The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-20
DARKNESS INTERFERES
WITH THE FINAL FAIL
PARIS Manager Issues Another Chal-
lenge and Farmer Accepts-Bout
Was the Fiercest Ever Wit
messed in Birmingham.

lives.
Farmer Martin Burns, the light
heavyweight wrestling champion OF
! America, triumphed over James Parr,
the brawny champion of merry England,
last night at the Southside Skating Audi
torium. The event was chiefly charae-
tcrized by the fierce work of the two con-
testants, the rough tactice employed, and
the superb demonstration of skill. The
audience, numbering more than two
thousand, was electrified. Never was
/ there such another demonstration of en-
thusiasm
Throughout the match, neither man
was the aggressor more than the other.
Each seemed anxious to tear the other
to pieces and from the beginning to the
end. neither gave any indication Of de-
string to call things off.
The match was the fiercest ever wit
messed in Birmingham. 1t partook much
of the nature of the old gladiatorial con-
bates. 1t was strength against strength.
The men al the very beginning met in the
center of the ring with clash, and from
that instant to the end one muscular
frame writhed beneath the strength of
the other. Faster events have been
pulled off in Birmingham. But local
audiences never saw one fercer. nor one
In which the contestants were kept
buster.
Wresters Evenly Matched.
In weight, the two men were about
evenly matched, Parr being the heavier
by only pound and a quarter. In
strength, it would be difficult to decide
Both were extremely skillful. Both were
tenacious as bull dogs, and as deter
mined. Both were bent on winning, and
neither ever gave up. Such an evenly
matched pair of wrestlers was probably
never before seen in America.
The English champion won the first
fall after Y minutes of rough and-tum-
BILE work Neither man spared the 9TH
err, and each made vicious onslaughts on
, the others wind. Both. old and expert
enced, remained cool under the most try
| ing circumstances, and submitted to the
punishment of the other with stoical in
difference. Farmer Burns, when the
two first fell upon the mat, was on the
back of the Englishman, but never was
he able TO pin the shoulders to the car
pets. Out Of the most impossible posi-
| TONS the brawny Englishnaan srrithed.
o.,u nna1ly. 1t was he who was doing the
riding After % minutes had elapsed. the
Americans shoulders were pinned to the
! floor, and the Englishman had conquered.
| The followers Of the Farmer" in spite
of the fact that they realized that he
would have his hands full, did not lose
heart. Before the Englishman won the
first fall, the American stood on n
bridge" for three minutes, showing his
power of endurance. Realizing that n
bridge must eventually give way, Parr
| bided his time, and soon the Farmer"
was beaten.
Fast and Furious.
When the men again appeared the
Farmers" face bore a determined look,
and when they met the fight was fiercer
than even before. Burns was especially
aggressive and he carried the fight into
the Englishmans territory. Again and
again he pressed his opponents shoulders
toward the mat, but each time. save the
very last, the wiry Englishman managed
to writhe free Fast and furious grew
the work and the roughing tactics of both
evoked Kisses from the audience The
Englishman piled his clinched fist into
Burns stomach and rubbed his hands
across the mouth and nose Of the Iowan
and Burns. in turn, planted his knee on
PARIS head and bore down upon it with
his weight. The men were maddened with
fury, and so strenuous grew the fight
that the electrified spectators, leaving
their seats, clamored aloud from the floor.
The two men wholly Indifferent, main
Idlueu their never ctdSlllt SlIuBBlt Wnlle
the screams of the standing witnesses
made a horrible din. Within the short
space of twelve minutes. which seemed
fifty, Burns was declared the winner He
in turn had got his opponent on a bridge,
and assisted by a half-Nelson, twisted
his shoulders to the mat.
Struggling in Darkness.
Nothing daunted by the inroads that
the prior bout must have made on their
audiences never saw one gercer, nor one
the third and deciding fall. When twelve
minutes had elapsed, during which time
each had made use of all the skill ac-
quired in years of service and of all
strength with which nature had endowed
them, every light in the vast hall went
down. There arose fierce howl from
the spectators, and the sounds of men
leaving their seats and scrambling to
places of exit, caused intense excite
ment. Someone struck a match, and in
the pale glare of the sulphur. the two
men were seen down on their knees
wrapped in combat. The referees pulled
them apart. and they stood gazing at
each other for a second. Then the match
died away and the men were dragged
to their respective corners.
On the outside the storm was raging.
The winds howled about the corners of
the auditorium as If protesting against
the furious struggle, and the rain fell in
torrents. An occasional flash of lightning
partially illuminated the building, and In
this way the dim outlines of two men
waiting impatiently to spring upon each
other were brought to view. Thunder
shook the auditorium, and again did men
disregard the warning to remain seated.
Just as everyone was prepared to leave
the lights gradually came again. There
was tremendous cheer.
Hardly before the place was thoroughly
lighted, the two men met in the center of
the ring. Within nine minutes, however,
the combat was over, and while hundreds
OF throats were hoarse with applauding,
the American was declared the winner