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NEW YORK EVENING POST
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1802
BELCHER vs BOURKE
The following minute and technical description of BETWEEN BELCHER AND BOURKE 1st Round was long; much sparring and A more severe contest never, perhaps; [Bourke very nearly paid the
forfeit of his life
a barbarous amusement, still kept up among the
English, may be gratifying to some, as affording a
specimen of the state of manners in that country.
squaring, hard blows struck, both parties dis-
played much spirit but little skill. Bourke
appeared to have a good chance, throwing in
a blow which cut Belcher under the left eye;
they closed and both fell, neither having the
advantage.
2nd Round was decided, Bourke closing on
Belcher without any sparring, and throwing
him, both falling, Belcher beneath.
3rd Round - Smart and severe; sharp blows
passing on both sides; Bourke aimed a great
blow at Belcher's nose, which the latter op-
ped with his right hand, and threw in a very
hard straight forward blow with his left hand
at Bourke's right eye, which took full effect;
the blood gushed out, & the face swelled round
the eye, in such a manner as nearly to close
up the sight. Belcher immediately closed on
Bourke, and gave him a severe fall.
4th Round - Much sparring; no blows took
effect. Bourke closed on Belcher and threw
him a dreadful fall, Bourke falling on Belcher
with all his weight very heavily. In conse-
quence of this fall, the betting, which had
been 3 to 1 against Bourke, changed to 3 to 2.
5th Round - Squaring. Bourke followed
up Belcher very quick, Belcher retreating
till he came with some force upon the railing
which enclosed the stage: Bourke close upon
him. Those who backed Bourke were now in
high spirits; but Belcher, when against the
rails, laid hold of the rail with the right hand,
and with this purchase swung himself round in
such a manner as enabled to give Bourke,
with his left hand, a doubly severe blow on
the throat, immediately upon which the blood
gushed out of his mouth in torrents; and Bel-
cher instantly followed this by a sharp blow
with his right hand on the left side of Bourke's
head, the latter fell, Belcher upon him, Bourke
having hold of Belcher's hands. The betting
again became 2 to 1 in favor of Belcher. -
Bourke sat down on his second's knee for about
half a minute, water was given to wash his
mouth, which, notwithstanding, continued to
bleed very much; his face was also wiped
with handkerchiefs, and means taken to
refresh him. During this time, Belcher was
walking about the stage.
6th Round - Bourke fell the first blow
which took effect smartly on the cheek, just
below the eye that had before been nearly clos-
ed up.
7th Round - Bourke immediately arose, and
early gave Belcher a blow with his right hand
on the side of the head; Bourke closed on
Belcher; a violent struggle took place; but
Belcher had the advantage, throwing Bourke
and falling on him; a rest of nearly a minute
took place; Bourke appeared much exhausted.
8th Round - Bourke, with much spirit and
energy threw a blow with his left hand,
which took effect on Belcher's breast; Bourke
closed and threw Belcher.
9th Round - Bourke's nose was cut open;
he closed on Belcher, who threw Bourke; a
heavy fall. This round was very decisive in
Belcher's favor
10th Round - Belcher threw a blow at
the eye of Bourke, which had been nearly
closed up; the blow took effect; Bourke fell.
11th Round - Belcher threw in several blows
on the breast, which seemed to severe. Previ-
ously to this none of the body blows on either
side were much worthy of notice. Bourke
closed on Belcher and threw him with great
violence, falling upon him.
12th Round - Both seemed rather exhaust-
ed; Bourke closed early, a powerful wrestle;
Bourke prevailed, Belcher falling under him,
Bourke falling heavy. A rest of about half a
minute took place.
13th Round - Belcher received a full blow
on the breast, which made him stagger;
Bourke closed and again threw Belcher, fall-
ing heavily on him. A short round.
14th Round - Belcher cut Bourke's left cheek
both closed and fell after a long struggle.
Both displayed more science in this round than
in any of the preceding.
15th Round - Several hard blows on both
sides, though none of them seemed decisive;
both closed and fell, Belcher uppermost. A
rest of about half a minute.
16th Round - Bourke appeared very weak;
he received another blow on the cheek; and
one on the nose, were he had been struck
before; Belcher's knuckles appearing to be
buried in his nose. Still Bourke would not
fall until he received a sharp blow under the
right ear; the blood gushed out at his ear and
2at his mouth; he then fell. This round was
decisive of the battle. After the first blow in
this round, Bourke seemed enraged, and to
have recovered all his strength; he struck Bel-
cher several blows in the breast, but none of
them severe, though they made Belcher stag-
ger a little. Bourke's face was so smashed to
pieces, and so besmeared with blood (his eyes
nearly closed up) that he seemed to make a
mad and desperate effort, regardless of conse-
quences. This laid him very open to Belcher,
who was now amazingly active, throwing in
his blows with both hands. The friends of
Bourke all cried that he should give in, as he
was manifestly too severely beaten; but he
would not yield, though he was unable, with-
out assistance to rise, his second lifting him
up by the waistband of the breeches.
17th Round - Bourke appeared to stand very
firmly; but one severe blow throw on his
nose, knocked him smack down. Bourke
now gave in, and Belcher was declared vic-
tor. At the termination, there were but par-
tial plaudits, most of the spectators feeling for-
Bourke's situation, sympathizing with him as
a man of far more bottom than they expected.
took place. And Bourke displayed every
possible characteristic of determined courage
and indefatigable perseverance. Their ap-
pearance and a mode of fighting were very dif-
ferent. Bourke was much superior in a point of
weight, nerve and muscle - Belcher was su-
perior in quickness of arm, activity of body,
and a combination of movements which gene-
rally prove successful over a single excellence,
or requisite for the practice of pugilism. -
Bourke frequently pushed his courage to fero-
city, and sometimes struck at random; Bel-
cher was, even in the hottest moment of the
battle, master of temper, and seemed ne-
ver to strike without a specific object. Bourke
although absolutely exhausted, offered to con-
tinue the fight, but he was over-ruled by his
second and carried off the stage in a most
wrenched condition. Belcher received several
very severe blows, particularly in the body;
but he bore them with great patience, and did
not leave the ground for upwards of an hour
after. The battle was for one hundred guineas
a side, and some thousands depended upon its
issue.
Mendoza was to have seconded Bourke, but
he was afraid if he did so, that he might loose
the license of the public house he keeps in Mile
End Road.
Belcher having beat Bourke, has challenged
Mendoza, and offered to fight him in a month
for 200 to 300 guineas; to which bravado
Mendoza calmly replied, that he had relin-
quished the trade of fighting; that he support-
ed a family of six children by his exertions as
landlord of the Lord Nelson public house, in
White-chapel; that there was one man he
would fight; and that was Jackson, who, in
consequence of his having behaved unhand-
somely and unfairly in the former contest, had
aroused Mendoza to satisfaction, if not to ven-
geance.
It is quite true, that Belcher is not a man of
science, according to the rules of the pugilis-
tic art; but he possesses a style peculiarly his
own, which baffles a regular science. He is
remarkable quick, springs backward and for-
ward like lightning; you hear his blows but
never see them; at the conclusion of a round
his antagonist is beaten and bloody, but you
did not see Belcher give a blow. This is in-
deed a science peculiarly his own. It is one
which none of the regularly bred artist can
meet, it is felt, but not seen and means cannot
be devised of mastering it.
in this affair. Belcher was arrested to abide the
consequences if death had ensued.]