Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-02-29
The Wrestling Match

! evening was at the corner of Merchants
1 Row and West street. Here at abou
half-past seven, and from then till Ions
past eight o'clock was assembled mot
ley crowd, embracing the high and low
rich and poor, completely blocking III
the sidewalk, extending out into the
street, and ingress or egress from Ian
don's Block work of labor and some
knowledge of engineering. Toa stranger
passing or endeayoring to pass along, it
would have been apparent either that
one of our periodical fires or some other
great event was occurring or about to
occur. He would have been wrong
about the fire, but right about the event.
The crowd had assembled to pay one
dollar each, the excitement was about a
wrestling match.
AT quarter past eight about two hum
dred persons had assembled in Landon's
Hall, which had been selected as the
arena for the conflict, the floor being
properly sanded, ring was formed and
b1lilC IdIitAl lit LOnlGSbdl1I5 entered
the ring. These were John McMahan,
formerly of ST. Albans, but now of Rut-
land, and Ezra W. Titus, of East Wal
lingford. A defect in our early educa-
ton as to the technical terms used in
the prize ring and other sporting con-
tests, must be our excuse for the want
of description of the prominent and
telling points of each, and the particu-
lar thing in each that inspired confidence
in their several backera.
The nreliminaries were quickly ar
ranged, a Mr.. Burns, of st. Adams,
being chosen as referee for McMahan
and Samuel Hayward, of Rutland, for
Titus, and the contest began.
The contestants took their hold and
commenced walking around, making all
due and proper gesticulations with their
several feet and hands for the space of
five minutes, when a short rest and
water was taken.
After a minute or two, time was again
called and hold was duly taken. The
same motions, etc, were again gone
through with, only little more 50, for
some twenty minutes, when by some
peculiar motion, which we presume. has
proper name, Titus was thrown.
First throw for McMahan.
Here occurred the intermissiOn. recess
or whatever it may be called, usual and
ordinary in all matches, and which was
devoted to rest and refreshment. The
parties were taken in charge by their
several adherents and hackers. Mc1fa-
han passed most of the time in walking
round the typical ring to cool off and
prevent himself from becoming stiff.
Titus most of the time was seated, with
an occasional turn around the hall to
keep up his suppleness.
After the lapse of the due and proper
number of minutes, time was called,
and a ring formed. McMahan came up
to the scratch, but Titus, holding up his
arm, claimed a longer period to recuper-
ate his exhausted energies-we mean his
arm and shoulder-whichh he stated were
badly famed by the fall or throw.
Ten minutes given.
At the expiration, Titus declined to
take hold again on account of the dam
aged condition of the arm and shoulder
aforesaid.
McMahan demands the match.
The referees give McNIahan the purse
$50, the match and the championship
of Vermont
Titus and his friends announced that
upon the restoration of his impaired
muscles areturn match would take place
at East Wallingford. Referee Burns
offers to bet two hundred dollars on Nc
Mahan. No takers
This reminds us that when time was
first called bets were offered on time by
Titusites, and on result by Mc1Iahanians
without takers.
After the close of the grand match,
several minor trials of skill took place
but we left to be in season to attend the
fire.