Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-02
WRESTLING.
SURPRISES
 WERE THERE
Three Contests and Three Unexpected Victories - Gresham Outwrestles and Furnishes Owens.

Surprises were served up to the patrons of the wrestling feast at the EimoJ sville Athletic club rooms last even Ing, and by the way, those little sporting events down in that club roolp are getting to be more than in- teresting and Manager Joe Lawlor has several more on his list. There were three matches last night and in each one the surprise was apparent, for the expected winner was the loser In each
 Jack Roach refereed the first con- test. Jack Hosey of the North End A. c. and Young Dowd of the Good will A. c. were the two first to face each other. Before the match had proceeded very far it was seen that Hosey was the better boy and in seven minutes he secured his first fall. In two minutes more he had pinned Young Dowd for the second fall. win ming the match.
 The second preliminary attracted even more attention that did the main contest. There was whole lot of money wagered on the result of this match and the odds were on Bill Smith of the Quaker A C., who wrest- led Young Blondin of the Echo A. C.. In fact before the match started the Smith money went begging. Smith was the heavier of the two. and be- gan the aggressive work immediately on the call of time. He found BlOndin a willing contestant however. and the lighter chap while taking sone little rough usage, perfectly allowable how ever, administered some himself when the opportunity presented itself. It was rough all the way through but the exerti0ns of Smith seemed to tire him for while he was on top the most of the time and for the last ten minutes of wrestling. he was unable to do any thing toward securing fall. and when the thirty minutes was up neither had secured n fall.
 The main contest gave the biggest surprise of the evening. Dick Owens had been touted ns an easy winner in the match with George Gresham. re- cognized as former champion Cana dian wrestler. Gresham has been in several matches in this city and in each one of them he has not done anything which would warrant sports in backing him. He has always claimed however. that he was not in cpOdition in those matches ma there was some proof of that last night when he showed an astonishing diff erence in form. Gresham was at least five pounds lighter than his op- pOnent. and there was quite little of Owens money in circulation. The sports who make study of conditions however. quietly took many of the bets believing that Gresham was just as good a man as he said he was. He backed up the faith of those sports for while Owens became the aggressor and succeeded fin getting on top first he never was in it as far as clever ness was concerned. In fact if seem. cd all through the match that 1t was Owens weight and strength against n clever wrestler. possessing as well some little strength and head which was filled with alertness that grasp cd any opening left by his adversary Owens started In to rough house his opponent. but he evidently was sorry for 1t befA the match was over fol the tables were turned and Owens suf fered from the same tactics. It was Gresham's 1uickness to grasp an open ing which gave him the first and only fall. While wrestling close to the edg, I,f the mat and in mix.up Gresham lshot his arm for a quarter Nelson ana Ithep with an arm lock pinned Owen, as firmly as possible to the mat anf Y held him there. Owens started tt protest that he was not on the mat I hut his manager. Mir Curtiss who h, the way. is one of the most gentleman i. ly chaps that ever stood In corner refused to register a kick. There wa, no prior agreement made as to wheth CT a fall would he allowed when tn, ru~.----s were off the mat and th, customary rule is that when man. shoulders are going toward the foo or the mat. the fall must be allowed unless prior agreement has beer made. This mat was so small that l would not he fair to either to stop , man when he was securing fall. al though one at least of his shoulder was off the mat.
 After the men got together agail Gresham appeared to have increase, his confidence and the way he punish cd Owens vas q caution. Severn times Owens protested that he wa being strangied hut he has yet to rp nlize that in wrestling match in efrangle hold is never called a strangi unless one contestant Is using 1t fo q fall o- 10 choke the breath out o the other man. The strangle holds if they were such. that Gresham pu on his man. were all accidents am lasted but second. The arm woull slip from q face lock to the throat and that was about all the strangl there was in 1t. In the last half holr If wrestling Gresham gave Owens | terrible punishing around the head neck. face and esrs. Owens was fas surcumhinx te this punishment and 1 wns only q question of time when h wcuh have to take aDofhe- faI Manager Curtiss realized this fact q soon as anyone sise and while tn | hands were fast approaching tine mid nieht hour. he called the referee ( his corner nnd asked to have the cnr | seuf stopped This was done sn Gresham WAS declared the winnel sffer wrestling one hour sri twenty shrpe minutes fu the second neefins
 
 BROKE WORLDS RECORD.