Show REVERIES EH VERIES OF T A A REFEREE iT BY GEORGE SILER 4 I The defeat of Bob Fitzsimmons un undoubtedly undoubtedly undoubtedly the oldest pugilist to engage in an important battle in this country recalls to my mind that old English fighter Jem Mace e still in good health at the ripe old age of 74 Mace became prominent in ring history by challenging ing the winner of the international fight between John C Heenan and Tom Sayers which took teok place in England in April 1860 and which ended in a wrangle without a tt winner being de declared declared d dared Mace challenged both Sayers and Heenan but they ignored him a aNine Nine years later or to be correct in I September 1869 Mace came to this country claiming the title of heavy heavyweight heavyweight weight champion of England Englana and gave several sparring exhibitions with John JohnC C Heenan and his cousin Pooley Pool Y Dur During During During ing the following winter ho matched with Tom Allen for the heavyweight championship of the world worl Mace then was in his fortieth year but was well preserved and could have passed for 30 His exhibitions with Heenan were the talk of New York as outclassed the American in aU all the de departments departments departments of the game In fart fact his knOwledge of the fine tine points of fight LIght fightIng fighting LIghting Ing was a revelation and after his first bout with the Benicia Boy BoyM he was voted the cleverest boxer in the world w a His fight with Allen was scheduled sch to take place in May and on the day of that month 1870 they met near New Orleans to battle for the highest hon honors honors honors ors in pugilism for 2500 a n side All the men known in the fighting game e ime gathered at the ringside rin to witness the two English gladiators wallop each other with the raw uns uris Mace Maie e had for his seconds Jim Cusick and Jerry Donovan the th latter a brother to Pro Professor Professor Professor fessor Mike Donovan of the New York Athletic club and President boxing Instructor Behind Allen An n was Joe Coburn and Sherman Thurston while John C Heenan stood umpire for Mace and Dad Ryan for Allen Rufe Bufe Hunt officiated as referee and Al Smith held the watch Tt battle was a affair as asMa asMal asMa Ma Mal L t t outclassed his man at all aU points po and won easily in ten rounds The superiority su of Jem Jern was so clearly mani manifest manifest manifest fest that after the third round the he re result result sult suit never was In doubt He left l ft the ring without a scratch except a slight abrasion on the forehead and a few purple spots about the ribs rib Allen ABen however was thoroughly whipped Hi Mace located in New York after that battle and with Phil Hargrave opened a saloon and restaurant on Twenty third street where one night in No November vember 1870 he and Joe Coburn had run in The scrimmage led to their being matched and on May 11 li 1871 they met in a ring pitched on Canadian Candian soil Mace as in his fight with Allen was d by Cusick and Donovan and our horseshoe friend Owney GeO GeOghegan Ge GeOghegan ghegan and Billy Dwyer looked after Coburn Dick Hollywood then bantam bantamweight weight t champion of America was cho chosen chosen chosen sen referee While Alex AIEx MasonS Mason v looked After fter Interest and Barney Aaron acted in a like capacity for Mace The fight was a fight in name only as they were In itt the ring over an hour without striking a blow Whenever Mace would toe the scratch and feint for an opening Coburn would back to his corner inviting Jem Tern to fol follow follow follow low him The Englishman however was too wary as the men that sur surrounded surrounded surrounded rounded Joes Joos corner had knives and guns gins in their hands and murder In their eyes Joe was there to win if he could but by no means to lose and andas andas andas as Mace thought more of his life than he did of ot the money noney involved in the battle he religiously remained on his side of ot the ring Seeing he could not draw Coburn to the scratch and Co Ce Coburn Coburn burn burLi seeing he could not induce Mace to come into his territory they killed time leaning against the ropes rubbing their bodies After fifteen en minutes of this sort pf f Mace roamed to his corner and taking up tip a t said Ill drink 1 Q with you Joe Toe to which Joe responded And Ill take a drink with you Jem Tern Then followed a rapid firing of abuse Mace accusing Coburn of cowardice and Joe asking him to prove it by in inviting inviting Inviting him to his corner After they had faced each other over an hour the th cry CrI was raised that the police poUce were coming which caused considerable ex excitement excitement excitement and almost a stampede At Atthe Atthe Atthe the end of an hour and seventeen min ruin minutes minutes utes two men entered the ring Judge Wilson and the th high sheriff of the county Edmund Deeds who command commanded commanded m ed that hostilities cease at once and andas andas andas as they were backed up by the militia the order was obeyed and the crowd dispersed but not before one of the light fingered gentry relieved the high sheriff of his timepiece A proposition to renew the fiasco at Long Point Canada was made by Co burns umpire Both men agreed to be governed by the referee Hollywood d then notified the men I len to meet him at 10 a m the day and after a con consultation consultation consultation he ordered them to fight at Kansas City Mo lIo on June 2 As this was carrying the fight over the time limit according to the rules Coburn refused to obey the officials order but offered to fight within or hours Mate Mace however hoever proceeded to the fighting grounds named and as Coburn failed to put in an appearance the ref referee referee referee decided Mace lIace was entitled to the stakes Stakeholder Harry Hill re refused refused refused fused to give them t em up under the cir circumstances circumstances as the th had over overstepped overstepped overstepped stepped his bounds acting a ting In direct opposition to the rules by ordering the themen themen themen men to fight with a Sunday intervening n ning ing between their first and the re requested requested requested quested second meeting A new match for 2500 a side was then arranged and set se for Nov INov 30 Their first match was for 1000 a side only quite a small sum for the worlds heavyweight championship battle b as compared with what the fighters of t the present day receive to whale away at each other with gloves gl ves S Their second s cond meeting took place at Bay St Louis Miss This time Mace had his old opponent Torn Tom Allen and Jim Cusick Cusi k for seconds while Coburn was chaperoned by Tom Kelly who is still living and In the grog business at St StLouis Louis and Tim McAlpine Jim Coburn Joes brother and Al Smith Sm th acted as umpires and Rufus Hunt officiated officiated elated as referee There was considerable action in this battle that Is during the first eleven rounds rounda but the twelfth was a tion of their Canadian affair with the exception that Mace declined to leave his Instead of Coburn i They stood looking lo king at each other for nearly an hour Mace only going to the scratch when ordered bv by the time referee Coburn had the same ugly gang with him and Jem fearing bodily harm would not take a chance to step across the imag inary mary line Coburn anything if had a shade the better of the mining milling but he also for reasons best known to him himself himself himself self and his seconds refused to fight in Maces backyard After considerable bantering and joshing the referee finding that Mace would not leave his corner and that Coburn rn did not intend to drive him out or do the fighting there stepped In Inside inside inside side of the ropes in those days on under London prize ring rules the ref referee referee referee officiated outside of the ring and declared the fight light a a draw adding that one was afraid and the other I This was wa the th last actual a ring fight Mace took part in arid and also Coburn Mace lIace went to England but returned to this country several years later and from here went to Australia where he taught the how to hit stop and get away After touring Australia he returned to America brining with him as a champion champlon pos pea possibility possibility Herbert Slade who will be 1 re remembered remember remembered member d as the Maora Slade was wasa a big husky fellow but knew little of the game as was attested when he hO h met John L Sullivan at the Madison Square garden and nd was beaten in a a jiffy His size and bulk made himan him an excellent t 1 punching bag for John L who wh carried him hUn with him for fo that purpose Maces Ma es last visit to this country was several years y ars ago upon ulon u oh which occasion sion he boxed Mike Donovan The last heard from th cleverest clever st man in his day was vas that he was situ doing a boxing turn and was good for a number of years Coburn got mixed tip p in a shooting scrape a few years after his battle with Mace in which a policeman n was killed Joe was convicted served a term In prison and died shortly after his re release release release lease U |