The play at singlestick at Salisbury races on Wednesday was very dull, there being no players of note to meet the Somersetshire men, who carried off the prize easily. On Thursday, however, James Lyne arrived, on his return from Magdaline bull fair, and Maslen came in from Devizes. Some fine play was now displayed--Maslin and John Wall had no less than thirty-five bouts, and at length Wall gave in, not being able longer to keep his guard.
But the crack play was between James Lyne (of Wilts.) and Wm. Wall (Somerset) and it afforded a high treat to the amateurs of the art. At length Lyne won Wall's head, and the play concluded for the morning. In the afternoon when the tyes were called on, the Wiltshire men had four heads, and only one Somerset man (Bunn) had gained a head. The odds were too great for Bunn to have any hope of success, he therefore gave in, and the Wiltshire men divided the prize.
Two master gamesters, a Berkshire and a Hampshire man then entered the ring on a particular challenge, and showed much skill, intrepidity and good bottom. Berkshire triumphed. The sport lasted five hours. The bouts played were one hundred and sixty-one. The heads broken seventeen.
A duel was fought in a field, near Chalkfarm, between two Hibernian heroes, named FELIX O'FLANNAGAN and DENNIS O'SHAUGNESSY, in consequence of a dispute which occurred the preceding evening, at a meeting of _connoisseurs_, in Russel-square, to view the newly erected statue of the late duke of Bedford; when Mr. O'Flannagan and Mr. O'Shaugnessy differed in opinion, not only in respect to the materials of which the statue was composed, but the identity of the person it was said to represent.
Mr. O'Flannagan, who is a _composer of mortar_, insisted it was made of _cast stone_, and represented the duke of Bedford; and Mr. O'Shaugnessy, who is a _rough lapidary_, vulgarly called a _pavior_, contended it was made of _cast iron_, and intended to "_raprisint Charley Whox_." The dispute ran high, and, as it advanced, became mixed with party and provincial feelings. Mr. O'Flannagan was a Connaught man, and a _Cannavat_; Mr. O'Shaugnessy a Munster man, and a _Shannavat_.
With such provocations of mutual irritation, they quickly appealed to the law of arms; and after putting the eyes of each other into _half mourning_, they agreed to adjourn the battle till Sunday morning, and to decide it like _jontlemen_--by the _cudgel_. The meeting took place accordingly, and each was attended to the field by a numerous train of partizans, male and female, from the warlike purlieus of Dyott-street and Saffron-hill. They were armed with blackthorn cudgels of no ordinary dimensions; and having _set to_, without ceremony or parade, each belaboured his antagonist for above an hour, in a style that would have struck terror into the stoutest of the Burkes and Belchers, and _enameled_ each other from head to foot, with lasting testimonies of vigour and dexterity. The air was rent by the triumphant shouts of their respective partizans, as either alternately bit the ground. At length, Mr. O'Shaugnessy yielded the victory; and Mr. O'Flannagan was borne off the field, with his brows enwreathed by the Sunday _shawl_ of a milkwoman, his sweetheart, who witnessed the combat, and crowned the conqueror with her own _fair_ hands.
