Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-05-17
FARMER STAYS THE LIMIT
American Champion Wins Handicap With
With Hall AdalI. the Sultan's.

American Champion Wins Handicap With
With Hall AdalI. the Sultan's.
Farmer Martin Burns, champion
American wrestler. won the handicap
match with Hall Adali, champion of
the world, and known to sporting
fame AS the ssSultan's Lion, " at Turner
Grand Opera house. Davenport, last
evening before packed house which
went wild with delight when the an
nouncement was made that the farmer
had succeeded. 1t was contest of
skill, agility and science against
muscle and brute force. The condi-
tions were that the Turk was to throw
Burns twice in an hour and fifteen
minutes for a purse of $500, and two
thirds of the gate receipts, one fall by
Burns to win. As the men appeared
upon the mat at the call of time
with John Voss as referee the con-
trast in their appearance was striking.
Burns, small of stature, but befuti-
fully developed and trained, and
graceful in physical outline, seemed
doomed to be crushed by a noun
tain or facing the task of pushing one
over. As the men faced each other
there was difference of over 100
pounds in Adali's favor. The Turks
title is a misnomer; he should be styled
the ..Sultan's Elephant" Not that he
is clumsy, but by reason of his
immeusitv he is of necessity awkward.
He showed few of the instincts of
the king of beasts for which he is
noted, last evening. He was not fero-
cious, but he was powerful. When
he got the hold he was looking for he
held it, and throwing his entire weight
on his adversary, there was nothing
to do but yield TO superior weight. 1t
was TO Burns interests therefore, to
keep out of the Turks clutches. as
far as possible. and above all to avoid
letting the Oriental giant fall upon
him. 1t was accordingly like an
elephant toying with cat. The farm
number of tight places. AT times
he was almost totally concealed
beneath the towering weight of the
big gladiator, but he managed repeat
edly to wiggle out to the enthusiastic
satisfaction of the audience. The
Turk throughout seemed to be abid-
ing his time, while Burns was the ag-
gressor, if anything, from the start.
He had the audacity to make one or
two attempts to turn his powerful adj
versary's shoulders to the mat, but
he might as we'll have undertaken TO
push the Auditorium in Chicago out
into the lake. He could not bulge the
big fellow. 1t was while thus engaged,
however, that after wrestling Is min
utes he fell into trap, the Turk turn
ing suddenly and Selling him with
b; lf-Nelson and hammerlock, threw
his weight upon the plucky farmer
boy. who bridged finely for an instant
and then fell beneath the sheer
weight.
The men then retired for 10-min-
ute rest. When they returned there
was but 90 minutes of wrestling time
left. Burns stayed it out, being more
cautious than in the first bout, and
going down on the mat but once.
Thereafter he kept out of the clutches
of the giant, although il is not to be said
that he ran him n foot race. He con-
tinuallv broke away from every hold
that was taken of him. If anything,
Burns seemed TO hazard too many
chances to suit his friends, and at n"
stage of the contest acted the part of
a dodger. John Voss, of this city, as
stated, refereed the match, while c. Ii.
HubbelI and S. W. Searle, of Daven-
port. were the official time-keepers.
When the final time limit was called
by the official timers, the crowd went
wild.
Three good preliminary matches
occurred before the main event of the
evening. John Voss won two out of
three falls from his brother GeOrOe
John Anderson and Bob Lanard. of Mo-
line. gave lively couple of bouts in
which the latter was successful Ar
dahl, known as Moline's Terrible
Turk, ;" bested Benson very handily.