Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-09
SEES HOLDEN
Omaha Policeman Throws Billy
Murphy by Mat Tangling.
LOVERS OF SPORT SUSPICIOUS
After Match was over mystery About
Murphy Casts Doubt as 10 Hoiden's
Presence, but Holden Says
He was There.

-
Johnny Holden. member Of the Omaha
police force and candidate for middle west
championship. threw billy" Murphy, who
claims to be one OF the trainers OF Battling
Nelson, and gave the lovers Of wrestling At
Logan, Ia, a real match Saturday evening
though up TO a late hour Sunday there was
still a question in the minds of the Logan
people who saw the match whether Holden
was even in the town Saturday evening.
Holden got both falls in a short time and
ascribed his victory largely to the fact
that Murphy wa unaccustomed to wrest-
ling on a soft mat, while Holden has been
training on such a mat for years. The
first fall required y minutes and the sec
oned l4sO5.
What threw suspicion on the match lie a
matter Of conjecture. but It is supposed the
mystery surrounding the wen trained
Billy Murphy and his origin had some
thing to do with It. Posters were put up IN
Logan several days ago Advertising the
match. They said Billy Murphy, Battling
Nelson's trainer. and Johnny Holden,
champion middleweight OF the west"
would meet on the mat. They also said
the. match was promoted by the sporting
editors Of the Omaha papers for the benefit
Of the Logan Athletic club. So far as the
sporting editor of The Bee IL concerned, he
never heard Of the match until inquiry was
made about it. and is not promoting any
kin OF wrestling matches further than TO
give the news and straight dope about
them.
But Holden was in Logan Saturday even
ing and on HIS beat again Sunday morning,
walking from Tenth to Sixteenth street on
Howard and Harvey streets. beginning
work at s o'clock and reporting off at 4
o'clock.
TelltRle Fingers and Gaia.
Holders club was carried swung over
his arm Sunday because his hands were
swelled from the twists Murphy gave him,
Several OF his fingers were black and blue
and showed he had either been In a good
stiff match OF had arrested more bad men
Sunday than were registered at the t.ation
But at Holders room, where he talked
with a reporter Sunday evening, twenty.
five shining dollars wrapped up In a hand
kerchief. were displayed as further evidence
that he had been somewhere and got q
piece Of the gate receipts.
This is the whole story" said Holden
displaying the williams. Several days age
q man by the name OF Thompson at Lokar
called me up and wanted me to come there
Saturday evening for a match. He assured
me that he meant business and thai I WOULD
get sufficient of the gate receipts to pa,
me. l asked who he had for me to meet
and he said Billy Murphy. When / Inquired
who Murphy was, he told me he though
he came fpoh Nevada. Ny reply was thai
I didn't care where he came from II he wal
a clean wrestler Of the l5s-pound type. al
! will meet anyone of that weight, not hay
ing been thrown yet by the 1~bs-ponndets.
Several times l was called to the tele
phone Friday and Saturday, and l resolved
to so. ] left with my brother at 8 o'elocl
Saturday evening, met Murphy and de
feated him, returning to Omaha on tn,
night train. =
81 don't n who Murphy IL or VIII,
Thompson is. They treated me square, cav
me what they said they would, and 1 wan
TO say for Murphy, whoever he is, that h,
is in fine condition, is some wrestler, an,
I W my victory over him to tsnsiing hin
up in that soft mat. / had many a goo,
hold on him, but could do nothing excep
tangle him up when we were on our feet.