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4 • Humphreys and Mendoza,• So high was the public anxiety on the iHue of the burling laStch which was decided WalnefJay, thneither the diliance from town, nor the ftate of the weather, could prevent a veiy large body of people from afTembling at the fcene of ration at Odilnnj. Several hundieds of people paid half a guinea a piece to rain admitfion within the paddock where the Itage was railed. The jraddock was well defended againll the multitude by Tring, Ryan, Dunn, and a number of the other cf the 'fo'Ongeft men in England, who with clubs looked like fo many giants j but wlnt can refift t!:e fiicck cf an Englifli mob? The paddock was b.oken down, and the to? renttuihedin.The combatants mounted the ftage exaflly at one o'clock, and, afterth6 ufual falutation, Mendoza inltantly began the Wt with all the heat and impetuofity of a man determined on victory. He threw himfelf in with much attivity, and dif-playeil mud) fhewy entcrprize, while Humphreys retreated anti avoided the blows. The latter boic himfelf with great re-ferve, and the Jew was accordingly the aflailant in the fiift fix (even rounds. In thefe, Mendoza being more hazardous and more fucccfsful than Humph?eys, the bets, which were two to one in favour of the latter before the battle, changed to fix to four, feven to four, and at laft two to one again It him. Several blows-of Mendoza had their effefh He cut Humphreys under the lift eye, and of courfe endeavoured to follow up tne wound, but in this he was difappointed by the fupeiior aadrefs of his opponent.The ffage, from the wetnefs of the day, was extremely IJippcry, and for fome time neither of them could keep their feet ■ic as to give firmnels to their ailion. To remedy this, Humphreys thiewoffhis (hoes, and got a pair of worfted ftockings, in which, without fhoes, he continued the battle.After they had fought iS or 19 minute?, Humphreys began tpmanifeli hisfuperior {kill, and the bets again changed in his our. He planted a dreadful blow on t!e neck, or near the jaw of the Jew, which fickehed, and almoft difablcd him. He continued the battle, however, with much deteiminadon of i^irir, until extravafated blood and exhauHed wind made him io heiplcfs, that he lay on the ftage unable to rife, and yielded tie eonteft.A battle in which there was fo much dexterity and fkill, with fyd) equality of Arcngth and mufcle, pei haps never was fought, apd certainly there never was a contell on which fomuch money depended. The battle lafted 29 minutes. The Jew was carried off the ftage totally exhaufted, and Jcemingly lifelefs. Humphreys was not out of bieath, and fufKred no material injuiy from the blows.Humphreys was lecondcd by Johnlon, aud Mendoza by Jacobs.The lews did not lofe lefs than 50,000k by the battle on Wedneicfay j perhaps there never was an occalion when fo much money was fported in the city of London. At the London Exchange, tbe Corn Exchange, the Coal Exchange, and the Stock Exchange, tl)ere was nothing heard of but the battle.
Newspaper Details
Bath Chronicle
London, Middlesex, GB
Thu, Jan 17, 1788
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
David L.
WI, USA 20 Jun 2017
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