Slantlea began well: he took the lead, gave Langan several clumsy thumps, and had decidedly the best of the Irish Champion for the first four rounds. He sent Langan down three times by nobbing hits; and the friends of the former laughed heartily at the idea of his paying off Slantlea for waiting for him. “You have got your master now, Jack, before you.” “Be aisy,” replied Langan; “I have trained by the advice of Dan Donnelly; I’m sure I’ll bate any opponent; only look, I’m just going to begin!” and letting fly his left hand in full force upon Slantlea’s head, the latter fell as if he had been shot. Poor Slantlea never recovered from the effects of this blow; but he proved himself a game man for thirteen rounds, when he received a finisher. It was over in thirty-five minutes.
A porter of the name of Dalton, employed at the Irish Custom-house—a Josh. Hudson in nature, but so fond of milling that hardly a fellow round the Custom-house dared look at him—challenged Langan. “By the powers of Moll Kelly,” said Dalton, “he shall find he will have something more to do in bating me than he had with Slantlea.” The battle took place in Gloucester-fields. Dalton pelted away like a bull-dog for four rounds, but Langan put an end to his ferocity in the course of three more. At the expiration of twenty-five minutes Dalton was rendered as harmless as a mouse.
Pat Halton, at this period, was called “Donnelly’s boy;” in fact, he was the avowed pupil of the late Irish Knight of the Sod. Langan and Halton met at Donnelly’s house, and a match was made between them, to fight at Ballinden-Scorney, in the county of Wicklow. On the day appointed, a great muster of the Fancy took place; but the multitude was compelled to separate by the horse-police, and to cross the water to form a new ring. During the interregnum, Halton went into a public-house, kept by one Maguire, and took a glass of liquor. When he was called out to meet Langan, he complained that the liquor he had drunk was bad, and had made him so unwell that he was not able to fight. Langan, of course, claimed the money, but the stakeholder would not part with it. However, by way of some compensation to our hero, the subscription money, £19, which had been collected from the spectators for the privilege of the inner ring, was given to him. This disappointment produced “lots of grumbling,” until a new match was made. Langan full of gaiety, fond of company, and much caressed by his friends, lived freely till his money was nearly gone, when he was called upon once more to enter the ring with Halton. Jack had not above a day to prepare himself, while it was said that Halton had been training upon the sly, at Bray. “Devil may care,” replied Langan, when he was told of it; “I am ready, even without butter-milk, this time.”[12] On the Curragh of Kildare this battle took place. It is but fair to state, that the mill between Langan and Halton has been differently reported; but we are credibly informed that the following account is a correct outline:—Coady and Norman were the seconds for Halton, and Grace and a countryman for Langan. It was for £50 a-side. The first five rounds were manfully contested on both sides; but upon Halton being floored by a tremendous blow on his head, he became very shy afterwards, and did not like to meet his man; he kept retreating, and getting down in the best manner he could. Upwards of sixty minutes had elapsed, and it rained all the time; Halton went down from a flooring hit, and could not come to the scratch when time was called. This created a disturbance, the ring was in disorder, and when Halton came to, he said he was not licked. The backers of Langan insisted upon the money being given up; but Donnelly, whose word was law at that time, asserted that his boy had not lost the battle, and no individual being found on the ground to contradict or dispute the assertion of that mighty chief, the parties separated very much dissatisfied at the non-decision of the contest!