Mr. Jackson collected for the losing man, on the ground, £47 19_s._ The night previous to the battle, Spring, in company with his backer, walked from Andover to take a view of the ground on which the battle was to take place, when Spring observed, “It was so beautiful a spot that no man could grumble to be well licked upon it.”
The newspaper report respecting Mr. Sant, the backer of Spring, having won £7,000 on the event is erroneous; also that Mr. Gully had realised £10,000. Mr. G. did not win more than £100. It is true that Mr. James Bland picked up a tidy stake; but it was false that Belcher lost a large sum of money upon the battle: Tom was too good a judge to risk too much of his blunt. So much for correct newspaper information.
Painter left his house at Norwich on purpose to perform the office of second to Spring, it being a particular request of the latter boxer. The wags of the fancy, at the conclusion of the battle, proposed that the town of Andover in future should have the letter H _neat_-ly added to it—to stand thus, Hand-over, in allusion to the great transfer of specie on this occasion.
It was stated in the newspapers that a fine old lady of the Society of Friends, with a couple of her daughters, came in their carriage to the Angel at Marlborough, during the time Neat was training. The two daughters remained in the carriage at the door, while the old lady made her way into the Angel. She ascended the stairs, and found Belcher in a room, sitting by himself, Neat having retired to change his clothes. Tom thought the lady had mistaken the apartment, till she addressed him. “Thy name is Belcher, is it not, friend?” “Yes, madam,” was the reply. Tom was in hopes to get rid of the lady before Neat returned; but she waited till the Bristol hero made his appearance. “I understand, friend Neat, thou art about fighting a prize battle. Dost thou not know it is very sinful? Be advised, friend, and give it up.” Neat urged that he was bound in honour, and that if he gave it up he should not only be a heavy loser of money, but stand disgraced for betraying his friends. “If it be the lucre of gain, friend Neat, I will recompense thee,” thereon, the report went on to say, that the lady offered money to the pugilist. Other journals coupled the name of the worthy and excellent Mrs. Fry with the affair, which called forth the following epistle from her husband:—