Seymour Egerton,
Afterwards Lord Wilton, Sir Archibald Macdonald My Brother-
In-Law, Fred Clay, Bertie Mitford (The Present Lord Redesdale
- Perhaps The Finest Amateur Cornet And Trumpet Player Of The
Day), And Lord Gerald Fitzgerald.
Our concerts were given in
the Hanover Square Rooms, and we played for charities all
over the country.
To turn from the musical art to the art - or science is it
called? - of self-defence, once so patronised by the highest
fashion, there was at this time a famous pugilistic battle -
the last of the old kind - fought between the English
champion, Tom Sayers, and the American champion, Heenan.
Bertie Mitford and I agreed to go and see it.
The Wandering Minstrels had given a concert in the Hanover
Square Rooms. The fight was to take place on the following
morning. When the concert was over, Mitford and I went to
some public-house where the 'Ring' had assembled, and where
tickets were to be bought, and instructions received. Fights
when gloves were not used, and which, especially in this
case, might end fatally, were of course illegal; and every
precaution had been taken by the police to prevent it. A
special train was to leave London Bridge Station about 6 A.M.
We sat up all night in my room, and had to wait an hour in
the train before the men with their backers arrived. As soon
as it was daylight, we saw mounted police galloping on the
roads adjacent to the line.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 348 of 404
Words from 91610 to 91859
of 106633
