he still holds. Ambitious of a more than local fame, he secured a
patron, and fought his first fight against Jack Barton, of
Birmingham, in May 1880, at the old Loiterers' Club. Craggs,
who fought at ten stone-two at the time, had the better of fifteen
rattling rounds, and gained an award on points against the Midlander.
Having disposed of James Dunn, of Rotherhithe, Cameron, of Glasgow,
and a youth named Fernie, he was thought so highly of by the fancy
that he was matched against Ernest Willox, at that time
middle-weight champion of the North of England, and defeated him in a
hard-fought battle, knocking him out in the tenth round after a
punishing contest. At this period it looked as if the very highest
honours of the ring were within the reach of the young Yorkshireman,
but he was laid upon the shelf by a most unfortunate accident. The
kick of a horse broke his thigh, and for a year he was compelled to
rest himself. When he returned to his work the fracture had set
badly, and his activity was much impaired. It was owing to this
that he was defeated in seven rounds by Willox, the man whom he had
previously beaten, and afterwards by James Shaw, of London, though
the latter acknowledged that he had found the toughest customer of
his career. Undismayed by his reverses, the Master adapted the
style of his fighting to his physical disabilities and resumed his
career of victory--defeating Norton (the black), Hobby Wilson, and
Levi Cohen, the latter a heavy-weight. Conceding two stone, he
fought a draw with the famous Billy McQuire, and afterwards, for
a purse of fifty pounds, he defeated Sam Hare at the Pelican Club,
London. In 1891 a decision was given against him upon a foul when
fighting a winning fight against Jim Taylor, the Australian middle
weight, and so mortified was he by the decision, that he withdrew
from the ring. Since then he has hardly fought at all save to
accommodate any local aspirant who may wish to learn the difference
between a bar-room scramble and a scientific contest. The latest
of these ambitious souls comes from the Wilson coal-pits, which have
undertaken to put up a stake of 100 pounds and back their local
champion. There are various rumours afloat as to who their
representative is to be, the name of Ted Barton being freely
mentioned; but the betting, which is seven to one on the