Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-19
WRESTLING
An Exciting and Interesting Tour nament Took Place in Water.
 vile Last Night.

Those who failed to attend that wrestling tournament in Watervllle last evening missed treat, for 1t was one of the greatest events of the kind that has been pulled off in this state. Both events were of the star order and never did an audi enCe enthuse so much over Il Wrest- ling carnival as they did oyer this one. The mystery which had sur rounded the unknown" who vas to meet Harry Shackley, the pride of Waterville, was cleared mp when Chic" Lawson of Naugatuck, the champion l15 pound boy of New England, stepped on the scales to weigh in. Many surmised when the match was made, without any stipu- lations as to who was barred, that Lawson was to be the lad to meet the Waterville champion. Many were also surprised too that such q match should be made, and yet it was the best experience that Shack ley will get in his wrestling career, which has just begun, and was real ly worth the $50 it. cost. Lawson won the match, but it is really no discredit to the Watervile boy, and takes away no credit from the NauE- atuck champion. There is not an other boy in the state of Connecticut at l35 pounds weight, with even more experience than Shaclley pos sesSes, who could have stood off the champion so long and so successfully in fret T | performance, and Charley Lawson and his friends admitted after the match that this boy Shackley is a conner and whcs he learns all the tricks in the trade he will make the best of them hustle. He should never, however, try to get down 70 l35 pounds at the ringsidc It is too much to ask for that well knit and developing frame. All kinds of credit belongs to Lawson, however, for he gave twenty pounds to his ad- versary, and he was the aggressor in almost every minute of the game. He is one of the greatest wrestling generals seen on the mat since Ha?- vey Parker's palmy days. He is a clean grappler, too, for once last evening, after about thirty minutes of wrestling, he had Shackley in such a manner that he was hurting him and the Waterville boy groaned in agony, and at once Lawson allowed the boy to slip out of the hold. 1 There is not one wrestler in q .hou- sand who would do this with so much at stake.
 The hall was well filled when the preliminary bout was announced. 1 This was between Charley Slack of Waterville and William Fisher of Waterbury. Fisher is the chap who deefated Gagain of Waterville only q few weeks ago. This was pretty rough house match with Fisher he ! aggresSOr throughout. Slack put up a splendid defense, but was out ! classed in the scientific part of the game and Fisher in twelve minutes pinned him to the mat with q half i Nelson and bar lock. In the second bout Slack fought hard to get the upper hand, but in eight minutes he was forced to take another fdl under similar holds.
 Lawson and Shackley weighed in before their match and both failed to tip the beam at the required weights of 115 for Lawson and 13j for Shackley. After sparring for ar with Lawson on top and at once the Naugatuck boy began to work all the ! tricks of the trade upon the Water | ville boy. Several times during this ! first meeting Shackley gained the top, but he was triCked into seeking | for a hold and whirled over to the l bottom again. He did escape from
 many good holds that looked threa t, ening, but would have been thrOwr earlier in the game had not Lawson released the hold spoken of in the i beginning. It was within two min. utes of the hour when Lawson se cured a scissors and a half Nelson and Shackley was forced to the mat for the first fall in fifty-eight min
 utes. He had made a game fight ] but science had beaten him. The boys were given good long rest and Shackley needed it, for he was i about all in when the fall was eiyeI against him. When they appeared i for the final fall it was seen at onct that Shackley was drawn and was . very tired boy. Lawson saw it, too and determined to end matters | quickly. Scarcely had they been q minute at work when Shackley was | thrown to his knees and as quickly did the Naugatuck boy secure the i back hammerloCk. This is one ol the most deadly holds known, wher one little twitch of the arm would mean a broken limb. Lawson Ie l fused to bring the arm up the back tC the breaking point and here again ht displayed his clean tactics. ShackleS knew enough about the game to real
 ize that the jig was up. He was tot
 weak to fight off the deadly lock ant calling the referee he gave up tht contest and went down to dcfea
 after as game a battle as has beer seen on q mat in many days.