The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-15
TURK WAS EASY
Frank GOtch Threw MahmOut
Twice in Eighteen Minutes.
Champion Was Not Even Com
PEELED to Use Toe Hold. III
OVER 5000 SAW MATCH
Defeated Wrestler Succeeded in
Entering Ring BarefOoted.
Number of PreI minary
Fights We're Pulled Off.

D ~
ship last night by defeating Yussiff
Mahmout OF Bulgaria, in a fast and
furious match. The much-touted Bull
garian was as child in the hands of
his opponent. Gotch won both falls
with crotch and half-Nelson holds in
and minutes, 10 seconds
The victory of the champion is all
the more notable inasmuch as he did
not use his famous toe hold in bring
ing about the downfall of the power
full foreigner. Gotch was able to Sc
cure most any hold he desired, so linn
tied was the Turks knowledge of the
game. The match was fast and excit-
ing from the time the men entered the
ring. 1t was so short that there was
Il not single idle moment during the
| two falls
After conference lasting the great
| err part of the day Gotch and NAH
mout finally settled the trouble which
threatened to arise over the fact that
the Bulgarian proposed to enter the
ring in his bare feet. 1t had been
Mahmout'S custom to Wrestle in his
bare feet. Gotch felt this would in
validate his chances for obtaining the
toe hold, his favorite grip, upon his
opponent. Accordingly he called the
attention to the rules which provided
Wear SHOES
during the bout
Mahmout and his manager remain
| ed stubborn and insisted upon the Bull
garian's entering the ring in his bare
feet. For time it appeared as though
the hitch would result in the calling
! on of the championship bout, but fin
ally Mahmout agreed to forfeit $500
| of his end of the purse to Gotch and
| enter the ring in his bare feet. Rather
than call off the match Gotch agreed
to Mahmout'a proposition
| 5000 Saw the Match.
By the time the first preliminary
was started, about SIS p. M, there
were 5000 persons in the immense
amphitheater and several thousand
more outside clamoring for admission
Early in the evening the crowd at the
main entrance broke away from police
control and the doors were closed I'M
| til further police assistance could be
| secured. For at least three quarters
| OF an hour the doors remained closed
and the crowd increased every minute.
Hundreds of people outside held tick
cts, but they were powerless to enter
the pavilion. Automobiles ran
| through the dense crowd, but as far
as could be ascertained only a few
| bruises were suffered.
| 1t was estimated there We're $4,000
| persons in the pavilion. Every avail
| able seat was filed The aggregate
/
ceeded the attendance at the Gotch-
Hackenschmidt match last April by
| several thousand.
Eugene Trembley of Canada de-
| feated Ted Tonneman of Chicago in
straight falls in the first preliminary
| match.
The second preliminary between
Henry Gehring of Cleveland and
Charles Postle of Buffalo was de-
clared a draw in order to hurry the
| i
| between Fred BeeI1 of Wisconsin and
Henry Ordeman of Minneapolis, fol-
| lowed
After the first fall of the Ordeman-
| Been bout was declared a draw, the
| ring was cleared for the big battle.
Gotch entered the ring at 1875 and
was greeted with cheers. Mahmout
! followed shortly afterward and re-
| ceived rousing welcome. Many
| celebrities of the mat were in the
| ring. Among these were Farmer
| Burns of Iowa, who is Gotch's chief
| adviser, Joe Rogers and many others.
The pugilists were not content to
turn over the ring to the wrestlers
and "Packey' Mcfarland, Johnny
! Coulon, the bantam champion and
| champion. were introduced. The ring
| was finally cleared and. Referee Ed.
| w. Smith called the principals to the
center and gave them their final in
StrucIlOnS. II was IL o CLOCK DeIOre
the big match began. For the first
three minutes the two men bulled it
about the ring without either getting
| a hold. Finally, after three minutes
/ of wrestling Gotch secured a hold on
! Mahmout's left leg and threw him
/ to the mat. The American champion
! was after the foreigner like wild
cat and the Bulgarian was respond
ing with every ounce of strength in
his magnificent physique. but could
not break the hold of Gotch. Nah
/ mout bridged and used every artifice
in his repertoire to forestall the in
evitable fall that appeared to be APP
preaching. But Gotch gradually
forced his opponents shoulders to the
mat. Gotch secured a crotch hold
and a half Nelson hold and Referee
Smith gave him the fall in eight min
utes. Mahmout's shoulders were
pinned to the mat for the first time
since he has been in this country
The Second Fall Easy.
The sudden ending of the fail came a!
a complete surprise to the spectator:
who expected the much-touted foreign
/ err to give the champion titanic strug.
gle. Gotch and Mahmout started the
lsecond fall at 11:29. After a minute o.
f1ddling in the middle of the ring the
men mixed and Mahmout was success
full in getting Gotch down on the mat
After a minute of sharp work Gotcl
wriggled out of the Turks hold anC
assumed the aggressive. Gotch tried
repeatedly for the deadly toe-hold, bu
Mahmont fought harder than befor,
land the American was unable to secur,
lit. Gotch secured a bar lock on Nah
mOut but the men wriggled off of IN,