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The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Old Timer

"Bilson" Jack
(John Gest)

BORN circa 1854; Reportedly, Bilson, England (but likely Bilston, England, near Wolverhampton)
DIED February 3 1924; East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WEIGHT 140-160 lbs
Undated
       Paddy Brennan                                                ND  4
       John "Honus" Wagner        Pittsburgh, Pa                    LK   

1883
Jul  7 Evan Davis                 Pittsburgh, Pa                    ND   

1884
Jan 21 Charlie McCoy              Pittsburgh, Pa                    TK  7
          -Some sources report 1/14/1884;
           Reports vary - "W 7" - "D 7" - "L 7" - "KO 6" - "TK 7"
Apr 24 Jack Clifford              Pittsburgh, Pa                    LK 121
Jul 28 William "Prussian" Sherriff Philadelphia, Pa                  L  4
Oct 11 Charlie McCoy              Natrona, Pa                      SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Nov`17 -An athletic combination consisting of Bilson Jack, Jack Clifford,
           Jack King, Ed Thomas, and the "Soldier" left Pittsburgh headed
           for Mansfield, Ohio
Nov 17 John Gillespie             Mansfield, Oh                     LK   
Dec  3 -Bilson Jack denied that he was the man bested by John Gillespie on Nov 17

1885
Feb 21 Jack King                  Pittsburgh, Pa                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Mar 16 -Bilson Jack was involved in handling the fighters in Lawrenceville, Pa
May 30 Jack Conway                near Pittsburgh, Pa                D  3
Aug 13 J. Foster                  Pittsburgh, Pa                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Sep 17 Dick Jones                 near Pittsburgh, Pa               ND  8
          -Police showed up and ended the fight; Bilson Jack escaped;
           Jones was arrested; He was battered; Bilson Jack had a swollen
           right hand

1886
Mar 15 Tom Hinch                  Lake, Il                         SCH   
          -Middleweight Championship of Illinois;
           This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1887
Feb  5 Jack King                  Parkersburg, WV                  SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Mar 19 Jack King                  Wheeling, WV                       D  6
Aug 27 Peter Dillon                                                SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known

1889
Aug  6 -Bilson Jack was arrested in Glenwood, Pa on a charge of burglary
Nov 16 Bob Farrell                Washington, Pa                   SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known;
           Later, it was said Jack would fight an Unknown, not Farrell

1890
Jun  7 Fred Wise                  Millvale, Pa                     SCH   
          -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known
Oct  9 -Bilson Jack seconded Jack Dexter vs Harry Leonard near Pittsburgh, Pa

1894
Mar 18 -Pittsburgh (Pa) Daily Post reported that a fight between Bilson Jack
           and Billy Corcoran is off
Jul 26 -Bilson Jack threw a whiskey flask through a window of a train and
           struck a passenger; He was jailed and awaiting a hearing; For years,
           he had operated a saloon on Penn Avenue (? Pittsburgh ?)

1896
Jul 12 -Bilson Jack attended a picnic and ran into an old enemy; They had a
           fight and Jack won; Then, friends of his foe rioted and Jack was hit
           with a club; He was a bloody mess and taken to a doctor for repair

*** Much Data Provided By Mike DeLisa ***

Review courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization