A FAMOUS BOXER.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 113, 11 May 1909, Page 2

A FAMOUS BOXER.

Into the Goswell Road Post Office, one day recently, walked a stalwart, broad-shouldered old man., with white hair and moustache (says a London paper). He came to sign am application form for an old age pension, and gave his name as Jem Mace, boran at Beestan, Norwich, April Bth, 1831. The old mam with the. well-brushed silk hat was, indeed, nione other than the famous old pugilist, and former undefeated chaanpioiEu of the world, who now, within a few weeks of his seventy-eighth birthday, finds himself fallen en hard time's. Despite his advanced years, Mace is as hard as nails, and as jolly as a sandboy, and ho was delighted to chat with aoi interviewer. He was at his pirime ill the sixties, amd boasts 500 fights with only two defeats. "Careful living and keeping off the drink is the secret," he said. ■"In the old days men trained harder, and went through ordeals that would kill present day boxers. There's all the difference in the world between the old fights with bare knuckles and glove contests -to-day, which are mere pleasure outings." Mace is still active and keen. Within the last fortnight he has been giving exhibitions of boxing at Hull and Coventry, and he hopes tol have the gloves om with pupils and others many times more. Some big prizes have fallen in his time to me lot of the old man who today is applying for an old age pension. In one fight in America !he won £10,000, and he has known what it is to have £70,000 in the bank.