AND SCROGGINS.

TUESDAY, December 8, 1818, Molesey Hurst was the field of action between Martin and Scroggins, who fought for a stake of 200 guineas, in a twenty-four feet roped square. Scroggins was the terror of the prize ring after beating Knowlesworthy, until Turner snatched the laurels from him in two combats. Martin, who was a baker at Kennington, had acquired much science, and he gave his mind to the ring, and in his combats with Oliver's brother, and lately with Paddington Johnson, his genius was crowned with success. He is

1. Scroggins flew in left and right at his adversary, but missed his hits, and a rally to a close took place without harm to either. Scroggins gave the fall in a trial of strength.

2. Scroggins made a left-handed feint to see where he could plant his right and effective hitting hand, and Martin missed his left-handed hit and broke from him. Two or three slight hits were exchanged, but they were delivered too close in to do execution. Both went down, but Martin under.-Betting as at the commencement.

3. Hits were exchanged, and in

4. Scroggins played some ingenious Merry Andrew tricks to get his right-handed hit, and he placed it with some effect on the back of Martin's ear. Martin, who kept himself in a steady posture, returned the blow by one with the left hand, and another hit each was exchanged. Hugging followed, but neither were expert hands at weaving, and Martin was thrown.

5. Scroggins hit short, and he received three times, when he slipped down.

6. Martin placed a good righthanded hit on the body of his adversary, and fell with the blow.

7. Scroggins had the best of this round, and he turned the odds, for the first and only time, in his favour; he made his left hand tell upon the body, and his right slightly upon the eye, and Martin fell weak against the ropes.-Even betting, and 5 to 4 on Scroggins.

8. Scroggins shewed much confidence and gaiety in dancing round his adversary, and he lunged with both hands, but the left only told. In a short rally Scroggins was hit on the mouth, which drew first blood, visible to all the spectators, but in a trial of strength Martin was thrown.

9. A good milling round, to the advantage of Martin, who broke and hit, but his blows mostly went over his adversary's head, from a happy knack he has of putting it on one side. Scroggins hit short, and received a heavy fall.

10. Martin waited to receive his adversary, and he measured his body clearly with the left hand, and the head with the right, but he was thrown in a close.

11. Scrog

away. Martin gave the first knock down blow in the fight with the left hand in the body.

38, 39, 40, and 41. Both men were much distressed, and there was but little hitting. Both down in every round.

42. Youth brought Martin round again, and here he placed four hits upon Scroggins, by breaking and receiving him.

From this to the 50th round there is nothing more to remark, than that it was the general opinion a strong hit would have done much towards deciding the battle, and Scroggins tried for it by every manuœvre until he was so tired he could scarcely make play, while Martin broke upon him and gave repeated hits upon the head.

In the 50th round Scroggins did not appear readily to answer "time," and Oliver was in the act of announcing victory for Martin, when the ring pressed in close to the inner ropes, and whips and missile weapons fell indiscriminately upon all shoulders, and the ring was beat out again twice or thrice, as Scroggins was led up ten other rounds to try a very desperate effort, and these rounds were the life of the battle, although Scroggins was in that state that every round was expected to be the last. There was more punishment in these rounds than in all the rest, and strange to tell what the effects of brandy will do (Scroggins having had plenty of it), he hit Martin blind of an eye, although his face was more disfigured in every round. Martin in following Scroggins closely in this state of weakness, got as helpless as himself, and they rolled against each other; but Martin, from youth, recovered himself, and hit at intervals. Scroggins could not stand

after the 61st round, and victory was shouted for Martin, who was also much punished.

REMARKS.What Scroggins could formerly have done with Martin is not our present subject, but the observation, that "when a man once turns publican he loses his fighting," was here strongly shewn. Scroggins is the same man at heart, he is as willing, and perhaps thinks himself as good as he was, but he is much slower, and is not such a powerful man as when he fought Turner, nor are his blows any thing like so effective. He turned the odds in his favour once, but it was very transient success. He had no chance in the last part of the battle but by placing his right-handed hit, and that he was too tired to do. Martin had much length upon his adversary as well as science, and fought very steady. He was told, in the middle of the battle, to go in and ruffian it, when his adversary was weak, but there was much generalship in his reply: "I am winning it," said he, what can I do better?" He is young in the ring, and practice makes perfect in boxing, equal to other art. The battle lasted precisely two hours.

any

"and

Though no one can disapprove of this new Act of Parliament, as long as it is thought right that game shall not be legally sold; yet it will produce no sensible effect whatever, either in the preservation of game, or the preservation of the lives of his Majesty's subjects; or in the diminution of the crimes, which will inevitably fill our gaols; till the time shall arrive when game, like other property, shall be legally sold.

"The purchasers of game, who were qualified to kill it upon their own estates, were comparatively few; and very few of those who were not deterred by their consciences from purchasing game before this statute, will be intimidated by the penalties from purchasing it at present. The law, in respect to all others, is just the same as it

was.

"The poulterers and fishmongers will sell the game, just as they did before, by adding to the price of their ducks and geese, or fish; or by charging for it under an &c. a cipher, or an unintelligible name; and the poachers in the country will have the same demand from their customers in London and the great towns so that we may confidently predict, that there will be just as many gamekeepers murdered, and as many poachers shot, executed, and transported, as ever;—and till game is legally sold, in the manner I have suggested, or in some other general manner to be adopted by the legislature, every winter will exhibit a more melancholy catalogue than the preceding, of the loss of human lives, in consequence of depredations upon this species of valuable and high-priced property.

66

Crimes, if not effectually suppressed, increase by a rapid accumulation."

On Friday night, the 6th of Nov. last, a most desperate gang of poachers (about twenty in number), known by the name of the Bedfordshire poachers, or Robin Hood's gang, headed by a farmer named Field, of New Inn, near Silsoe, who called himself Robin Hood, attacked the woods and estate of Joseph Latour, Esq. of Hixton, mear Hitchin. The keeper, Dalby, and his assistant, Godfrey, on finding Field and his companions advancing near them, concealed themselves in a hedge: the gang, however, crossing the hedge near the spot, discovered them, when, without any attack or provocation whatever on the part of the keepers, they formed a line around them, when four or five of the party most cruelly beat them, leaving them for dead: Field held his dog by the ear while it licked the blood from the head of Godfrey. Mr. Latour sent immediately to Bow-street for assistance, when an active officer of the name of Holyland was sent down, who soon ascertained that the gang consisted of at least forty men, with Field at their head, and that they were encouraged by a number of gentlemen and farmers. Two of the men, Senly and Brown, were speedily apprehended, and sworn to by the keepers, but neither of them would impeach his accomplices. About a week after, the officer had information of one of the party, named Usher, whom he succeeded in taking after four days' and nights' severe labour, in a ditch, where he had a violent struggle for nearly half an hour, when a young man came to his assistance, and they handcuffed him. Usher is a very stout bony man, six feet one inch high; he defended himself with a spade, till

the

an

the officer wrested it from him, who was much hurt by the blows he received. In less than hour, Usher gave a clue to the whole gang, when Holyland proceeded to apprehend Field as the ringleader, in doing which he was exposed to great danger, as he found him at a public house surrounded by twenty of his colleagues, who had pledged themselves to die to a man rather than suffer Field to be taken. He entered the room, assisted by two of Lady de Gray's keepers, who, to their credit, stood by him until Field was taken. The officer was much assaulted, and had his warrant torn from him, when he drew his cutlass, and by a spirited and well-timed plan, he carried Field off. Three of the ringleaders in the assault have been sent to Bedford gaol to take their trials at the ensuing Sessions. Field, Usher, Senly, Brown, and Roberts, are committed for trial to Hertford gaol; and the officer is now in pursuit of the others. This gang has been for some time a terror to the whole neighbourhood, and Field has frequently given notice to the gentleman whose park he was going to attack. Some idea may be formed of the depredations committed by Field's gang, when it is pretty clearly ascertained that Field has paid from 601. to 701. aweek to his men, and employed a cart to convey away the plunder.

Poaching and Stabbing-Committed to Hertford Gaol, for trial at the Lent Assizes, John Game, of Collier's End, in the parish of Standon, labourer, for stabbing with an intent to murder, and also to prevent his the said John Game's being apprehended for poaching, James Dye, of Old Hall Green, in the same parish, labourer, one of VOL. II. N. S.-No. 15.

the assistant keepers belonging to Miss Mellish's manors, at Hamels, in that county.

Friday, Dec. 11, about 12 o'clock at night, a desperate gang of seven poachers from North Walsham, entered the plantation and shrubbery of Sir George Brograve, Bart. of Worstead-Hall, Norfolk, where they fired five or six guns, and were persisting in their object when Sir George's keeper and servants ran up to them; the villains instantly levelled their guns and swore they would fire upon them if they did not keep off; they, however, soon ran away, and were pursued by the keeper and servants, and stopped at a small gate, when a battle took place, during which guns were repeatedly presented at a yard or two distance, and some flashed in the pan.

d;

One of the poachers, who had received a blow upon the head, was secured with his gun loaded the others, some of whom had also received severe blows on the head, ran off, leaving behind them a loaded gun, two great coats, and some game. The man who was taker, was the next day examined before a Magistrate, and committed to prison.

About seven o'clock on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 12, Mr. Abraham Baxter, gamekeeper to John Fuller, Esq of Rosehill, Sussex, was summoned by repeated reports of a gun, which had been discharged at pheasants perched on the trees, to Roundean-wood, wherein he soon met three roughlooking poachers, and on asking them what business they had there, and what they had got in their bag, was answered by another question

"How many have you of your party?" to which Baxter replied, six or seven, when in fact he was accompanied only by a lad, his son;

S

and