Chapter IX · (continued 4)

32.—The face of Turner appeared little, if any, the worse for fighting. Inglis again napped it as he was boring in to mill. Both down, Inglis undermost.

33.—“The Elephant and Castle is yours,” said Josh., “if you win, Ned.” Inglis was getting a little better, and Turner received more punishment in this round than in any of the preceding ones. Both down.

34.—Nothing. A struggle, and both on the ground.

35 to 38.—In all these rounds the nobbing system was pursued with the greatest success by Turner; and had not Inglis been one of the gamest men that ever pulled a shirt off, he must have been licked long before this period of the battle. But the feather-bed hero would not be denied; and his courage, seconded by his fine stamina, enabled him to continue the battle, under the idea that the Old One could not last. Inglis fell heavily in the ropes on Turner.

39.—It was the astonishment of every person round the ropes to witness Turner take the lead in the superior manner he did over a fine young man, and a boxer who had had some experience in the prize ring, having defeated Deaf Davis and George Curtis. Turner, in order to spoil the boring in of Inglis, hit up; and whenever the Old One caught his nob the claret followed in profusion. Turner went down owing to his great exertions.

40.—This was a terrific round. Inglis would not be denied, although frequently nobbed away. Both down. (Randall, elated with the success of Turner, offered, in the warmth of his heart, £10 to £2. “I will take it,” said Inglis’s brother. Time was called, and the bet was not made.)

41.—The sun at this period was very powerful. Turner appeared languid while sitting on the knee of his second, but when fighting he seemed all energy. Inglis missed a terrific blow that might have brought the battle to a speedy termination. Turner down.

42.—Notwithstanding the state of fatigue which Turner laboured under, and which could not be kept from the spectators, he nobbed Inglis with the utmost ease. The 498young one was hit to a stand-still, and Turner was too tired to follow him. At the ropes Turner had also the best of it, till both down.

43.—“Go in, Inglis,” from his friends; “you can’t lose if you do.” Inglis took the advice of his friends, and went in, fighting pell-mell, till Turner went down. (Four to one upon the young one.)

44.—This round had nearly decided the battle in favour of Turner. Hit for hit for a short time, when Turner knocked his opponent to a stand-still between the ropes. Turner, resolved not to give half a chance away, came again and planted another heavy nobber in the middle of the feather-bed hero’s nob; but Inglis’s out-and-out game brought him through his trouble, and he fought like a lion till Turner went down. (The approbation bestowed upon Turner was immense. It was also “Bravo, Inglis! your fellow is not to be met with every day in the week.”)

45.—Inglis was determined to reduce the strength of his opponent, and again bored in; but this rush always cost him something, and Turner liberally discharged the account. Both down.

46.—Inglis again napped it in going in, but returned a heavy body hit. Turner fought at every point to win, but his strength could not keep pace with his skill, and he went down exhausted. “Take the good Old One away; if he wins he cannot raise himself higher in the estimation of the fancy,” exclaimed several friends; “the chance is against him.”

47 and last.—This was a well fought round, although both men were distressed. Inglis was, however, a fresh man compared with his opponent. Turner had the best of the milling as usual, but went down worn out. While sitting on the knee of his second several persons requested that he might not fight any more. Harry Holt jumped into the ring, and throwing up his hat, observed, “Permit me, gentlemen, to give in for Turner.” One hour and eighteen minutes had elapsed. Inglis left the ropes, but he instantly returned into the ring to shake hands with those hands which had so liberally distributed punishment only a few seconds previous. We wish sincerely that the inhabitants of all the countries in the world would imitate such a noble example in the moment of victory.

Remarks.—“Othello’s occupation’s gone!” Indeed, Turner may apply to himself the words—

“I’ve seen the day

That, with this little arm and this good fist,

I’ve made my way through more impediments

Than twenty times your stop.”

Yes; and we have “seen the day”—that day when Turner overcame the undaunted Scroggins; that day, also, when he stood before the accomplished Randall two hours and twenty minutes; and likewise that day when he conquered Jack Martin. We cannot offer an insult to a brave man, and it is far from our intention even to wound his feelings; but on any of the above days what chance would Inglis have stood with Turner? The fact is, Ned was not licked; he was tired, worn out, and Nature refused to second his efforts. Inglis won the battle fairly, and according to the rules of pugilism. Indeed, the fight was one of the best specimens of milling skill ever witnessed, and the courage displayed by Turner was of the highest order. It is but common justice also to state, that Inglis’s manliness, game, coolness, and honourable conduct throughout the battle placed him high in the list of boxers.

By an unpardonable oversight “Boxiana” (see p. 115, vol. v.) omits at this place all mention of Turner and Inglis’s second battle, on the 9th of November following, and gives an epistolary challenge from Inglis to Turner as being penned “a few weeks after the above battle,” i.e., the first fight, so that Inglis is made to challenge the man he had conquered. The second fight will be found in the memoir of Turner, ante, p. 391. After his defeat Inglis published the following in the Weekly Dispatch:—

“TO EDWARD TURNER.

“Sir,—

“My friends have agreed to give me another trial; I therefore challenge you to fight me for £100 a-side, within two months from the date hereof, and am ready to make a deposit within a fortnight. If this challenge be not accepted, I propose to retire from the ring altogether.

“I remain yours, etc.

“PEACE INGLIS.

“December 10, 1824.”

499Turner immediately answered the above challenge.

“TO PEACE INGLIS.

“Sir,—

“I have seen your challenge in the papers, and in reply beg to state the only terms that will induce me to meet you, or any one else, in the ring, and which, considering the battles I have fought, will not, I trust, be thought out of the way. £200 a-side is the least I mean to fight for. And when you talk of two months, you must have forgotten the state of my left hand; but if the last Tuesday in April will answer your purpose, and your friends are willing to agree as to the sum I propose, I shall be most happy to accommodate you. I should be sorry to think my refusal the cause of your leaving the ring, in which I wish you success; but I must take care to leave off fighting before fighting leaves me.

“I am yours, etc.,

“EDWARD TURNER.

“Newtown, Montgomeryshire, North Wales,

“December 15, 1824.”

The health of Turner was, however, rapidly declining, and he retired from the ring without making any further match. Inglis also now retired into private life, but we have not met with any record of his death.

At the close of the Fifth and Sixth Periods, opening the Second Volume, we propose to give an Appendix of the Remarkable Light Weights who especially illustrated this epoch of pugilistic history, thus collecting the lesser stars into a galaxy, instead of scattering them here and there among the larger lights—the planets of the pugilistic system.

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