The Washington herald., 1921-08-07
By ROBERT EDGREN.

pions ever produced in England
have been middleweights, or only
removed from the middleweIght
class by a few pounds.
L met Jem Mace in London In
1902, during an international tourn-
ament in which many English and
American fighters met. Mace at
that time was Al years old, brown
skinned, dark featured man of
middle height, with a profile bear
ing the marks of many battles. He
had been heavyweight champion of
England many years before. under
London prize ring rules, when his
best lighting weight was about 1so
pounds, now the recognized mid
dleweight limit.
When 1 saw him he had recently
returned from a trip to South At
rica, where, nearly 70 years old,
he had engaged in five fights, with
fair success.
old fellow, and proud of his health
and strength. a gypsy, he had
spent nearly all of his life out of
doors and roaming. He died in
1911, at the age of so. Mace was
a small man among heavyweights,
being only feet 9h inches tall.
He became champion of England
in 1852. at 81, by knocking out
Tom King in forty-three rounds.
King was a big man and a great
fighter. This fight was for the
championship belt and a purse of
$1,000, winner take all.
Championships were cheap in
those days. Imagine Carpenter
and Dempsey in the ring for $1,000
|, instead of s5oO.ooO.
King met Mace again ten months
later and stopped him in twenty
one rounds Later he beat John c.
Heenan, of America, famous for
his fight against Sayers. in twen-
ty-four rounds. King retired from
the ring, became a great Oarsman.
winning several championships, and
made a fortune of 100000 on the
turf.
Jem Mace reclaimed the cham
-pionship after Kings retirement
and fought in Australia and Amer
ica- In Australia he established
the Mace school of boxing, which
developed such great men as Bob
Fftzsimmons, Jim all. Peter Jack
son. an Creedon. Young Critic and
the Murphies. He was an extreme
" fast, clever boxer, who combined
a hard punch with his speed and
when glove fighting took the place
Of bare knuckles the Mace style
nf boxing was adopted all over
The world. Fitzsimmons. Ketchel
and DerSsey have improved on II
in America. but the English box
ers still box in the fashion Mace
made famous.
Madden's Quest.
Charlie Mitchell was of a later
school in England. and in hfs time
as famous as old Jem Mace. Billy
Madden discovered" Mitchell.
Billy Madden was manager of
John ]. Sullivan for a short time
when Sullivan first began knocking
all the other champions out of the
ring. and John had a quarrel,
and Madden went on hunt for
man to whip Sullivan.
He first sailed to Ireland. where
he looked up all the heavyweights
in sight and decided that none of
them had a chance. Then he Wis
tied, ngIand and started a travel
ing tournament, held in several
English cities, n which he develop
ed several huge fellows who looked
pretty good until one evening when
fall
along and asked to be given a
chance. On successive nights this
youngster stopped or knocked out
after another.
His name was Charlie Mitchell.
He was a dapper. pert little fel-
Iow-little more than a welter-
weight. but he had all the nerve
in the world. amazing speed. great
skSlI, a hard punch and unlimited
auaacity. When Mitchell Cleaned
upV all the big fellows. Madden
had been grooming for John L.
BHy was discouraged. One night
he had a talk with Mitchell
,You've knocked all my plans
into a cooked hat" complained
Madden. Here I've been working
fOf montnS 10 StI man
enough to fight Sullivan in Amer
ica; and you've spoiled the whole
shdw."
S.WelI," said Mitchell chAsrfully,
what's the matter with my hsht-
ing Sullivan"
.oh. you're too small" said Mad
den.
Not a bit of it," said Mitchell:
"I3 bloomin' well fght i'm and
beat i'm too"
IMPRESSED by Mitchelrs nerve
feN more matches, which he won
Eiijv Madden put him through a
.aEIy. Mitchell was recognized as
-tkn boxing champion Of England
MADDEN wrote to America that ne
v.i coming home with a man TO
s-6t sullivan, and sailed with
MITCHELL. ,,,
0ys feet nine-and so light-Iess
than $50 pounds-Madden iet
Ittle embarrassed over the recep-
tioI that might be accorded MN
in New York. So he had Mitcheii
vs.r boots with high heels, a tail
siIk hat AMI an oVercoat with
padded shoulders-
Mitchell was standing at the raii
,xitb Madden when the steamer
Soo,<ed in New York. At once
core Of newspaper writer's scram-
Ma aboard to see the man VINO
vas coming to night Sullivan ray
80 NO advance data on Maddens
nnd. they expected to see ouriy