Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-02
KENNEDY is NOT WITH TURK
Denies He is Mahmout's Manager or
Crowded westergasrd Out,
SAYS JESS WON'T wREsTLE TURK
Gillian Returns from Chicago, where
lie went 20 Match These Two
Giants for Friday Mt the
AudItrium.

George Kennedy, the wrestling promoter,
has addressed q letter to the sporting edi-
tor OF The Bee, IT. which he says he is not
manager OF Yousiff Mahmout, the big Turk,
who is to wrestle Raoul de Rouen, the gil
gantic Frenchman, at theAuditorium Fri"
dav night. Also he denies that Jess West
ergaard was crowded out after accepting
the challenge sent by the Turk to the win
ner of the Westergaard-de Rouen match.
Mr.. Kennedy writes at much length and
goes into detail in order to establish his
statement that he has nothing to do with
Mahmout." He says Joe Coffey, president
and matchmaker for the Empire Athletic
club Of Chicago Is the Turks manager and
that all enkasements for the Turk must be
made throuAh Coffey. He said the present
engagement. the match of Friday night,
was made by Manager Gillian CT the Audi
torium. with Coffey in Chicago after
"three-fourths' Of a day was spent in the
negotiations.
Mr.. Gillian, who returned Monday from
Chicago, confirmed this statement.
AS to Jess westergaard having been
crowded out, Kennedy says:
"Westergaard was offered the match, but
declined it because he didn't feel any too
we'll at the time. I will make you a pres
ent of 500 II you can get Westergaard In
the ring with Mahmout."
Kennedy insists that the Frenchman and
the Turk are two OF the best men In the
world and that the winner of Friday nights
match will try for a contest with Gotch'
Referring to Mahmout's challenge of the
winner of the Westergaard-de Rouen match
in Omaha announced at the ringside, Ken
nedy says: This man Mahmout, has two
managers and one of them asked me TO
aske the winner of the W~estergaard-de
Rouen match to meet Mahmout and l did
so, and when one manage told the other
what he had asked me to do the reply he
got was all business through manager A,
so this is the telegram that was sent
Westergaard is not within reach just
now. but Mr.. Gillian confirms what Ken
| nedy says as to Jess not wanting to meet
the Turk for a while.
Jess Says Burns IL Better.
westergaard made thes remark after his
| match with the Frenchman that he believed
| Farmer Burns, in his best trim, could beat
| either de Raoul or Mahmout, though he did
not try to say that both these giants were
not good men. Their tremendous weight
and strngth give them an advantage
which is hard for a man like Burns to
overcome. Burns weighs 10, while the
Turk weighs 19S and the Frenchman 24O'
Conceding that the Farmer probably knows
more about the game than either of these
men ever will, his age-4s-coupled with his
light weight, would place him at a great
disadvantage against either one. Yet all
these things considered, the popular feeling
In Omaha Is thai the old man would dis
pose of de Rouel without serious difficulty,
and beat Mahmout after a hard struggle.
But Burns doesn't want to do such heavy
work for a while. He said some weeks ago.
though with no reference specially to
either of these fellows. that while he still
felt good for several years of hard work.
he preferred to let the weighty chaps alone,
for even though not as good wrestlers as
some lighter men, working against them
was wearing and tearing on him and he
did not want to undertake 1t unless neces-
sary.
Mr.. Kennedy's views to the contrary not
withstanding, there is still ample belief in
Omaha that Jess Westergaard Is a better
wrestler than the Frenchman and would
gone to the finish.
From indications It appears that a large
crowd will turn out Friday night to see
the two big fellows go It. Manager Gillian
says the seat sale is going on rapidly al
ready. There is no reaso nwhy these men
should not put up one of the best matches
ever seen at the Auditorium.