The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-21
GOTCH DOWNS HIS
MEN WITH EASE
Champion of the World Shows
Big Crowd He Is in Class
by Himself.

crowd which numbered at least 800
gathered at the Salt Palace last evening
10 see Frank GOtch, the worlds cham
pion wrestler. The fact that Gotch was
TO throw four Of the best men in the state
added to the interest, and when il is all
salo ano done, all must admit that the
champion IS wonderful man. Bur one
incident happened to mar the evenings
sport and that was the manner in which
Mike 1okel' the popular local wrestler,
was thrown. GOtch used his famous toe
mold TO down Mike, and while il was per-
TeCtly legitimate and Yokel himself never
uttered word of complaint many of his
friends objected and did so most siren
uously- Outside of this one action on the
part OF Gotch, all of his work was loudly
applauded by practically every one pres
ent, ana the champion on his part toVed
win ms men in order to please the crowd
lie was TO have thrown the four men in
one hOur and in justice TO GOtch it must
be said he can throw a whole town full
or ordinary wrestlers in that time His
work showed he could down his men as
last as he wanted to, and that some were
given longer life than others because the
crowd liked it,
Ed Ferguson of Ogden was first. and
as ne was very aggressive he gave a good
exhibition. Gotch liked his work and his
one remark. Well, he is an energetic
cuss." showed the champion liked Fer
guson's work. AT the end of seven min
utes and three seconds Gotch concluded
ferguson had enough, and pinned his
shoulders TO the mat.
Then came the great and only "Whis-
kerS' DevOnivich. The crowd gaVe
great cheer as he stepped on the mat
and GOtch allowed DevOnivich to play
with him for a few minutes GOtch went
on the mat and let Devonivich take the
offensive. and 'Whiskers' tugged and
tugged away" but there was nothing
doing. At the END of five minutes Gotch
settled 'Whiskers' by pinning him to the
mat.
Then came Rose. and to show the crowd
how fast he could work Gotch put Rose
down in less than minute.
Mike Yokel was the last of the bunch
and was wildly cheered when he stepped
up against the greatest wrestler in the
world. Here the crowd saw some real
work Gotch felt Mike out for a couple
of minutes and Yokel g,r out Of several
bad positions by sheer G. averness. Then
came the deadly toe hold and Mike
could do nothing but go Gown. The time
was six minutes.
The crowd Kissed and jeered Gotch for
several minutes.
Many persons of calm Judgment con-
demned GOtch for using this hold in
downing Yokel. but the champion ex-
planned after the match that the crowd
was repeatedly calling on him to use the
hold that has made him famous. He Sc
lected Mike as the best man in the bunch
and said he desired to show the public
that no man living could get away from
it, once he gained the hold COtch de-
clared he did not hurt YOkel in any way.
or, at any rate, that he had no intention
of doing so.
After the match YOkel was seen. and
said it was all in the game and that
while he would rather have been downed
with another hold. yet Gotch had a per
feet right to use it under the rules
GOtch and Emil Klanx then gave ten
minutes of rough and tumble work.
Before the match Eeefe and Williams
wrestled for thirty minutes for the cham
won the first fall in thirteen minutes
and Williams won fall in ten minutes
The third fan was called off The two
men are evenly matched and put up an
excellent exhibition.