Extraordinary scenes marked the funeral at the Jews’ Cemetery in East Ham this afternoon of Jack Goodwin, the boxing trainer, who died at the Albert Hall last week when Larry Gains, whom he had trained, won against McCorquodale.
The East End paid an emotional tribute. Outside the house in Shoreditch mounted police had to force back crowds of weeping men and women, who surged round the hearse as the coffin was brought out. Then foot policemen bent double in their efforts to keep a cordon, as the crowd tried again to get close to the hearse and the mourners’ cars. Traffic was held up for some time at the beginning of the procession through Commercial street, Commercial road and Sydney street.
Boxers Goodwin had trained from boyhood accompanied the cortege.
There was great excitement when a big blue car drove up, and Larry Gains, at whose fight Goodwin died, alighted.
There were scores of wreaths. Lord Lonsdale sent one in the form of a boxing ring in beautiful chrysanthemums.
Among those who followed Jack Goodwin to the graveside were Phil Scott, Sam Russell, Jack Bloomfield, Fred Dyer, and Joe Fox (the ex-champion who came specially from Birmingham).
More than 300 telegrams came to the Goodwin home this morning.
When the coffin was borne into the cemetery, it was in the presence of a gathering which included practically every well-known figure in the boxing world of London.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
