STL All Sports

A legendary figure in the world of boxing is the late James Joy Johnston, little English-born manager of hallowed memory. In the old days when boxing was more of a sport than it is today, Johnston, sometimes known as "The Boy Bandit," handled the affairs of the great Ted Kid Lewis. According to the records, Lewis met the welterweight champion, Jack Britton, twenty-two times in the ring. This story deals with the first meeting between the two men. It may not have been as bloody an encounter as subsequent ones, but it was by far the funniest.

The men were matched to go fifteen rounds to a decision in the fair city of Boston. On the day of the contest, Britton showed up not only with his manager, Dumb Dan Morgan, but also with a hand-picked referee.

When Jimmy Johnston learned about this, he held his counsel until the referee entered the ring with the two fighters. Then he edged over to the row of reporters at ringside.

"Gentlemen," he shouted at the top of his voice, "I want you to know that Britton's got his own referee in there. This fight is not going to be decided on its merits!"

The referee, who had heard Johnston's remarks all too clearly in the center of the ring, glowered through the ropes at the little man from Liverpool.

"What's more," continued Johnston loudly, "I'm sure this guy's going to rob me!"

"Shut up!" shouted the red-faced referee. "You'll get a square deal and you know it!"

"Says you," jeered Johnston. "This isn't the first time I've run into your kind. It's an insult to the fine fans of Boston to bring in an outsider as referee."

"Shut that guy up!" yelled Morgan suddenly from Britton's corner. "Shut him up or I'll come over and do it myself!"

Meanwhile, Britton, as incensed as his manager, started for Lewis. The two men began to mix it up in a corner and seconds, handlers, and everyone else who could get into the ring pitched in with a will. The police poured into the ring after a few minutes and stopped the general melee. At last, all was cleared and the real fight could begin.

The bell rang for the first round. The two boys sparred in the center of the ring. There was a commotion in Lewis' corner. Then Jimmy Johnston stuck his head up and shook his fist at the referee. "Robber!" he screamed. "Look at that guy robbing us! Oh, you crook!"

The referee turned his head in startled surprise. "You're getting a square deal, Johnston!" he shouted. "I'm as honest as you are, you loud mouthed bandit!"

And so it went, all through the fight. With every exchange of punches in the ring, Johnston let out a roar of protest. To every insult the referee answered in self-defense. The ringside was in a constant uproar as the bewildered referee spent more time denying Johnston's charges than he did watching the fight he was supposed to judge.

At the end of the contest, there was a loud buzz of speculation from all sides. In his corner, Dumb Dan Morgan chuckled with satisfaction as he patted his boy Britton on the back. In the other corner, the downcast Jimmy Johnston growled and grumbled. In all that mass of people, only these two, the managers of Lewis and Britton, thought there was no question as to what the decision would be.

Britton had won by the proverbial mile. The bell clanged for silence. The referee hesitated for a moment. Then, as the crowd roared, he swiftly crossed the ring and lifted the hand of Ted Kid Lewis in token of victory. Jimmy Johnston's boy had won!

Dumb Dan Morgan nearly swooned. Jimmy Johnston was so shocked that he actually tumbled off the stool on which he was sitting. And then things began to pop. Again the enraged Jack Britton flung himself across the ring at Ted Kid Lewis. Again there was a wild battle that swept across the ring from one side to the other. Only one man held his position as the renewed war surged around him. Only one voice could be heard above the terrific racket. Jimmy Johnston clung to the ropes before the press row, a look of wounded dignity on his face. "Cut it out, fellows," he bellowed. "What are you all so excited about? The referee's an honest man, I tell you! There's no reason to squawk about the decision. He called it as he saw it! He's an honest man!"