Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-07
WRESTLING MATCH.
American and French Cham
pions Show Their Skill.
Contest Stopped at Midnight by Po-
lice and Declared a Draw.
Pons the Heavier Man But American Roeber
More Clever.

New York, Feb. 6.-For one hour and
IL minutes, Ernest Rocbcr, the AmeIi-
can champion wrestler and the French
champion NJ. Paul Pons struggled for
supremacy in a roped ring in Madison
Square Garden, tonight. They might
have gone on for another hour. but the
arbitrary order OF Police inspector
Thompson, who declared that he would
not allow the bout to so on after mid
night, stopped the match in a most un-
satisfactory stage at midnight.
Pons held the upper hand at nearly
every stage Of the contest, but he
lacked the cleverness Of the smaller
man who was never caught unaWarcs
at any moment and Hoebcr though by
many years the older and in stature far
inferior TO the big foreigner, more than
held his own. That the bout was on
the level there can be no question ami
the 1000 people who left the Zig build
ing had only warmcst praises for the
athletes and few hard words for the in
terference of the police inspector.
Pons entered the ring with
handlers at lois O'Clock He
received a rousing welcome. The
Frenchmans friends offered to / the
American champion would be beaten.
Roeber when he took his seat in the
northwest corner of the ring was
greeted by tumultous cheers by the
German element.
| The men were then introduced to
wrestle Graeco-Roman style, best two
out of three falls. Pin falls only to
count and fall secured anywhere in
side the ropes to count. If the match
, No no,
having a fall to his credit would be de-
| Clared the winner.
When the men came together Pons
seemed to be l. inches taller than Roe
Der and he Immediately measured the
aggressive getting a light body hold from
which f0ebcr slipped away. Roebcr
| tried to grab the Frcnchman'S neck bu,
| PonS was on the alert and spun him
across the ring. Then with a quick
| movement Roebcr went on his hands
| and knees to the floor and Pons
| pounced on him. kneelinG OvC- Rocber.
! Pons tried for q neck hold. then he
tried for a half Nelson but landed
! neither. The Frcnchman kept kncad-
, ing his hands into ROBBERS body and
Roebcr finally stepped away only to be-
caught before he got two feet away.
| Pons tried again for Il half Nelson brt
| eocbcr kept W-iEgling out Of his holds.
| Pons made a shift ana essaycd y back
| hammer lock. This was also frUitleSs.
Pons then tried the strange hold hut
ROCber twisted and by an adroit move
ment was on top Of the Frcnchman.
Rocber. after this shift of positions.
! tried the strangle hold which the French
man cluGcd ana ert on top again. Pons
| appeared 10 be nonp,i;ss,d Il. He next tried
Il winefai, but Roebcr was too quick
| After two minutes Pons secured IA half
| Nelson but Rocbcr avoided 4 fail After
! sparriuG for IN oucniug. Ro"hrr secured
| 4 back body hold but Pous broke il ana
| III getting away for another trial went
| 10 the floor with Eochcr an ton He tried
| tho strange bold ana had tho French
| man half way over when the mig fellow
| brok" the strange Will" tn crow'i
| chccred. Tho mon wcr" on their feet
again for ~ minutes, before Ruchor got Il
| back body hold On Tive trcnchman and
! actually tCd him. putting his hands ana
| knees 70 the floor. Roch"r follow a up mis-
| advantage bY secUrir" a strange hold,
! but P0ns broke III" hold inside Of tv"
| failed to move Rocber. who rcgained his
| feet. After five minutes foot work Zoe
| her gained a body hold and brought the
| big frcnchman To the floor Then NJ
cured half Nelson bit failed to turn
The mon lad then been wrestling ono
hour and rest of 10 minutes was al
lowed
The men resumed hostilitics at 11.i5
O'Clock. Pons got a neck or t-0ttic hold
but Rocbcr wriGglcd away. Rccocr got
a body hold, but the Frenchman turning
quickly sent him 10 the floor. Pons tried
back hammcrlock, which Rocbcr broke
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