Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1899 — That Wrestling Match [ARTICLE]

That Wrestling Match

Policeman Childers “Trows Down” De Hull Posh. -■ r* 1 " "■ ll Tbe great wrestling tournament came off at the opera house, Saturday night. There was a considerable crowd out, and all the oldtime broken-down, r6d-nosed old sports had dug out from their ground hog seclusion and were there in fall force. Oigar and cigarette smoke mingled their fra* grant odors and the stage oonld hardly be seen through the thiok vapor. . 'f' t ' J ji At 9:30 the sport commenced, with the first round between Farmer Burns Kane and Billy the Strangler Frey. Farmer won the fall in two minutes. The next bout was between Chase Adali Ritchey and Rooney de gripman Robinson. Rooney came out in tights and Ritchey with his common handmedowns, whereat the old sports on the stage jangled awhile, but finally let the bout go oD. Each wrestler took hold of .a belt around the other’s waist, with one hand, and with the other hand hold of a small ring held between them. If either party broke the other’s hold it counted as a fall In about a minute Gripman lost his grip, and the fall was given to Ritchey. The second bout between Kane and Frey then took plaoe. Kane broke Frey’s grip and was declared the winner by two falls in three. Robinson and Ritchey then had their second round. Both fell full length on the stage, bat Ritchey let go the strap, and Robinson won the fall,. Ritchey and Robinson then tried another fall, and Robinson lost his grip, and Ritohey was given the fall and the matoh. Wid Ritohey who was also to have wrestled with Robinson was sick and unable to be present. About this time trouble broke out in the balcony. .Narin, of Monon, a former base ball player here, had bet all his stuff, namely 55 cents, on Robinson, and Landy McGee held the stakes. Landy wanted to hand the stakes to the winner, but Narin told Landy he wouldn’t do a thing to him later, if he did—and Landy didn’t. A “little Irishman” over in tbe oorner, had been very much in evidence all along. Among other suggestions had offered to box or fight to a finish any man in the house who didn’t weigh more than 25 lbs more than himself. Seeing the row over the 55 cents, he went over the backs of the seats to the plaoe and mixed in to the extent of handing Narin one on the oheek, Polioeman Childers, who had been watching the progress of the row in the gallery now took a hand, and began to throw the participants down stairs. “Dedead game” sports on tbe stage now implored de gents in de gallery to be quiet as they were about to arrange a boxing bout. “Nary a bout, this bout is “bout out” quoth Childers, and having turned out the gallery lights he got his big olub in motion and drove out “de hull push,” and the show was over, with all the honors on Uncle Bill’s shoulders. And tbe saloons reclaimed their own.