The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-02-20
FIXED WRESTLING MHTGH!
A Fake Was Tolerated at g. A. r.
Hall Last Saturday Ev-
ening.
TWO of the Contests, However,
We're Worth the Price of
Admission.


a good sized crowd of Redwood and
Renvllle county sports, and number
OF commercial men who took advan-
tage of the superior hotel accomoda-
tions here for over Sunday, at the G..
A. Il. hall on Second and Jefferson
streets, last Saturday evening.
The exhibitions we're advertised
under the series of wrestling contests
in which j. E. Hodson of this city, al
legged champion of Southwestern Min
nesota, and commercial man under
the alias of Chas. Blatt, alleged cham
pion of Germany and Scandinavia,
we're advertised as the stars of the ev-
ening.
Blatt is well-known hereabouts
and a good many people, who have
heard him talk, and who have kept
track of the sporting events in the
daily press, in which Blatt was fire.
quently made to appear as winner in
wrestling contests, went up to the hall
last Saturday evening with the ex-
pectation of seeing a rattling heavy
weight contest, so far as Blatt was
concerned, although all of them can
didly admitted that Blatt would do
the full and half Nelson and grape
vine acts with Hodson at his own
sweet will. That appears to have been
the trouble. The. crowd, or the bulk
tit, never reckoned on "fake' be-
fore they appeared in the hall and as
result those who were on the inside
from the start, picked up good many
bets from these innocent and callow
sports.
The contest was the last one of the
series of three for the evening. Prof.
Muldoon Curtiss was the referee. The
contest was the best three out of five,
two points or both shoulders down.
An interval of five minutes was al
lowed between each round. Shortly
before ten o'clock the contestants ap-
peared. They we're wrapped in huge
woolen horse blankets. At the call of
time the blankets were dropped and
revealed two fine specimens of ath-
etes stripped to the skin, wearing on
ly trunk tights with lawn tennis shoes
Blatt weighed in at 2l2 pounds and
Hodson tipped the beam at 22C
pounds, both men stripped.
At the call of time the two men
stepped to the middle of the padded
ring and shook hands. There was {
lively tilt for holds, Blatt looking tt
the legs of his opponent while Hod
son was taking his chances at any
point. Blatt secured his hold but il
doing so went to the floor, rolling owe
flat on his belly. Hodson was on top
He spent a minute putting and at
tempting to get his opponent over tn
shoulders but did not even bulge him
Finally Blatt threw up the round b,
claiming that his arm, around whicl
he was wearing bandage, would no
permit Hodson's working. The latte
| got up, looked at his man, and said t.
the referee:
"What do you call that?"
| After consultation with Blatt Prof
Muldoon called it round in favor O
Hodson. The time-keeper announce.
that it took just 1886 minutes for Blat
to throw the round. The seconds. .dit
the towel act, bathed their men for th
next five minutes, when time wa
called again. It took just So second
for Blatt to show how easy he coult
throw Hodson. His hold was hal
Nelson around the neck with the Othe
arm around Hodson's left leg. Hod
son was holding to Blatt's waist. Witt
one apparently easy effort Hodso1
was brought oyer Blatt's right should
or and foored in less time than j
takes to tell it: The referee callet
that one in favor of Blatt.
| After five minutes application o
the towel and bucket time was callet
and Hodson came in for a second fall
according to the schedule, Blatt wen
to the floor on his belly. On a hal
Nelson lock on Blatt's left shoulde
Hodson turned his man squarely ant
was given the round.
| The contestants monkeyed aroun'