The Washington herald., 1906-12-16
FRED BEELL ON MAT
Wisconsin Farmer a Wonder
at Wrestling Game.
CAREER OF VILLAGE PRIDE"
Started at Fourteen Years and
Cleaned Up Every One Who Came
COnquerOr of Americus and GOtch.
BeeII Gets the Hot End.

Sixteen years ago. at Marshfeld, Wis,
Fred Beell, farmer boy, fourteen years
of age. attracted considerable attention.
He stood feet inches. and weighed 10
pounds. 1t was not his size that made
Beell an object of interest however, but
his unfailing good humor and the fact
that Fatty" could run. wrestle, or more
than hold his own with any Of the other
town boys at any sport
To-day this same Fred Beell, still feet
inches tall and Weighing FIVE pounds
less than when he was fourteen years Of
age-l65 pounds-is the wonder Of the ath-
letic world. and holder Of the American
wrestling championship. Beel is thirty
years Of age. Although he has been in
terested In wrestling ever since he was
a boy he did not really get firm hold
on the ladder of success until about two
years ago. when he defeated Americus !
at Baltimore, and gave the sporting men
Of that town such a trimming that II left
their bank accounts sadly depleted for
many months.
cause Of his weight and strength. took |
to wrestling like a duck takes to water. !
Not a boy in the neighborhood could
keep his shoulders from being pinned to
the grass in match with young BeelI. /
BeeI Defeated ZoebeI.
One day, when Beell was about twenty
years OF age, wrestler named Louis /
Zoebel drifted into town. He wanted to
give an exhibition. Hearing Of young
Beell, he invited him to go on for d short
bout. BeelI, then, as now, feared no man /
when it came 70 a mat contest. and was /.
only too willing.
Needless TO say. the Village Pride |
slammed Zoebel about much the same as
he would handle q sack Of oats on his l
fathers farm Zoebel was up against a /
novice He had little trouble getting his I
holds, but the farmer boys terrific 4
strength made It easy for him 10 break /
away. Zoebel In a very short time called 1
quits. He saw that in Beell was the 1
making OF a wonderful wrestler In the 4
few months that ZOebel remained in 1
Marshfield he showed the farmer boy
many holds and tricks about wrestling.
Takes Life Easy.
Beell remained In MarshfeId but his /
steady practice at the wrestling game /
was turning him from a feshy youngster /
into most wonderfully developed ath- 1
lete. His muscles were like bands Of 4
iron when he exerted himself. Beell won /
several minor matches without any trOu-
bic. In fact. for the past ten years he 4
has been engaging in a wrestling match 4
now and then, generally winning easily 4
Two years ago wrestle- known as /
AmeTiCus was defeating everybody in 4
Baltimore. He was a fayorite and the 4
men Of that city thought that he was un- 1
beatable. Beell heard Of Americus, and I
also the fact that there were thousands /
of dollars TO be gained II he beat him.
Beeii packed up his grip. took ali his /
spare cash. and set out for Baltimore. 1
He had no trouble arranging the match 1
and getting good odds for all the money
ne had. Been won, and handily. He !.
gave the Baltimore men an awful trim. /
ming.
Wins Over Burns.
Next Beell met Farmer Burns in /
handicap match. Burns agreeing TO throw
Beell three times inside Of an hour. or /
lose. To the veterans credit it must
be stated that he did gain one fall on /
Beell, but lost the match. BeeH began to /
be recognized as a wrestler of class about 4
this time He defeated George Baptiste. /
the middle-weight champion Tom Jenk- |
ms thought II was about time 10 take
Beells measure. A match was arranged /
for 5000 a side. cold cash, and consider
able more besides. In fact. BeeH with
supreme confidence in his ability plunged
heavily that ne could beat the champion.
ali the wagers that the nifty Western
German" wanted 10 make.
When Beell speaks Of the Jenkins
match to this day, ne gets so worked up
and angry that his feelings about the
time Of the match can be imagined.
Beell went after Jenkins Ike a tiger
from the start. Jenkins was at first sur
prised then bewildered by the aggressive
ness and strength Of his opponent. who
was almost a head shorter than the cham
Dion- Jenkins TWO years ago was a great
wrestler. He took his time and used his
wrestling skill TO good advantage. New
he was unable to withstand the
Marshfield farmer boy, and finally, after
two hours and forty-three minutes of
wrestling, Jenkins shoulders were pinned
to the mat.
1t is with difficulty that BeelI could be
.ANNIVA " Nt4i l4At tGAtid4lluST OF the story
IS TO how the sO-called sporting men who
had wagered their money absolutely re-
fused to lose. and fixed it in the rest be-
tween the first and second rounds so that
he Westerner should be trimmed
BeeH Gets Hot End.
BeelTs measure was taken all right
and Jenkins was declared the winner
Men who witnessed the match men who
isk for only an even break whether they
wager on a contest or not. declare that
8eell should have won. The match was
n private, there was a 1900 side wager
lp besides numerous other heavy bets
md what did the New York people care
now they won just so they got the
,andy?
Beell would rather get one more chance
)n the mat with Jenkins than any man
n the world II he did not break some
If the former champions bones Il would
lot be his fault. That Beeil figures bet
er than Jenkins there is no doubt. as
5otch defeated Jenkins rather easily for
he championship not long ago at Kan
;as City, while Beell only a couple of
weeks ago won the championship when
he defeated GOtch at New Orleans.
Beell gives Gotch credit for being
air wrestler in spite of the fact that
3eell even at present has a big black J
,ye, the result of a hard bump received
when his head collded with either Gotchs
lead or elbow, Beell does not remember
which