Evening star., 1908-12-20
WRESTLING BOUTS
OF THE QUEER SORT
Many of the Matches Are
Simply Frame-Ups.

Simply Frame-Ups.
There is more h.ppodrome business IN
the wrestling game tnan in amy other
line of sport said an old-time referee
the other night to a number OF friends
at an uptown hotel. I'm fact. there have
been very few wrestling matches that
have been pulled off strictly on the level.
It's a very easy matter for couple
OF clever taking wrestlers to frame up IA
bout and fool the public. l know OF
scheme that is worked successfully even
now Ill rural places. One fellow VIII
locate in a far-away city ana get into
the good .,races OF the local sporting
mon lie viii soon convince them that
he is a real champion. and viii hnali"
secure barking for thousand or two
\ broad defiant challenge Is issued IN
the newspapers offering To wrcstlc any
man in the world for all kinds Of money.
There is much newspaper clatter over tie
Chal enge. when Faker No. :, VII" Is iu
with the deal wires his acceptance, aud
after a stormy newspaper wrangte th~
match is made. Then follows Il lot NOR"
talk and boosting. The town Is plilcd
like a circus and the two takers start
training at different quarters. lhey ap-
pear on the streets and roads In ShoNv
costumes day after day until the focal
sports are worked up TO high pitch ot
excitement.
.'The managers of the takers play
prominent part In the hippodromc Ih'E
appear at the leading hotels. dressed IN
the most sporty clothes, covered with al
legged diamonds and Offering to bet almost
any amount on the result.
All this time one of the managers has
nj
there on the wrestler who is booked 10
win. In this way few extra thousands
OF dollars are gathered IN by the combine.
When all is framed the largest hall IN
town is jammed with comc-on sports, VINO
are crazy to see the bout. The excitement
is intense the betting lively, and each
wrestler is uproariousIy received when ne
is introduced. Usually an hour Is wasted
in WraDgle over the selection OF "A ref
cree but finally some well known local
sporting man. who may he honest, IL
chosen. He swells up because of the
honor thrust upon him. but knows moth
ing of the job that is about TO be pulled
off.
Referee Honest, But Ignorant.
The referees part is no chid's pay.
for the wrestlers are appealing to him
constantly and make all kinds of phouy
claims The wrestlers have rehearsed !;
all with great care. They have worked
the trick on other innocent referees be-
fore. They go at each other in apparently
the most desperate manner. making as
much noise and display as possible.
Mr.. Referee, this man Is trying TO
choke me,' cries one of the takers
Its not 50, He's trying To SuuSe my
eyes outr yells the other.
Foul Foul, exclaim the lambs
around the ring I'm much confusion. The
referee gets excited and puzzled The
WreStlerS keep UP [ his sort of thlnS Tor an
hour. until the man booked To win gets
the referees decision. while the gullibie
sports go home we'll satisfied with what
they term great nights sport. The band
of takers gather up the spois as qulcklN
as possible and leave town by the hrst
train.
There was a big Greek wrestler
Greek George-who worked this game a
few years ago from Montreal TO New Or
leans and IN almost every big city from
New York to San Francisco.
once the Greek was engaged to lie
down to an alleged champion in his class
for a couple of hundred dollars. The
match was pulled off in a nearby city,
and the Greek went quietly among his
countrymen offering to take half OF all the
bets they could place on him. The alleged
champion was so sure of having every
thing his own way that he did not take
the trouble to train, but the Greek was IN
perfect form, and the way he slammed
his man around that night delighted his
countrymen.
YOU don't have to work so hard said
the alleged champion, who was badly
winded We've gone far enough! Ill
throw you now. But the Greek never ct
up until he had put the so-called champion
three times on his back and had been de-
clared the winner.
1T sometimes pays TO be on the level.
said the Greek as the stakeholder paid
over to him the big end OF the purse ana
the gate money. The next match between
them drew a greater crowd, but TINS time
the Greek laid down to the eyed champ.
for he got the bulk Of the coin for turning
this trick.
Clever Fake in Jersey.
There are hundreds of minor wrestieis
who are making "A catch h-as-catch-can nv
ing by hippodroming through the sinai
cities and towns. They travel in pairs
and manage to clean up a few doiIalS
with their trick schemes y couple "l
these takers from New York last wInter.
tir5d OF living on free lunches. made 'ier
way To q hustlinS town over IN Ne" 'e.
sey They met "A sa!oonkeeper VINO want
ed Ia be 2 leading light in the sporting
world and Ia him they unto!Ged '4eh
scheme H agreed to get taem sen!e
printing and engaged the nan Tor ''it
show. But that was all. On the strenSiA
= second-c'ass hotel and sp mt Il coup!- or
days billing The town themselves. Ih'E
sold "A few tichets-meai tickets 10 tleii'
for they were good and hungry. lHcH
had only one sweater between them, ~
that while one was III bed the Other. don-
niur the sweater, would run through the
main street lust as the factory hands
were going To work. Then the "thef
fake would pui on the sweater ABOUT lhe
noon hour and do another stunt near ,s ,.
factories In Il few days the hatch "dS
the talk of the town
..Tha local newspaper sent a reporter
10 their room one IinA morning ana th'
latter found both in bed tired out at.ct
a long siege with the beer keSs. fu.
ore of the wrestlers WAS quick-"lt.u
enough To Jump out Of bed and say 10
the pencil pusher:
"'You see. my trainer Is asieep: ,".
him off his feet early this morning ana
the poor .llow il all in
Then the fake wrestler. Nhiie ms Pa,
had his face under the heGclothes. poured
a wonderful tale in.O tha reporter ear
ahn,it the proposed match The young