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Show JEM WARD REGARDED STAR OF TRICKSTERS Ever since Bill Stevens soltl a bout to Georffo lleprijs, a centurv imd a half ao, and Bill Darts laid down to Peter Corcoran in J 772, the uize rintr has been disgraced by occasional manifestations manifes-tations of di.-honesty. Ho, too, have nil other prot'essionsi for that matter. Tho most persistent of all pugilistic champions in the gentle art of frame-ups, frame-ups, however, was Jem "Ward, who is entitled to tho dubious honor of being the father of fakers anions the knights of the doubled fist. Ward was awarded the championship belt ninety-three vears ago, December 9. 1S25, and held it for nearly thirteen years, retiring- from the ring undefeated except for such bouts as he had sold. When Jem quit the ring, at the age of 38, hi3 younger brother, Hick, tried to cop tho title, but was whipped by lien Gaunt. Jem Ward .was a thorough athlete and as clever a man as had appeared in the ring up to that time. He was proficient in devious ways, however, and could imitate a man wdio had been knocked out in a manner to deeeivo all but the closest observers. Ho was born in 1S09, and began fighting fight-ing when he was 15. llis first fake bout was with William Abbott. Ilis opponent wore himself out by his exertions, and Jem had.to '!ill in fi foinf. in order In lose T-fp admitted later that, he had faked the faint, and was ruled out of the ring for a year. After that he took part in several shady bouts, but when Tom Spring resigned his title Ward claimed it and defended his right to the championship cham-pionship against Tom Cannon. Within a year or two after landing the title Ward was whipped by Peter Crawley in another fake bout. Crawley Craw-ley refused to fight again, and the belt reverted to Ward. Later he refused to appear "when matched with Byrne and forfeited the title, but quickly recovered recov-ered it bv whipping Byrne. When he chose to fight fair Ward was unbeatable," but his persistent bent toward faking led to his being dubbed "The Trickster." |