Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1911 — SATURDAY NIGHT WRESTLING MATCH EVIDENTLY A FAKE. [ARTICLE]

SATURDAY NIGHT WRESTLING MATCH EVIDENTLY A FAKE.

Belief Exists That Greek Made No Effort to Throw “Billy” Stewart After First Fall. Saturday night’s wrestling match looks like a “fake” and nine-tenths of the people who witnessed it, including H. W. Kiplinger, the referee; H. F. Parker, the timekeeper, and many others who have taken an interest in the wrestling sport, unhesitatingly pronounce it as a "frame-up.” The conditions of the match were that Polos, the Greek, was to throw Stewart twice in 40 minutes. As given out by Garriott, the managei for Stewart, there was* a side bet of SSO between the men, and as claimed by both Garriott and Polos, the winner of the match was to get 75 per cent and the loser 25 per cent of the money that was divided between the wrestlers. It developed before the match that there was no side bet and it developed after the match that the door receipt money was split half and half between the Greek and Stewart.

The Greek walked into Stewart when time was called and without any trouble pinned Stewart to the mat in just two minutes. That left 38 minutes in which to accomplish the next fall. With practically no parleying Polos waded »into Stewart at the opening of the second round and had him on the mat and many thought that he was down and several left their seats and started for the door. Polos did not pin Stewart, however, and to the audience it looked as though his release was purposely made. He then took to his hands and knees and Stewart followed him, aerery strange circumstance for a man who was playing for time in a handicap match. Stewart was permitted to get a half Nelson and Polos broke it with a flinch of the shoulders to the right. Stewart’s head was jammed into the mat and Polos could have followed it and secured a fall. This performance was gone through with three times and then Stewart clutched the Greek about the waist, and probably a half dozen times the Greek broke that hold and rolled over on top of Stewart, and it is believed that he could have pinned Stewart down at any time. Instead he would roll back and permit Stewart to again get his waist hold. The Greek never tried to regain his feet, never sought to get a hold on Stewart by which he could make a fall certain. Instead he remained on his knees or fiat on his stomach and let Stewart regain his hold. There was no comparison between the men as regarded either strength or endurance and the Greek knew the game at which Stewart is merely a novice.

Nearly every one in the audience seemed anxious to see as much wrestling as they could for the money and were interested in it, but those who never saw a match before could readily see that the Greek was far superior to Stewart in essential to the wrestling game. And people who had never seen a wrestling match, as well as those who have, # without reserve, pronounced it a fake and claimed that the Greek could have thrown Stewart at any time he got ready. The equal division of the purse, the fact that Garriott spent a good part of Saturday afternoon at Polos’ room in the Makeever hotel, the fact that Stewart’s backers are said to have offered to bet their money after the first fall, all tend to substantiate the charge so unanimously made that if was a “frame-up.”

One of the officials of the game said, “It was a small stunt Stewart and his backers to pull off, for Rensselaer has taken an interest in him and his wrestling matches from the start and have packed the house for him. But it looks like he or his managers or both have given us a cheap dumping and I think no further consideration should be given them.” Referee Klplinger said that there could be no doubt about the match being “faked.” He said that, had he known then what he does now, and had he seen the fake indications as clearly as he now sees that he should have seen them, he would have declared it a “fake” and advised Manager Ellis of the opera house to refuse to settle with the wrestlers. He Bald that he was so convinced that it was a fake that he offered to wager a hundred dollars with Ed Gilmore, one of Stewart’s complement of managers, that he could bring the Greek and make him admit that it was a frameup. Referee Kiplinger was disappointed that he did not think a little faster during fifteen minutes following the close of the match. The Greek and Stewart were to have wrestled again next Saturday night, but, in view of the criticism that is so general, It Is probable that very few

people would give it the encouragement of their presence. Polos called The Republican by telephone this Moflday afternoon and wanted to know about the match for next, Saturday night. He was apparently very little surprised to learn that the match was being called a fake. He had hoped to get in on another fat purse next Saturday night. If wrestling can be kept clean It is fine sport, but the game here will suffer a great deal by Saturday night’s trick and many men have been heard to say that they would not go to the opera house again to see either Stewart or Polos wrestle. A preliminary that lasted 18 minutes was between Nichols, a young school teacher from Union township, and Guy Ropp. Ropp was not in the best condition, but made a very good showing. Nichols would like to arrange a match with any one of his size in the country and would like to go on as a principal. He would probably be a good card and if a good preliminary can be arranged for him, wrestling will probably J>e brought into favor again, but it will be necessary for him to eliminate the following that has made it odious by last Saturday night’s deal.