Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-21
WRESTLING WONDER
IS HACKENSCHM|DT
LARGE Crowd Witnessed the
Champions Clean Work
Last Night.

sian wrestler was the big show at Con-
vention Hall last night. having given one
| of the most interesting exhibitions ever
| put on In this town.
| Hack" despite the fact that he is a
| foreigner and is to meet man on this
side Of the water for the championship of
| the world, is not lacking in favor. as
| was demonstrated last night when he
was given a grand reception on his first
appearance on the mat There was
| large and very orderly crowd present and
every one seemed greatly pleased with
| the sport put up by the mat artists.
Joe Turner and Rob Roy Mackey, both
| local men of repute, were taken on by the
| champion and were quickly disposed OF.
| Turner was laid on his back in such
short time that he asked for another
| trial with the big fellow. which was
granted His second go showed an I'M
provement by about ten seconds. He was
downed the first time in fOrty-three sec
onds, and it took but fifty-three SECONDS
for Hack" to turn the trick the second
time. Rob Roy Mackey was a little more
successful in his attempt to last the SIX
minutes. He lasted one minute and TWEEN
ty-three seconds, and were 1t not for the
fact that he dallied with the champ he
would probably have been thrown much
sooner One time he went under the ropes
| to escape the long and muscular arms or
the Russian. This little trick Of Mackey's
brought out a good laugh from the Dig
crowd. In disposing Of these two men
Hackenschmidt had but to press his
| weight upon their bodies and he was
slapped on the back.
All Alike to "Hack."
A man from Minneapolis. one Mr..
Henry Paulson, once wrestling partner
of Frank Gotch. gave the Russian an
| interesting struggle for three minutes and
k1,< CT
certainly looked good. having weighed in
at 30 pounds, and appeared dangerous
| man from every angle. but 1t was very
clear to those present that he was no
| match for the champion.
| Real wrestling was furnished when
Hackenschmidt and Seigemuller, the Ger
| man champion. went on. 1t was rough
| and tumble from the start. and although
| the German was doWned in very short
| time the crowd was well pleased with the
| exhibition. This bout concluded the even
| ingS sport.
In the preliminary bouts Joe Turner
| threw Frye King in seven minutes and
nine seconds and Rob koy Mackey and
Frank Huelsman tugged away at each
| other for ten minutes without either
| gaining fall, the bout being declared
| draw. These two bouts were very inter-
esting and aided in getting those present
| keyed UP for the more promising bouts.
Pat O'Connor refereed.
| LAX Win LIE 0IdI.
Hackenschmidt arrived in this country
from England on the Lusitania only a
short time ago, but he has been here suf-
| f1ciently long to have thoroughly imbibed
the American life and talks in a very OPP
timistic way of America. In converse
ton with a Star representative he said
| that he was delighted with the bright
| sunshine and invigorating atmosphere of
| America and could readily understand
| why Americans look naturally to sports
| and became famous for their excellence.
| He said that 1t was a delightful transit
| ton from England, where the fOggy and
damp weather rather depressed and ener-
waited athletes. One felt the change very
| noticeably soon after reaching this Side
| of the Atlantic.
He looked forward in no small degree Of
pleasure to his trip to Chicago, whittier
| he goes to meet Frank Gotch in a match
| for the worlds championship. He reit-
Grated to the reporter what he had said
| in New York soon after landing, that ne
| intended to do his very best to win the
worlds Observation-Disclosures his man or
| get thrown in the effort-that the public
need not fear any suggestion of fake
| about the meeting.
Il have been on the mat too long," he
| said land l have met too many good
men and Won fairly to get mixed up in
anything crooked at this stage of the
| game
| HackenSchmidt in street attire is some
| thing of a surprise to those VINO meet MIN
for the first time. He is short and stocky.
| and does not look In stature much like
| his photographic pictures. When stripped
for the mat the spectator at once recog-
| niZeS the points OF his superior wrestling
| skill He weighs about 210 pounds and is
man about five feet eight inches tall.
| From his neck to mis- waist there are
| proportions that give him the sobriquet
of 1.-The Russian lion" but it is a singu-
lar fact that. though known as Russian.
he is a German
His first indication of powerful strength
| is in his neck, which demands a 221e-
inch collar. His head. with closely
cropped hair rests squarely on broad
shoulders that give him Vshaped ap-
pearance. He is only thirtytwo inches
around the waist, but his chest Is fifty
two inches. His limbs are those OF a
Hercules, and when in action with his
adversary they make him look like a
giant despite his stature. His bicepS are
20 inches and the forearm II inches. The
thighs measure 2S inches and the calves
10 inches. Compared with Jeffries his
neck is four inches larger and his chest
is three inches smaller. His waist is
three inches smaller, biceps three inches
smaller, forearm two inches. thigh an
inch larger and calf two inches larger.
1t is when he picks his man bodily from
the floor. holds him aloft and throws
him to the mat that his fine proportions
stand out in ma gnificent display.
Coupled with all his splendid physique
are his naturalness and delightful mod
esty and gentilty. He makes friends
readily and seems perfectly at ease both
| in conversation and on the mat.
| Hackenschmid has liberal education
| and speaks English very well. At col
| lege he first became noted as a Graeco-
| Roman wrestler. TO The Star reporter
he referred most pleasantly to the gentle
manly tone of the American sporting fra
tsrnity, which he attributed largely to
college influences. He said that he had
heard of this characteristic before he
sailed for America, and that it had much
to do with stimulating foreign sports to
visit this country.
Hackenschmidt goes to Baltimore today
where it is expected that he will meet
| Americas, a local wrestler of note.
The lion will not match to meet any
one before the Gotch engagement at
Chicago, but he Will most likely engage
tonight at Baltimore to throw Americus
In fifteen minutes for a given sum of
money! From Baltimore he goes west
to Chicago and will begin training for