Another Exciting Account of 1884 Pelham Prize Fight Between Jim Murray of New York and Tom Henry of England

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On Wednesday, February 20, 1884, the Town of Pelham was the site of yet another major prize fight, this one between lightweights Jim Murray of New York and Tom Henry of Manchester England.  I have mentioned this fight before and have quoted an article describing it.  See, e.g., Wed., Feb. 12, 2014:  Pelham Was the Scene of Illegal Prize Fights During the Early Days of the "Sweet Science" of Boxing.  

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog provides a little more detail about the infamous Murray-Henry prize fight and transcribes another article that described the surprising events that occurred immediately after the fight.  

Prize fighting such as that hosted in Pelham in 1884 was brutal and illegal.  Thus, plans for such fights were kept secret with word spread quietly among trusted acquaintances.  In this case, word leaked that there would be a "fight" at Pelham Bridge, though few knew whether it would be a prize fight or a cock fight.  Nevertheless, the leak attracted hundreds who began showing up via the "midnight trains" that arrived at Bartow Station on the Branch Line and at the Pelhamville Depot on the mainline a few hours before the early morning fight.

The fight was scheduled at the Grand View Hotel at Pelham Bridge.  The hotel proprietor was John Elliot who took over and renamed the hotel that previously was known as Blizzards Hotel, run by David Blizzard.  

There was a large open veranda at the back of the hotel where the fight was to be held.  A storm, however, lashed the region that night and morning with "driving wind and rain."  This forced organizers to move the fight inside to a large horse shed facing the road.  Between 400 and 500 spectators crammed into the tiny space where a 12 feet by 13 feet ring was made.

The handlers for the two fighters each put up $500 as the prize to go to the winning fighter.  Spectators bet heavily on the match with odds of ten to seven in favor of Jim Murray as the fight began at about 7:00 a.m.

As one might expect, the fight was brutal.  A colorful account summarized the result as follows:  "They hammered each other terribly for five rounds, each receiving his punishment without flinching, until Henry delivered a terrific right hander on Murray's chin, which felled him like a log.  He lay on his back dead to the call of time, and Henry was declared the winner."

The handlers for Henry and Murray settled their finances and scurried off the premises, each side leaving its fighter -- still in his ring costume -- to nurse wounds and to recover in their respective hotel rooms.  Neither fighter suspected what was about to happen.

During the night, the Sheriff of Westchester County had received a tip from New York City Police that a prize fight would occur at Pelham Bridge.  Sheriff Horton assembled a posse of four Deputy Sheriffs.  The posse hopped in a closed carriage and scurried from White Plains to Pelham Bridge.  They arrived only moments after the fight ended.

Clearly Sheriff Horton was a brave man.  He and his deputies pushed their way through the crowd that had dwindled to about fifty people and raced upstairs to Jim Murray's room where they found him, still dazed, on his bed in his ring costume.  They arrested him.  

As Sheriff Horton dealt with Murray, the deputies raced to Tom Henry's room.  It was locked.  The crowd realized what was happening and began grumbling and threatening the members of the posse.  The deputies broke down the door and arrested Henry as the crowd below gathered with plans to free the two fighters from the posse.

Sheriff Horton understood the gravity of the circumstances.  He left the prisoners with his deputies and ventured downstairs.  He faced the crowd and gave a brave speech.  He said:

"I have arrested the principals in a prize fight here this morning.  I have arrested them by virtue of the authority vested in me as Sheriff of Westchester county, and now I command you to immediately disperse.  I am going to take my prisoners to White Plains, and I give you men fair warning that I shall not be interfered with.  I shall shoot the first man that raises his hand against me.  I have come prepared, and I want you to understand that I am not to be intimidated by any of your threats."

The crowd grumbled threateningly, but the Sheriff's speech had the "desired effect."  The posse was able to force the prisoners downstairs into the closed carriage and to depart.  

The crowd assumed the posse would head for the nearest train station.  Thus, they raced to Bartow Station to wait for the posse and their prisoners.  The posse, instead, used a labyrinthine path to return to White Plains and, thus, outwit the threatening mob.  They took their prisoners to the New Rochelle station, then to New York and, finally, to White Plains where Murray and Henry were arraigned before Justice Long and committed to the county jail.  The handlers, however, escaped.

A Bare-Knuckled Prize Fight, Circa 1880's, Like Many

Prize Fights Held at Pelham Bridge.  The Murray-Henry

Fight on February 20, 1884, However, was Held with

"Small Gloves Under the Queensbury Rules."

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Below is a transcription of the text of an article about the Murray-Henry prize fight that appeared in the February 22, 1884 issue of The Chronicle pubished in Mount Vernon, New York.  It is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"AN EXCITING PRIZE FIGHT.

The Grand View Hotel, at Pelham Bridge, kept by John Elliot, formerly Blizzards, was the scene of considerable animation, all day Tuesday and Tuesday night.  It had been 'given away' that a fight of some kind was to take place, Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, but whether a cock fight or prize fight, was not known, except to those who had been entirely let into the secret.

By six o'clock Wednesday morning, between four and five hundred men were assembled at the place designated for the fight.  The majority of them had arrived by the midnight trains, some on the branch road and others by the main line to Pelhamville and New Rochelle, from whence they plodded through the mud to Pelham Bridge.  

It was the intention of the parties interested to have the fight take place on the large veranda at the back of the hotel, but the driving wind and rain compelled them to resort to the horse shed facing the road.  In this, a ring 12 x 13 feet was made; so the rough element that had not contributed a cent, toward the expenses attending the affair, and which largely predominated, took possession of the shed, while the ten dollar ticket men, had to view 'the mill,' as best they could from unenviable positions.  The principals in this affair were Jim Murray, of New York, and Tom Henry, of England, both light weights.  The conditions were to fight with small gloves, under the Queensbury rules, for $500 a side.  Murray was backed by Richard K. Fox, and Harry Hill furnished the money for Henry.  Geo. Fulljames acted as master of ceremonies, and Rocky Moore as referee.  Barney Aaron and Mike Costello were chosen seconds for Murray, while Mike Cleary and Bob Farrell acted in the same capacity for Henry.

A few minutes before seven o'clock, the men were brought into the ring and when time was called, bets of ten to seven were offered on Murray.  They hammered each other terribly for five rounds, each receiving his punishment without flinching, until Henry delivered a terrific right hander on Murray's chin, which felled him like a log.  He lay on his back dead to the call of time, and Henry was declared the winner.

At two o'clock Sheriff Horton was telephoned from the police of New York, notifying him of the prize fight, and hastily sumoning a small posse, consisting of Deputy Sheriffs, Duffy, Verplanck, Malloy, and Brogan, started in a close carriage from White Plains.  They arrived at Pelham Bridge moments after the fight ended.  None of the officers were known to the crowd, and upon inquiry the sheriff ascertained that the fight was over and the prize fighters were up stairs.  He pushed his way through the crowd followed by his deputies, and going into the room occupied by Murray, arrested him.  He then ordered Duffy to arrest the other man, who had the door of his room locked.  Breaking open the door Deputy Duffy entered and snapped a pair of bracelets on Henry.  Both men were in their ring costume.  Threats were made by the mob that they would rescue the prisoners, so leaving them in charge of his deputies, Sheriff Horton went down stairs and facing the crowd which now numbered about fifty, said:

'I have arrested the principals in a prize fight here this morning.  I have arrested them by virtue of the authority vested in me as Sheriff of Westchester county, and now I command you to immediately disperse.  I am going to take my prisoners to White Plains, and I give you men fair warning that I shall not be interfered with.  I shall shoot the first man that raises his hand against me.  I have come prepared, and I want you to understand that I am not to be intimidated by any of your threats.'  This had the desired effect and the mob hurried to Bartow Station, where they expected the Sheriff would take a train, but he outwitted them.  He took his prisoners to New Rochelle, thence to New York and to White Plains, arriving there at half past twelve o'clock.

Murray and Henry were arraigned before Justice Long, of White Plains, and committed to the county jail.

The only thing to be regretted is, that the backers of these men, who are really responsible for the fight, were not arrested also, but they had left before the Sheriff arrived."

Source: AN EXCITING PRIZE FIGHT, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Feb. 22, 1884, Vol. XV, No. 753, p. 3, col. 4.

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I have written about illegal prize fights in Pelham on a number of occasions.  For examples, see:

Wed., Nov. 04, 2015:  The Famous Nineteenth Century Prize Fighter Yankee Sullivan Fought in Pelham in 1842.

Thu., Jul. 10, 2014:  Illegal Prize Fight in Pelham in 1902.  

Wed., Feb. 12, 2014:  Pelham Was the Scene of Illegal Prize Fights During the Early Days of the "Sweet Science" of Boxing. 

Wed., Mar. 23, 2005:  Prize Fighting At Pelham Bridge in 1884. 

Tue., Oct. 04, 2005:  Front Page of the May 12, 1902 Issue of The Pelham Republican (describing the fight between Joe Gleacher and Joe Kerwin held in the spring of 1902; Gleacher was found in Mt. Vernon after the fight and was arrested, although Kerwin apparently escaped to Philadelphia before his arrest).

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
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