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The sun has set for ever on another
star in the Pugilistic He-
misphere, and upon one, too, whose like we "ne'er shall
see again." Jack Randall, the Nonpareil of the Ring, is
no
more! - he breathed his last at his own house, the
Hole-in-the-
Wall, Chancery-lane, on Wednesday evening last, soon after
six
o'clock. The mark of the "Grim King of Terrors" had been
set upon him for some months before, but he did not become
se-
riously indisposed till about ten weeks back, when he took
to his
bed, and from thenceforth the flickering flame of life
gradually
diminished in lustre, til the oil was exhausted, and poor
Jack
closed his eyes in eternal darkness! He was sensible to the
last,
with the exception of some trifling aberrations of intellect
during
the last few days; and, on Tuesday, he was visited by a
Clergy-
man, with whom he partook of the sacrament. He has left
a
widow and two children to lament his loss, and to seek the
pro-
tection of those with whom he was so deserved a favorite.
His
widow intends to continue the business, and we have no
doubt
will meet the generous sympathy of every friend and member
of
the ring.
_
Jack, so deservedly called the
Nonpareil (for he never met his
equal), was what is called an Anglo-Irishman, that is to
say,
he was descended from Irish parents, and born in England.
In
the Hiberuian colony of St. Giles's he first drew his
breath, on
the 25th of November, 1794 - so that, at his death, he was
three
and thirty years of age. Brought up in the school of
adversity,
and at an early age left to fight his own battles while his
parents
sought the means of putting a potatoe in his belly, he
acquired an
independence of character which stuck to him through life;
and
having naturally a strong and hardy frame, he soon knew how
to
take his own part. Fear was a word which did not belong
to
his vocabulary; and when attacked, whether by great or
small,
he never flinched from the consequences. At the age of
thirteen,
he commenced his milling career in public. The Archery-
ground in the Long Fields near Russell-square, and now
covered
with houses, was the early scene of his prowess, and here he
po-
lished off "Snuff," well known in the boxing circles, no
less than
three times. He also beat a man of the name of Leonard, on
the
same ground; and these victories were followed by
successive
conquests of Henshaw and Murphy. His first battle of note
was
with Jack the Butcher, in Regent's Park, Mary-la-bonne,
for
five guineas, which he won cleverly in twenty minutes;
after
which, on August the 26th, 1815, he aspired to higher
honors,
and made his debut in the same ring in which Scroggins
and
Eales had contended, at Coombe Wood. His antagonist was
Walton, the Twickenham Youth. They fought for five
guineas,
and in a short space of ten minutes, Walton left the ring
with-
out a chance. On the 24th of April, 1816, he fought
George
Dodd, in the same ring in which Carter and Robinson
contended,
and was again successful; and on the 28th of May in the
same
year, he took the pride out of Ugly Borrock, a Jew. The
extra-
ordinary capabilities which he exhibited on these occasions
- his
admirable science, heavy hitting, and sound judgment - were
the
themes of general encomium, and it was determined to
match
him against West Country Dick, for twenty-five guineas
a-side.
No sooner proposed than accomplished; and on the 3rd of
April,
1817, they entered the roped arena on Twickenham Common,
but after fighting thirty-three minutes and a half, and
twenty-
nine rounds, Randall was proclaimed the conqueror. Dick
had
not a chance. Harry Holt was his next antagonist, for a
similar
stake of twenty-five guineas a-side. They fought at
Coombe
Warren, but Harry shared the fate of his predecessors, and
suc-
cumbed to superior talent. This affair came off on the 20th
of
May, 1817, and occupied twenty-five minutes, during which
time
eight rounds were fought. General Barton, who backed
Randall,
and who was ever after his staunch supporter, with
Colonel
Berkeley, Captain Barclay, and other distinguished
amateurs,
were present on this occasion; and perhaps, the science of
pugi-
lism was never displayed to greater advantage. In his
former
fights, Jack was most remarkable for his in-fighting
qualities,
but with Holt, who was a master of the art, he had to play
a
different game; he had in fact, to out-fight him, and this
he did
in a style which electrified the Ring. He planted not less
than
forty blows on Holt's face, and altogether, spoiled the
symmetry
of his nose; in fact, the terrible character of his
punishment ad-
mitted of no parallel, and all Holt's knowledge went for
nothing.
Four months afterwards, on the 30th of September, 1817,
he
fought Belasco, at Shepherton Range, and by the astonishing
dis-
play of his milling qualities, on that day he obtained the
cognomen
of The Nonpareil. His hitting and getting away, his
style of
stopping and returning, with the excellent judgment he
mani-
fested, added to his activity and quickness on his legs, all
tended
to stamp him as one of the most finished boxers of his
weight.
The men fought for fifty guineas a-side, and the fight
lasted fifty-
four minutes and a half, during which seven rounds only
were
fought. Jack now mounted in the scale of consequence, and
was
matched against Parish the Waterman, for one hundred
guineas
a-side. The fight came off on Hayes Common, Kent, on the
27th of November, 1817, and again did Jack wear laurels
of
victory, winning in eleven rounds, and fifty-three minutes,
after
a most determined scientific fight. On the 6th of April,
1818,
while at Tom Reynold's Free and Easy, in Drury-lane, a
big
Hiberoian, named Dan M'Carthy, thought proper to reverse
the
words of the favorite song, "Politeness an Irishman's trade
is,"
in Jack's presence, and to be very ungenteel. Jack called
him
to "order," but only produced disorder, and a room fight
ensued, in which, in fifteen minutes, the nob of Mr.
M'Carthy was
completely chanceried, and he admitted that he had never
received
a more imposing lesson on good manners. Jack next entered
the
ring with Woolwich Burke, for one hundred guineas
a-side,
on the 16th of June, 1818, on Wimbledon Common; and
after
twenty-three rounds, fought in forty-five minutes, Jack
preserved
his fame by adding an additional conquest to his list,
although it
was felt, that on this particular occcasion he was not
exactly
"himself." The most important epoch of his life now ap-
proached: it was that in which he was matched against the
sup-
posed invincible Ned Turner. Articles were signed for
one
hundred pounds a-side, on the 18th of October, 1818, and the
1st
of December was fixed for the combat; but in consequence of
the
death of Queen Charlotte, the meeting was postponed to
satur-
day, the 5th of December, on which day the men met at
Craw-
ley Hurst. Perhaps, in the annals of boxing, there never was
an
event which excited more speculation; all if we were to
say
that a million of money depended on the issue, we,
perhaps,
should not overshoot the mark. All classes seemed to be
in-
terested, and the betting on the Stock Exchange equalled
any
thing of the sort ever witnessed. At first, Randall was
the
favorite at 2 to 1 and 7 to 4. These odds, from a report
he
had got a cold in his neck, dropped to even betting, but
again
rose on the day of fighting to 6 to 4. Never did we witness
such
a "turn out" from London as that on the morning of
fighting:
the road down to the scene of action was literally covered
with
vehicles of every possible discription, among which were
some
score of carriages and four filled with the higher grade
of
amateurs, including many nobelmen of distinction, while
the
commoners were beyond all calculation. A more
extraordinary
exhibition of talent and generalship was never witnessed
than
during the fight. So well did each man guard his points, and
so
admirably did he out-manoeuvre his opponent, that no less
than
two hours, nineteen minutes and thirty seconds, were
occupied
in the struggle, which ultimately terminated in favor of
Randall,
after fighting thirty-four rounds. A higher treat was
never
afforded to the Fancy, and even those who lost their money
could
not withhold the meed of praise from the loser. Randall
had
now reached the acme of his glory, and on defeating Turner,
was
considered to have gained the "top of the tree" - an
elevation the
more extraordinary, as he never received a lesson on the art
of
self-defence; and was from first to last, the architect of
his own
glory. he had a natural prepensity to the sport, and his
genius
seemed particularly calculated for its indulgence. He had
not
yet, however, closed his labors, for in the same month
of
December, he was matched against Jack Martin (the Master
of
the Rolls), 150L to 100L., to fight on the 30th of April,
but this
day was afterwards altered to the 4th of May, in order (as
in
Neal and Bob's case) it might not interfere with the
Newmarket
Races. Pending this mill, he had a turn-up with Ben Burns,
and
took the conceit out of my "uncle." While training at
Hamp-
stead, he ran a race against his antagonist for 5L., but was
beaten.
On the day appointed, the fight came off on Crawley Downs,
in
the presence of a multitude scarcely less numerous than that
as-
sembled at his fight with Turner. Jack had it all his own
way,
and won without a scratch, in nineteen rounds, and in
forty-nine
minutes and ten seconds. A good deal of indignation was
pro-
duced by an event connected with this match, and which
showed
the vallainy into which some men will plunge in the pursuit
of
gain. On the morning of fighting, Jack was hocussed by a
person well known in the ring. It was suspected that a
sleep-
ing potion had been given to him in a glass of mulled wine,
and
it required all the energy of his friends to prevent its
fatal
consequences. On the 4th of October, 1819, he had a turn
up
with Hood, a fighting tailor, in Battersea-fields; and
after
fighting four rounds, sewed up his opponent, who it is
but
due to state, proved himself a good customer, and gave Jack
the
quid pro quo. In June, 1819, Jack was matched by an
amateur
against Scroggins, for 100L a-side; but this having been
done
without Jack's knowledge, and having just then paid a
large
deposit for "the Hole-in-Wall," Chancery-lane, he reluc-
tantly suffered his friend to forfeit.
_
At this period it was considered that
Jack had received not less
than 1,200L. by his good fortune, but "easy got, easy gone."
-
As fast as it was received it was spent - until at last
prudence
suggested the expediency of laying the foundation of
something
substantial for his family, and he accordingly closed his
bargain
for "The Hole in the Wall," under the patronage of
General
Barton, his friends giving him a pipe of wine, instead of a
piece
of plate, to commence operations; and on the 17th of
August,
1819, he gave his opening dinner, at which Mr.Jackson
presid-
ed. Two years were now devoted to the duties of a
Boniface,
when Jack once more "came out," or rather gave a
challenge
to all England, of his weight, for five hundred guineas.
This
sum he subsequently reduced to 300L., and the gauntlet
was
taken up by the friends of Jack Martin, who for the
second
time, matched him against the Nonpareil. There was a
good
deal of management about this affair, and we have reason to
be-
lieve that Randal was strongly tempted to do wrong - but he
was
honest to the back bone, and it was "no go." Those who
calculated upon his weakness therefore found themselves in
the
wrong box; and the match came off on the square on the
16th
September, 1821, on Crawley Downs, and was decided in
one
round. Whispers were afloat as to the motives for so short
a
struggle on the part of Martin; but it is not our purpose to
go
back into details which are sufficiently fresh in the
recollection
of the sporting world. Martin subsequently challenged
Jack
to renew the combat, for 300 guineas, and after a good deal
of
newspaper chaff, a third match was made on the 11th May,
1822, for 300L a-side, and a bet of 700 guineas, to take
place
on the 3rd September. Two deposits, amounting to 410L.
were
down, but on the third meeting, Randall's friends were
too
late by seven minutes, and Martin claimed and received
forfeit.
On the 21st of May following, he publicly challenged
Martin,
at the Fives' Court, to fight for 500L or 1000L; and on
the
27th August, a fourth match was made for the former sum,
to come off on the 3rd of December; but this, al-
though the whole stakes of 1000L. were made good, became
a draw, on the ground that Randall's backers, who
forfeited
the 205L. were threatening to sue Martin for that sum,
which
had been given to him by friends, and thus ended all
nego-
ciations between these men. Gypsey Cooper afterwards
chal-
lenged Jack for 200L. but he refused to fight for less than
300L.
He had a house and business to attend to, and a wife and
family
to support, which he would not neglect for less. From
thence-
forth he pursued the beaten path of a publican, and was
highly respected by all ranks of the fancy. The liberality
of
his friends, however, added to his own predilection for
daffey,
gradually paved the way to the "break up" of his
constitution,
and for some months back he was but the shadow of his
former
self. There has recently been a good deal said about a
match
between him and Dick Curtis, but we believe no serious
inten-
tion of the sort was entertained by either man, nor would
the
condition of Randall have justified such an undertaking.
_
Such is the general outline of this
man's career. That he had
his faults, we will not attempt to deny, and who is there
with-
out them? - but he maintained to the last, towards his
friends,
a sincere feeling of gratitude, and his memory will ever be
re-
spected for the honesty which invariably characterised his
ap-
pearance in the Ring.
_
We regret to add, that his widow is
not left in the most flou-
rishing circumstances; but it is pleasing to find, that the
ama-
teurs of pugilism are about to endeavour, as much as
possible,
to repair her loss, by giving her a benefit at the
Tennis-court;
at which every man in the ring, we have no doubt, will
be
proud to assist.
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