sparkes returning heavily on the
chest and ribs with both hands, and Langham down.
10.――The men rushed together, and after a slight
exchange of hits, Langham slipped down.
11.――Langham commenced by delivering his left heavily
on Sparkes’s left eye. Sparkes caught him on the
forehead with his left, on the body with his right, and
Langham got down.
12.――Langham delivered on the left cheek, received a
slight body blow, and got down. Sparkes by far the
stronger man.
13.――Good body blows were exchanged. Langham then
planted upon his adversary’s nose with his left;
Sparkes let fly at the body, and Langham was again
down.
14 and 15.――Sparkes forced the fighting, but Langham
jobbed him heavily as he came in. Sparkes delivered
very slightly on the ribs, and Langham got down leary.
[The fighting was extremely quick, no round having
lasted half a minute. Fourteen minutes had now
elapsed.]
16.――Langham got well in on the side of the head with
his left twice as Sparkes tried to bore in.
Counter-hits exchanged, Sparkes napping it on the nose,
and Langham on the body. The latter then slipped down.
17.――Good counter-hits and a sharp rally; a close, in
which Langham fibbed his man in the head, and after a
short struggle both were down, Sparkes this time under.
18.――Sparkes led off, getting in one on the ribs with
his right, and his left on the forehead, but too short
to be effective. Langham seemed to have got the measure
of his man; he jobbed him heavily in the left eye and
on the cheek, and got down.
19 to 21.――Similar to the last. Rapid fighting, Sparkes
occasionally putting in a body blow, Langham jobbing
him severely in the head, and getting down in the
close.
22.――Langham led off with his left, catching the
Australian heavily on the side of his head; Sparkes
returned on the nose, but not heavily. Langham then
planted his left severely on Sparkes’s right cheek,
drawing the claret. Sparkes closed, threw his man, and
fell over him.
23.――Langham tried to open with sparring on the
defensive, but Sparkes forced the fighting. Heavy
exchanges left and right, those of Langham drawing more
blood from Sparkes’s cheek and eye, Sparkes still
fighting at the body. Langham eventually got down.
24 to 32.――Langham took the lead in these rounds,
Sparkes hitting with less precision; Nat repeatedly
jobbed his man heavily in the face, but Sparkes was
thorough game, and would not be denied; he occasionally
put in a body blow which sounded all over the ring;
Sparkes’s left eye was fast closing, and his right
cheek showed marks of punishment. In the 32nd round, in
a rally, Langham caught the Australian a severe blow
with his right on the left ear, from which the blood
was quickly seen to flow. Langham showed no marks
beyond a slight swelling on his forehead, and a redness
about his ribs. So quick was the fighting that only 32
minutes had been occupied up to the close of this
round.
33.――Sparkes changed his style a little and hit higher,
declining to be drawn on. He sent his right well home
on Langham’s jaw; Langham returned with his left on the
left eye-brow, which he cut. Sparkes then got in his
right on Langham’s left eye, on which he raised a
slight mouse. Langham got down in an attempt by Sparkes
to close.
34 and 35.――Langham met his man as he came in with
well-directed jobs, the Australian still fighting at
the body. In the latter round he closed, and threw
Langham, falling on him.
36.――Counter-hits; Langham catching his adversary
heavily on the left ear, again drawing blood. Sparkes
rushed in, delivered his favourite body blow, and again
knocked Nat clean off his legs.
37.――Langham came up slow, the last hit had evidently
shaken him. Sparkes rushed at him to follow up his
advantage, but Langham stopped him right and left, got
away, and ultimately slipped down.
38.――Langham, still keeping away, propped the
Australian as he came in, and got down.
39.――Langham had not yet recovered himself from the
visitation in the 36th round, but Sparkes could not get
the lead, as his man not only stopped cleverly, but got
away immediately he went to him, and eventually slipped
down.
From this to the 58th round the same style of fighting
was continued; the men commenced work immediately on
arriving at the scratch. Sparkes’s body blows came in
occasionally with great force, but some were stopped by
Langham very prettily, and the latter recovering his
strength, he jobbed his man severely in the head.
Sparkes’s right eye was following suit with his left,
which was quite closed, and blood was drawn every round
from his ear or cheek. The rounds were almost
invariably finished by Langham going down to avoid the
struggle and throw. In the 50th round, after a few
rattling exchanges, Sparkes, for the fourth time, sent
his man to grass, with a heavy right-handed hit in the
ribs.
59 to 61.――Langham propped his man heavily as he
attempted to come in. Sparkes, however, fought with
unflinching courage, and would not retreat, and often
bored Nat down.
62.――Langham got home on Sparkes’s neck, Sparkes
returned on the ribs. A close followed, in which
Langham was down, with Sparkes on him. Sparkes
unfortunately had his right arm under his man, who fell
heavily on it, and, as it afterwards appeared, broke
the bone of his forearm. On coming up for the 63rd
round, Sparkes held his right arm up, but was quickly
compelled to drop it, from the pain he suffered.
Langham went in and milled away until the Australian
went down. From this to the 67th and last round Sparkes
came up bravely, keeping his right arm close to his
side, and attempted to plant upon his man with his
left; it was of course in vain. Langham was too good a
strategist to be planted on, and working in with both
hands upon the game fellow in each round, punishing him
until he went down. He was repeatedly asked by his
seconds to give in, but in vain; his game was such that
he almost disdained to sit on his second’s knee until
the call of time. At length, in the 67th round, Johnny
Broome entered the ring and threw up his hat in token
of defeat, after a contest of 68 minutes, and even then
it was with the greatest difficulty that Sparkes’s
seconds could prevent his rising and rushing at his man
to have another “shy.” A gamer or more fearless boxer
never entered the Ring.
REMARKS.――Langham in this contest confirmed the opinion
we entertained of his former fight with Gutteridge. He
is a clever, scientific fighter, good on his legs, and
a heavy hitter; and although the practice of getting
down is anything but commendable, still, with a
determined adversary, possessing superior bodily
powers, every allowance must be made for the caution of
a wily general. He evidently saw that to struggle with
such a man as Sparkes would be attended with no
advantage to himself, and he therefore determined not
to throw a chance away. His superior length, and his
quickness in meeting the Australian hero as he came in,
in a great measure protected his mug from damage; but
the fact of his leaving the ring with scarcely a
scratch was mainly to be attributed to the style of
Sparkes, who, when he fought at the head, invariably
hit too high to do damage. Sparkes proved himself one
of the gamest fellows that ever pulled off a shirt; he
is a hard hitter, and stops with great neatness; but in
Langham he contended with an adversary who had the
advantage of him in every respect except in strength
and courage (the latter attribute was not, however,
wanting in either man). Notwithstanding the severe
punishment he received about the head, however, he came
up as strong on his legs at the end as at the
commencement of the fight, and in almost every round
declined all assistance of his seconds to carry him to
his corner. Had it not been for the accident to his arm
in the 65th round, the contest would, no doubt, have
lasted longer, possibly with a different result. As to
style, however, Langham was the superior fighter. The
affair concluded, all returned to town per train, and
“The Nymph,” in attendance at Nine Elms, conveyed her
cargo to the port whence they embarked. The battle
money was given to Langham at Ben Caunt’s. This is the
first time that Sparkes was beaten, having fought in
and out of the ring in N.S.W. with several men. His
last four adversaries were Chas. Wooten, of Nottingham
(N.S.W.), for £25 a side; Joe Marshall, of the same
place, for £50 a side; Bill Davis, of Liverpool
(N.S.W.), for £100 a side (after the conquest of whom
he received his belt); and “Tom the brewer,” for £100 a
side.
The stakes were presented to Langham at Ben Caunt’s, when a collection
was made for the losing man. This was considerably augmented on the
Friday week following at a benefit given to Sparkes at Johnny
Broome’s. Of course the “tuggites,” and some of those thrown out by
Johnny’s strategic movement on the previous Tuesday, were loud in
their denunciations of his “shameful conduct,” as it was termed. At
these Johnny laughed, while the sporting Press reminded them that
“they had only themselves to blame for their disappointment.”
Nat’s victory over Sparkes was certainly calculated to place him in
the very front rank of middle-weight boxers, and from this time until
the beginning of the year ’51 he was “laid up in lavender,” until
after all sorts of negotiations, and breaks-off with all sorts of men,
some too heavy, and others thinking themselves too light, unless Nat
(who had never much to get off in the way of flesh) could consent to
reduce himself, Harry Orme, though more than half a stone heavier, was
proposed. Orme’s defeat of Aaron Jones, in December, 1849, had proved
him a strong, resolute, and formidable, if not a scientific boxer, and
his friends, thinking his chance a good one, entered into articles for
£50 a side, the battle to be decided on the 6th of May, 1851. On this
occasion Nat was doomed to experience his first and only defeat, after
a contest which _Bell’s Life_ characterises as “one of the gamest
battles the annals of the Ring can boast;” the details of which will
be found in the ensuing chapter in the Life of HARRY ORME.
Langham, who was always a well-conducted, steady fellow, now went into
business as a publican at the Ram Inn, Bridge Street, Cambridge, where
he won “golden opinions from all sorts of men,” securing the patronage
of many University undergrads, and for two years none cared to dispute
his title as “Champion of the Middle-weights,” a distinction a quarter
of a century ago fully recognised at a period when the heavy weights
had certainly sadly degenerated, though the time had yet to come in
which “the Championship of England” should be held by a boxer under 11
stone!
So highly were Langham’s capabilities in his contest with Orme
esteemed by all who witnessed that gallant fight, that his name was
continually to the fore, not only in Cambridge, but among the
Corinthians who held their conversaziones at Jem Burn’s, at the
“Rising Sun;” at Owen Swift’s “Horseshoe;” at Limmer’s Hotel, and “The
Corner;” while among the knowing ones who frequented Ben Caunt’s
“Coach and Horses,” at Peter Crawley’s “Duke’s Head,” and places
further east, all were of opinion that “Clever Nat” was not to be
beaten by any man who had not a great pull in respect of weight.
There was, however, a sporting-house, unnamed by us as yet, situated
in a street off the once-famed Seven Dials, where lived an ex-pugilist
(recently deceased) who was unquestionably as good a judge of the
merits of a fighting man as ever lived. This was Alec Keene, of the
“Three Tuns,” Moor Street, Soho; and there were not a few Corinthians
who often threaded their way through the intricacies of Soho to have a
palaver with Alec Keene, and learn his straight opinion as to the
chances of the competitors in some coming fight, or as to the
advisability of backing this or the other candidate for a match. Among
these we remember “young” Sir Robert Peel, his gallant brother William
(both of them splendid boxers), Lord Ongley, Lord Drumlanrig, Sir
Edward Kent, Colonel Higgins, Lord Winchilsea, _cum multis aliis_.
Now, among the special pets of Alec foremost stood Tom Sayers, whose
merits Keene was the first among the professionals to fully perceive
and boldly declare; and he never ceased to use his influence in
finding him backers, in which he was zealously seconded by Harry
Brunton.[24]
After Tom had beaten Jack Martin, in the January of 1853, both he and
his friend Alec (who acted as his second on that occasion) were
confident that the championship of the middle-weights was well within
his reach, notwithstanding the admitted excellence of Nat Langham.
Consequently, after many discussions and conferences, the money was
made all right, and a challenge was issued from Moor Street, in which
Tom announced his readiness to meet the redoubtable Nat on his own
terms. There was some laughing in Air Street at Tom’s audacity, and in
St. Martin’s Lane, although in the city on the Cam lots of
“collegians” were ready to find a bit of Nat’s money. It was soon
ascertained, however, when Langham had accepted the challenge, and a
match had been made to fight for the sum named, on the 18th of
October, 1853, that although Langham was the favourite, his adherents
had only to offer the slightest shade of odds in Tichborne Street or
Soho to be at once accommodated to any amount they desired.
Both men went into active training at an early period. Nat, whose long
rest had rendered him somewhat rusty, retired to country quarters,
under the care of Jemmy Welsh, who had to give him a full dose of work
to bring him, without any loss of power, within the stipulated 11st.,
though at this period Nat’s fighting weight was only two or three
pounds in excess of that point. However, his training went smoothly
on, without a break or a hitch of any kind, and, as will be seen
presently, he was brought to the post in prime fettle. Tom, on the
other hand, who had, as usual, gone down to the neighbourhood of
Brighton――his mentor and attendant being the celebrated pedestrian,
Bob Fuller――encountered quite a series of mischances. He first caught
a severe cold, almost deserving to be called an influenza, which
stopped him in his work. This was followed by an ugly breaking out on
his face and chin, which certainly did not indicate that his blood was
in its ordinary healthful condition. No difficulties of this kind
dismayed either Tom or his backers, and, consequently, _Bell’s Life_
on the 16th of October was enabled to announce that both men were well
and full of confidence. In consequence of the day fixed for the fight
being the opening day of the Warwick Meeting, there had been an
endeavour to alter the day to the Monday previous, but as this was the
settling-day for the Cesarewitch, the alteration would have been no
improvement, if, indeed, not rather the reverse, as backers and
bookmakers would both be compelled to show at Tattersall’s――the lucky
backer of Haco to receive, and the unfortunate followers of the
ill-fated Nabob (who was second that year in both the great handicaps
to the turned loose youngsters, Haco and Little David) to part with
what had so nearly brought them safe home.
On another account it was fortunate that the fixture remained
unchanged, for on Monday the rain came down in an almost ceaseless
downpour from morning till night, and the Corinthians and
professionals who assembled at Caunt’s and Alec Keene’s in the
evening, to obtain their tickets for the excursion, and the straight
tip as to the time and place of departure, prognosticated somewhat
gloomily as to the weather possibilities of the morrow.
Fortunately, these prophecies were falsified by the event, and shortly
before eight o’clock, as hansom after hansom dashed up to the Eastern
Counties Railway Station, in Shoreditch――the directors had not yet
become sufficiently aristocratic to call it the Great Eastern Station,
Bishopsgate, nor had they attained their grand terminus at Liverpool
Street――their occupants shook hands heartily with the first
acquaintance they encountered, and congratulated themselves on the
bright October sun, which was making even the dingy East End look
moderately cheerful. At half-past eight the train started, and after a
pleasant journey of about three hours, past Cambridge, Ely, and
Mildenhall, pulled up at Lakenheath, in Suffolk, and the living cargo,
which numbered not less than four hundred, among whom were most of the
Corinthian supporters of the Ring, who had come down under the special
care of Jem Burn, invaded and overran the little station.
For the benefit of those who slumbered too long to refresh the inner
man satisfactorily before leaving, a copious breakfast had been
provided by Mr. Moore, of the “Old Rum Puncheon,” Moorfields, who, we
are happy to say, still survives in this year of grace, 1881, the hale
and hearty host of the “Royal Standard” at Walthamstow. Ample justice
being done to this repast, we found that Tom Oliver, assisted by Tom
Callas, had decided on the spot for the ring, in a field about two
hundred yards from the stopping-place. While the stakes and ropes were
being placed _in situ_, Dan Dismore attended to the sale of inner ring
tickets; and the character of the gathering may be inferred from the
fact that about one in five of the travellers elected to become
purchasers of “privilege” cards. The men having made their toilets,
Sayers, just at half-past twelve, shied his castor into the ring,
following it himself, with his seconds, Alec Keene and Bob Fuller. Tom
received a loud and hearty greeting from his partisans; and this had
hardly died away when the cheers were renewed as Nat Langham entered,
attended by the accomplished Jemmy Welsh and Jerry Noon, who was
equally clever as a second when――as upon this occasion he did――he
could refrain from those eccentric performances for which he was
notorious, and which, however amusing they might be to the spectators,
were anything but useful to his principal. On this particular day
Jerry was on his good behaviour, and did not once attempt to raise a
laugh until the fight was over. Immediately on entering the ring Tom
and Nat, who were “old pals,” shook hands with great cordiality,
evoking the cheers of the onlookers, who were delighted at this proof
that the combatants were actuated only by the desire to win fame and
reputation, and, in fact, realised the description of the prizefighter
by the poet:――
Who are sworn friends to one another,
And first shake hands before they box;
Then give each other plaguy knocks,
With all the love and kindness of a brother.
This episode completed, the referee and umpires having taken their
places, the seconds retired to their corners, and all was attention as
the men approached each other and began
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.――On toeing the scratch the knowing ones
eagerly scanned the appearance and condition of the
men, in order, if possible, to gain thus some
indication of the possible issue of the combat, and a
few bets were made at 6 to 4 on Langham. There was a
wide contrast between the men, both in appearance and
condition; Langham was long and lathy; his frame was
evidently that of a man who had seen severe work,
and――to all appearance――not likely to last through the
wear and tear of long-continued exertion. There was a
smile of good-humoured confidence on his mug, however,
that showed how little he feared the result of the
coming combat, while his condition was simply perfect,
and reflected the highest credit on his trainer.
Sayers, on the other hand, although he looked――as of
old――broad, strong, and burly, was clearly overburdened
with flesh――the 5lb. he scaled above his accustomed
10st. 7lb. being palpably all to the bad. The breaking
out on his chin and face, already alluded to, certainly
did not give one the idea of his being in a perfect
state of health, and it may well be that to the fact of
his not being in his best form may be attributed an
anxious look about his eyes, so different to the gay,
laughing confidence he exhibited in his other fights.
Both men, on taking up position, stood with their legs
too wide apart; their guards were neither easy nor
graceful, nor was there anything strikingly artistic in
their attitudes. They began with a good deal of
sparring, and, at length, Langham let go his left, but
did not get quite home. Caution was again the order of
the day, until Langham once more got within distance,
and tried his left a second time, just reaching Tom’s
chest. Sayers now tried to draw his man, but Langham
was not to be had. Sayers, therefore, approached him,
when Langham popped in his left on the cheek, and then
the same hand on the nose, and got away. Sayers soon
followed him up, and Nat, as he retreated, again sent
out his left on the cheek. More sparring now took
place, and, at length, counter-hits were exchanged, Nat
catching Tom on the chin and drawing _first blood_ from
a pimple below his mouth. Sayers now bored in, and
caught Nat a nasty one on the forehead, from the
effects of which Langham went to grass. (_First
knock-down blow_ for Sayers.) Little merit, however,
could be attached to it, as the ground was in such a
state from the previous day’s rain as to render it
difficult for Nat to keep his legs, and the hit rather
helped him to grass than fairly sent him there. Having
now had an opportunity of judging and comparing the
men, the betting settled down to 5 to 4 on Nat, the
odds being principally due to Tom’s obviously bad
condition, and to the fact that, having lost the toss
for choice of corners, he had to fight with the sun in
his eyes.
2.――In this round Nat commenced the saving game, which
he persisted in throughout the fight, and after
planting a tap on the mouth, and receiving on the
forehead, slipped down.
3.――Both men ready to the call of time, and Langham led
off, but the blow fell short on Tom’s chest. A second
attempt was more successful, as he got home a heavy
spank on Tom’s snout, from which the ruby was instantly
visible. Left-handed counter-hits followed, each
getting it slightly on the cheek, and Nat, in getting
back again slipped down.
4.――On getting within distance both went to work. Tom
made his left on Nat’s cheek, and his right rather
heavily on his ribs. Heavy counter-hits followed, in
favour of Nat, whose length here gave him the
advantage. Tom napped it again severely on the smeller,
just between the eyes, and returned on Nat’s side of
his head and his short ribs, the latter a sounding
right-hander. Langham now retreated, and, as Tom
followed him up, pinked him twice in succession with
effect on the nozzle, drawing more claret. Sayers
returned slightly on the ribs, and again was met by Nat
on the mouth and left eye. Sayers continued to
persevere, occasionally getting in a little one on
Nat’s ribs, but Nat in this round appeared to have it
his own way; he propped his man repeatedly on the nose
and mouth, and then on the dexter eye. Again and again
did Sayers go to it, but Nat jobbed him with it
severely on the old spot, and at length finished the
round by going down, Sayers walking away, his face
brightly crimsoned by Nat’s handiwork.
5.――Nat, on getting his man, let go with his left with
great quickness on Tom’s nose, completely over his
guard. Sayers then went to in-fighting, and got home
his left on the side of Nat’s knowledge-box, and, after
a slight rally, both went down. A claim of foul was
made, that Sayers had hit Nat while down, but it was
not allowed, the men being on the ropes when the blow
was delivered.
6.――Tom came up grinning, but his mug was in anything
but grinning order. Langham, as usual, led off, but Tom
jumped away. Tom now feinted, let go his left on Nat’s
jaw, and then repeated the dose without return. Some
rattling exchanges followed in favour of Sayers, and in
the end Langham fell.
7.――Langham attempted to plant his left, but was out of
distance. Two more efforts were frustrated by Tom
jumping away. Nat was not to be denied; he went in, and
some rattling exchanges took place in favour of Sayers,
who got home on Nat’s cheek and ribs with severity, and
received one or two on the kissing organ, from which
more pink was drawn, and Langham in getting back fell.
8.――Langham dodged his man, and again popped in his
left with great quickness over his guard, turning on
the tap. Sayers returned slightly on the cheek, and, on
trying to improve upon this, was countered heavily on
the mouth. This led to some rapid exchanges in favour
of Sayers, who got home heavily on the ribs and jaw,
and received on the nasal promontory. The round
finished by Langham going to earth apparently weak.
9.――Sayers came up with a visible puffiness under both
eyes. Langham, as usual, led off on Tom’s mouth. Sayers
returned left and right on the canister and ribs,
received another little one on the nose, and then
lunged out with his right a sounding spank in the side.
Langham retreated, and was followed up by Tom, who
caught him on the mouth with his left, and Nat, after
an ineffectual attempt to return, fell.
10.――Langham stepped back to draw his man, who came for
it, and again napped an awkward one on the snout.
Sayers tried a return, but was short, and got another
smack on the nose for his pains. Counter-hits followed,
Nat getting it rather heavily on the left eye, and Tom
on the nose. Nat, after placing a little one on the
nose, fell on his south pole.
11.――Langham opened the pleadings by another
well-delivered spank on the proboscis, from his left,
over Tom’s guard. It was wonderful to see how
completely Sayers’s index seemed to be within reach of
Nat’s straight-darting deliveries. Left-handed
exchanges followed, but Sayers appeared to hit short.
Langham delivered again with severity on the bridge of
the nose, when Sayers made a one, two (the left on the
side of the head, and his right on the ribs), and
Langham got down on the saving suit.
12.――A pause now took place, and some mutual feinting
and dodging, it being “bellows to mend” on each side.
Nat at length tried his left, which was prettily
stopped. Sayers now went in, made his left and right on
the nose and ribs, but not heavily. Langham retaliated
on the nose, which led to some slight exchanges, and a
close, at the end of which both fell, Langham under.
13.――Sayers attempted to take the lead, but was propped
heavily on the snuff-box. He, however, got in his right
with severity on the ribs, and then his left on Nat’s
cheek. Nat’s returns were rendered abortive by the
activity of Tom, who again visited his ribs heavily
with his right, and Langham fell, Tom falling over him.
14.――Langham resumed his lead, and got well on to Tom’s
damaged nose and mouth. Sayers’s nose and cheeks
puffing visibly, to the great danger of his clear sight
for attack or defence. Tom countered him heavily on
cheek and ribs, and Langham fell, Tom on him.
15.――Sayers went to his man, planted his left on the
side of Nat’s brain-pan. Langham returned on the neck
with his right, a round hit, and fell in getting away.
16.――Nat sent in his left, over Tom’s guard, upon his
nose heavily, and again turned on the main. Good
counters followed, Nat on the nose, and Tom on the neck
heavily. Exchanges, in which Tom got on to Nat’s left
cheek, and Langham got down, Sayers falling over him.
17.――Langham was short in two attempts with his left,
and a third was stopped, when Sayers dashed out his
left, getting home on the ribs. Langham returned with
good effect on the nose, and both fell.
18.――Long sparring until Nat let fly his left on the
old spot. Tom made his right on the ribs, but again got
a nasty crack on the side of his cranium, and Langham
got down.
19.――Nat was again short in his lead. Tom was more
successful, got home his right on the ribs, and Nat was
again down.
20.――This was a good round on both sides. After a
little sparring Langham tried his left, but Tom jumped
well away. In a second attempt Nat got slightly home on
the chest, and then on the nose. Sayers countered him
on the mouth, and then some exchanges took place, in
which Nat hit the straightest, Tom’s blows appearing to
be open-handed. Sayers now went in, but got it heavily
on the nose from Nat, who fought on the retreat. Tom
followed him up, got well home on the jaw, and then on
the nose and left eye, knocking Langham clean off his
legs. (A fair knock-down blow.)
21.――Tho last blow delivered by Sayers was evidently a
stinger, as Nat’s left peeper and nose showed the
effects of it. Tom immediately led off, got in his left
and right on the nose and ribs without a return, and
then, closing, threw Langham a back-fall, and fell
heavily on him. (5 to 4 offered by an enthusiastic
backer of Tom’s.)
22.――Hitting over Tom’s guard Nat got well on Tom’s
nose, but Sayers returning heavily on the mouth, Nat
got back, and fell.
23.――Odds of 5 to 4 on Sayers were now freely offered
all round the ring, and he certainly seemed to have
much the best of it, was full of confidence, and at
once opened proceedings by sending in his left heavily
on Nat’s ivory-box. The latter tried to get away, but
Tom followed him up closely and again landed on the
mouth, avoiding the return. Severe counter-hitting
followed, in which Sayers again got on to Nat’s mouth,
but received on the smeller, and then Langham went to
the earth in a decided state of weakness.
24.――Sayers, attempting to force the fighting all he
could, again led off on Nat’s left cheek, and Nat
retaliated on the nose heavily. Tom retreated, and, on
going to it again, popped in his right on Nat’s
commissariat department. He tried a repetition of this,
but napped it severely on the nose for his pains. After
some sparring Tom reached Nat’s ribs, and the latter,
reaching his own corner, got down.
25.――Sayers, first to begin, delivered a little one on
Nat’s nose, but the blow wanted steam. Nat retreated,
and as Tom followed him, Nat jobbed him on the nozzle,
again disturbing the cochineal; and on receiving a
little one on the chin Nat dropped.
26.――Nat began the attack by a successful endeavour to
resume his lead. He got home heavily on Tom’s left
cheek, which led to exchanges in favour of Nat, who
repeatedly met Tom in the middle of the head. Tom got
in one or two on the ribs and chest, and one on Nat’s
left peeper, but not heavily. Nat returned on the face,
and in retreating slipped down.
27.――Langham again made play on Tom’s nose, the cork
being drawn. He got in a little one on the ribs in
return, and Nat fell, Sayers on him.
28.――On coming up Nat led off, but misjudged his
distance and was short, the blow falling on Tom’s
cheek. Tom sent out his left, but got a very heavy one
on his mouth in return. Some heavy exchanges followed,
in which Tom got well home on Nat’s cheek, from the
effect of which Nat fell.
29.――One hour had now elapsed, and still there was no
decided lead. Langham was again short in his opening
deliveries, and Sayers, after returning on the left
cheek, closed and threw his man, falling heavily on
him.
30.――Nat’s left once more fell short of its
destination, when Tom let out his left and caught him
on the mouth; Langham returned quickly on the nose,
from which once more the ruby trickled. Slight
exchanges followed, and Langham fell evidently weak.
31.――Sayers led off, caught Nat a heavy cross hit with
his left over the left peeper, inflicting a deep cut
and drawing the carmine; he in return had his cork
drawn by Nat’s left. Some exchanges followed, in the
course of which Tom again opened the cut over Nat’s
left ogle by a heavy hit from his left, and Nat fell.
32.――Another good round. Nat’s left peeper looked the
worse for wear, but he came gamely up, and as Tom led
off he countered him on the nose. Some exchanges
followed in favour of Sayers, who got well on Nat’s
left cheek, and received a return on the cheek-bone.
They now got to work in earnest, and some ding-dong
fighting took place, as if both thought this the
turning point of the battle. Each got it heavily on the
frontispiece, Sayers re-opening the cut over Nat’s left
eye, and receiving one or two awkward reminders on the
cheek and nose. A break away followed, and then Langham
again went up to his man, who met him on the left eye
another heavy spank. Nat returned on the nozzle, and
immediately afterwards received another reminder on the
sinister peeper, and fell. This was a capital fighting
round, exhibiting the determined resolve of both men.
33.――Sayers led off, got home slightly on the throat,
and received a heavy one from Nat’s left on the right
cheek. Excellent counter-hits followed, Tom on the
cheek and Nat on the right peeper, and Nat then got
down.
34.――Long sparring, Langham evidently wanting wind, and
Tom not much better. At last Nat went to work, got well
on Tom’s damaged nose with his left, and stopped Tom’s
return. Sayers tried again, and succeeded in reaching
Nat’s throat, when the latter again fell.
35.――Another fighting round. Good counter-hits, each
receiving on the left eye. A break away and more
counter-hitting, Sayers on the left peeper, and Nat
well on the nose. Langham now lunged out his right with
great force, but, luckily for Tom, the blow missed its
destination, and Nat, overreaching himself, fell.
36.――Nat, on coming up, showed his left peeper in deep
mourning, and nearly closed; he was evidently weak, and
the friends of Sayers were up in the stirrups. Sayers
feinted, and let out his left, which reached the
damaged optic, re-opening the former wound. Langham was
short in his return. Sayers twice got home his left on
the throat, but was stopped in the third attempt; he
afterwards succeeded in reaching Nat’s left cheek, and
the latter, after an ineffectual attempt to return, got
down.
37.――In spite of the punishment he had received in the
previous round, Langham was first up, and he sent out
his left, but Tom jumped quickly away, returned heavily
on the forehead and ribs, and then fell.
38.――Some ineffectual countering, after which Sayers
got nearer, and put in a little one on the left eye.
Nat retreated, and on being followed by Tom, who
delivered straight on the mouth, got down weak.
39.――There could be no question as to the gallantry
with which both men were fighting, and although
appearances were in favour of Sayers, there were not
wanting those who saw the danger lying before him, and
among these must assuredly be numbered Nat’s clever
seconds, under whose directions and advice Langham now
seemed to devote himself to land just one blow on Tom’s
swollen nose, or on one of his puffy eyes, and then to
get down with as little punishment and as little
exertion as possible; for it was impossible to conceal
Nat’s weakness, and it was decidedly a moot point
whether he would be able to hold out until Tom could be
forced to “put up the shutters.” Nat tried to lead off,
but was stopped. Sayers attempted to return, but Nat
sent out his left very straight on the left eye, and on
Sayers again coming on, he delivered the same hand on
Tom’s damaged smeller, and drew more claret. Tom made
his left slightly on the cheek, and Nat at once went to
grass.
40.――Tom let go his left, got slightly home on the
chest, and Nat, after returning with his left on the
forehead, fell.
41.――Sayers tried to take the lead, but Nat jumped
quickly away; Sayers followed him up, when Nat met him
with a sharp tap on the left eye, and then another
left-hander on the cheek. Sayers persevered until he
got home his right on Nat’s ribs, when the latter again
got down.
42.――Nat led off, caught Tom heavily on the left cheek
and then on the brow. He tried to repeat the
visitation, when Tom caught him sharply over the right
peeper, drawing blood, and Nat got down. Nat’s length
and cleverness were conspicuous in his left-hand
deliveries.
43.――Sayers rushed in, but Nat countered him on the
left peeper. Sayers got in his right heavily on the
bread-basket, and Nat fell.
44.――After a little sparring, the men got close
together, and some sharp counter-hits were exchanged,
Tom getting well on to Nat’s damaged left peeper, and
receiving on the right cheek. Nat now attempted another
delivery, but overreached himself and fell.
45.――The temporary revival of Langham’s strength seemed
at an end. Sayers let go his left, got home on the
cheek, and Nat, who was decidedly in “Queer Street,”
again went down sick and weak.
46.――Nothing done. Nat got down as soon and as easily
as he could manage it.
47.――Sayers led off, and caught Nat over the left ogle;
this led to some counter-hits, in which Langham got
home heavily on Tom’s right peeper, which was now
pretty nearly closed from the repeated hits on the nose
and its exposure to the bright rays of the sun. Langham
received a little one on the left cheek in return, and
fell.
48.――Tom led off, but was countered by Nat on the left
eye. In a second attempt Nat stopped him, and then
popped him heavily on the nose, drawing more of the
ruby. Nat succeeded in planting another heavily on the
left peeper, and Tom fell for the first time for many
rounds.
49.――Things looked by no means so cheerful for Sayers’
backers, for although he was by far the stronger man on
his pins, he now came up bleeding from both eyes, his
seconds having been compelled to lance them while he
was in his corner to prevent his going blind. He dashed
in, aware that although much the stronger man on his
legs, he must be in total darkness if he did not finish
his man soon. Slight exchanges took place, Tom getting
it on both eyes slightly, and returning, but without
effect, on Nat’s mouth, and in the end Sayers was first
down.
50.――Sayers once more dashed in but was met by Nat on
the left peeper. Tom returned slightly on the body, and
Langham again went to grass, apparently weak.
51.――Tom rushed in, delivered his left heavily on the
conk, and then his right on the ribs without a return,
and Nat dropped.
52.――Tom again went to work, caught Langham on the side
of his nut; Nat returned on the left peeper, and then
slipped down.
53.――Tom led off, got home on Langham’s left eye, but
the blow lacked force, and Nat fell, Sayers falling
over him.
54.――Sayers stepped in with his left, but was short; he
tried it again, catching Nat on the waistband. Langham
attempted a return, but Sayers jumped away. Nat again
lunged out, but, overreaching himself, fell.
55.――Nat seemed to shake himself together, went up to
his man, led off with his left on the right cheek, and
got away. Sayers followed him up, when some sharp
exchanges took place, Nat reaching Tom’s damaged snout,
and once more turning on the tap. Tom returned the
compliment on the left cheek, and Langham fell weak,
Tom falling over him, not much better off.
56.――It was now clear that Tom’s peepers had not many
minutes to remain open, and he therefore at once led
off, but was out of distance; in a second attempt he
caught Nat over the left peeper, but received another
hot one on the nose in return. He would not be shaken
off, however; he followed Nat and let fly his left on
the jaw. Sharp counter-hits followed, Sayers on the
mouth and nose, and Nat on the right ogle, and Langham
fell.
57.――Tom at once rushed in, but was stopped. His next
effort reached Nat’s mouth, and the latter got down.
58.――Both were nearly pumped out, and it was evident
that a chance hit might finish Langham, while Sayers,
if he could not deliver that hit, must soon “cut it.”
The men let fly simultaneously, each getting it on the
frontispiece. A break away followed, after which Tom
reached Nat’s left eye, but not effectively. A close,
in which Tom caught his man with his right as he went
down, and then fell on him.
59.――Langham went to his man, delivered his left
heavily on the nose, and received a little one on the
jaw. He then rushed at Sayers, who stepped back, and
Nat, missing his mark, fell.
60.――Sayers’s fate was sealed; like Jack Broughton in
the memorable account of Captain Godfrey,[25] he might
have exclaimed, “I can’t see my man; I’m blind, not
beat. Only let me see my man and he shall not gain the
day yet!” Tom rushed in open-handed. Nat stepped on one
side, met him as he came on the left peeper, and then
beside the nose. Tom persevered, but Langham easily
avoided him, and then propped him in the mouth heavily.
Tom continued to bore in, and got in a round hit on the
side of Nat’s head, whereon Nat returned with his left
just behind Tom’s ear, and both fell. Sayers evidently
all abroad.
61 and last.――It was beyond a doubt now that Sayers
could not see what he was doing or where he was going,
and there were loud cries from his backers of “take him
away,” which Alec Keene was anxious to do; but Tom,
full of pluck as ever, resolutely refused to give in,
and swinging his arms, walked deliberately to the
scratch. He lunged out, but could not judge his
distance, and Nat, waiting for him coolly until he came
again, hit him heavily on the right eye. Poor Tom
struck out wildly and altogether at random, and Nat
getting out of his way delivered a heavy left-hander on
the left eye, which put up the other shutter, and he
rather fell than was knocked down. On being helped to
his corner, despite his entreaties, Alec Keene, seeing
there was no hope, threw up the sponge, and Langham was
proclaimed the victor in this truly gallant struggle,
after a contest that had been protracted for two hours
and two minutes. Immediately the fiat had been
pronounced in his favour, Nat walked across the ring to
shake hands with his defeated opponent, who shed bitter
tears of disappointment and humiliation, while Nat,
seeming to acquire fresh strength from the
consciousness of victory, contrived to leap over the
ropes, although five minutes before he could hardly
stand on his legs.
REMARKS.――Nothing could possibly be farther from our
thoughts or wishes than any attempt to detract from the
gallant achievements of Nat Langham in thus maintaining
his title as middle-weight champion, and also earning a
lasting fame as the only man who ever licked Tom
Sayers. Still, in fairness to the beaten man, it must
be remembered that Sayers was at that time by no means
either so good a boxer nor so strong a man as he became
a few years later, when he defeated one big man after
another. Moreover, his defeat was palpably owing to his
want of condition, in consequence of which his face
puffed up and his eyes closed with far less punishment
than he could otherwise have taken scatheless. But when
all allowances have been made, the fact remains, that
the gallant Nat did defeat the otherwise invincible
Tom, and thus worthily dosed a pugilistic career,
which, like Sayers’s, had only once been clouded by
defeat. Nothing could be more deserving of the highest
praise and warmest admiration than the cool courage and
calculating generalship with which, when he found that
the superior strength of his adversary was likely to
prove too much for him, he at once adopted the only
system of tactics likely to serve him, and deliberately
set to work to avert defeat by blinding his opponent.
How skilfully he carried this plan into effect we have
seen, and it is interesting to remember that Sayers
never forgot the lesson he had received, but himself
put it into practical effect on the occasion of his
fight with Heenan.
Sayers’s gallant stand was duly appreciated by his friends, and
upwards of fifty pounds were collected for him in the train during the
homeward journey. Immediately he had recovered his eyesight Tom
challenged Langham to another trial of skill, but Nat announced his
retirement from the Ring; and, further, his opening of the “Cambrian
Stores,” Castle Street, Leicester Square, where he decorated a showy
lamp, bearing his name and the inscription, “Champion of the
Middle-weights.” At this period our hero developed into a publican;
for your successful pugilist is a publican in chrysalis, so sure as a
caddis shall become a May-fly in due season. Sayers, however, had also
become the landlord of the “Bricklayers’ Arms,” in his favourite
locality of Camden Town, and demurred to Nat’s lamp and inscription.
“Here am I,” said he, “ready for all comers, Nat Langham included. He
has been beaten by Harry Orme, who has retired, and I have been beaten
by him. As I do not believe myself conquered on my merits, but by
inferior condition, I claim the Championship of the Middle-weights.”
The introduction of Harry Orme’s name is irrelevant, as Orme, Aaron
Jones (12 stone), Tom Paddock (12 stone), Harry Broome (12 stone),
claimed and fought for the actual and unlimited “Championship,” during
the interregnum closed by Tom Sayers’s successive disposal of Aaron
Jones, Bill Perry (the Tipton Slasher), 13 stone, Bill Benjamin
(Bainge), 12 stone, and Tom Paddock. Quitting this point, however,
Nat’s reply was conclusive. He had espoused the niece of Ben Caunt,
had settled down, and did not see why he should risk all these
“hostages given to fortune,” by trusting what Captain Godfrey calls in
his sketch of Broughton, “a battle to a waning age.” Langham’s health,
too, never robust, was by no means A 1, and he prudently preferred
leaving off a winner, as disposing of such a boxer as Tom Sayers was
by no means what betting men would call a “safe thing.” He, therefore,
in a brief epistle declined Tom’s cartel, and told him he might paint
his lamp at the “Bricklayers’ Arms” in any way he chose; meantime that
he, Langham, had won the title of Middle-weight Champion and meant to
wear it, and certainly should not transfer it from Castle Street to
Camden Town; and there the controversy closed.
We should here close the history of Nat Langham’s career in the P.R.
but for the regrettable incident of his rescinding his commendable
resolution of retirement four years later, in 1857, in the September
of which year, owing to some domestic jars with his relative and
neighbour, “Big Ben,” the ill-assorted pair met in battle array to
decide their fistic merits, also who should forfeit a stake of £100 to
the other, and to settle a family feud in which the public could not
feel the slightest possible interest. How they did not achieve either
of these three results will be found fully set forth in our account of
their drawn-battle, in the Life of CAUNT, in Chapter II. of the
present volume.
Langham, in his later years, was host of the “Mitre” tavern in St.
Martin’s Lane, and died at the “Cambrian,” Castle Street, Leicester
Square, September 1st, 1871.
[24] Harry Brunton still flourishes (June, 1881), it cannot
be said in a “_green_ old age,” at the “Nag’s Head,” Wood
Green, a handy house of call in the Green Lanes, near the
Alexandra Palace.
[25] See PUGILISTICA, vol. i., p. 28.