The Washington herald., 1916-01-30
Ready for Big Meets lsemann Boosting A G. B A Tourney
ROMANCEs OF THE RING
IRELAND'S HOPE
80 $50 BY TIM. $50

oh, for another Dan Donnellyl
That wish was on the lips and T. the
hearts of all true sons of the Emerald
Isle in those dreary days In the second
quarter of the nineteenth century which
followed the passing of Irelands g eatest
gladiator of the ring.
irish hope had risen high when the
dashing. debonair Jack Langsn, who had
won honors as a soldier of fortune In
the South American wars for indepen-
dence, had in 1924 thrown down the gaunt-
let to Tom Spring, England's pride. Jack
had fought like true Hibernian, but
his best was not good enough. and Irish
sportsmen had seen their hopes dashed
to the ground by the failing fists of the
Englishman. Thousands, tens of thou
sands-aye. hundreds of thousands, per-
haps-were transferred from Irish pock-
cts to English purses after that historic
battle
So Ireland bided its time, and, like the
Frenchman OF later generation, brood
ed OF ''revanche." Dozens of young Irish
men, inspired by the noble ambition to
wipe out the stain OF the Langan defeat
and revive the glorious era of Dan Dom
nelly, took up the fighting game, and
some of them made great progress, but
anon them all there was not man con-
sidered good enough to fight Jem Ward.
the Black Diamond" who had succeeded
to the pugilistic throne of England.
Not one? Well, there were not a few
Irishmen who believed that Simon Byrne
was good enough to lower the proud col
ors of England. A giant was Simon, tow
ering above six feet, game TO the Irish
core of him, and with a tremendous
waIlop, although no marvel as 10 science
Simon Byrne received his baptism of
blood in the ring on June day in 1895.
when he fought Mike Larkins. a country
man, at Brassington Course, Ireland, for
$500 a side. For 13s rounds the tide of
battle surged back and forth. and In the
end Larkins was awarded the victory. II
was Simon who gained the glory, how
ever, for he was a novice, and his op-
ponent a veteran. After few more
contests on the ould sod. in which he
was the victor. Simon set out for
pastures new, and landed I'm Scotland.
In 1877 he fought Alexander Mckay, the
champion of Scotland. near Glasgow, and
defeated him in forty-seven minutes A
few months later he fought Avery at the
same place, winning In one hour and
thirty-five minutes.
With Scotia's laurels upon him, Simon
Byrne journeyed to London, bent on win
ming for ireland the championship of
the British world. Arrived in the me-
tropolis, Simon issued challenge to Jem
and in the March of 1928 the ring was
pitched for the great battle on a cricket
field at Leicester. The journey from Ire
land to England was no easy task In
those days, but hundreds of sport-loving
sons of the sod made the trip. and Joined
the thousands who gathered at the ring
side on the day chosen.
AS the hour for the battle approached
the mob suddenly went wild with wrath.
The announcement was made that Jem
Ward was seriously i'll and could not ap-
pear.
Coward" "a dom English trickp'
These and other exclamations of rage
came from the Irish contingent, and the
Englishmen were scarcely less angry
with their champion. II The Black Dta-
mond" could have been found. that day
he would have had a hundred fights on
his hands, but he had wisely made him
self scarce. The suspicious Of the Irish
men as to Wards sudden illness proved
to have been well founded, but 1t was
not cowardice that kept Jem away. He
had entered into an agreement with q
bunch of blackguard gamblers to throw
the fight, but at the last minute his nerve