Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-06-24
TRUST IS
MANAGING ALL BOUTS
St. Louis Writer Finds Good
Reasons for Suspecting That
All Is Not Right.

Whether the wrestling game is above
suspicion Is a question that has arisen
In connection with the rapid rise of
the sport. Frequently 1t has been
intimated that there was a "wrest-
ing trust" That the rumor is not un-
founded is evidenced by the following
from the st. Louis Dispatch:
Imagine a wrestling trust!" One
hnds some difficulty trusting most
wrestlers. But there exists a syndicate
that has reached out and, in one way
or another, obtained control OF all the
wrestlers of consequence in the
Try. And OF some not so fortunate.
Now this may be a good thing for
the wrestler-it ENSURES him regular
employment at a fixed salary and
enables him to earn a living without
Ernest-Roebcrizing the whole sport or
giving ii a most dissolute appearance
10 the public.
But it is awfully rough on the sport
overs, as st. Louis must be realizing
rom the dearth of good shows of the
mat variety held in st. Louis.
No Real Contest.
The recent Zbyszko Olson contest
was the first in which out-of-town
wrestlers of note have competed here
since the trust introduced it's own
show, right under the noses of local
promoters, That was when Gotch and
COMPANY appeared with Jeffries and
his combination, last Christmas.
Now nobody for a moment thinks
hat either the exhibitions given by
Iotch and his troupe or that by Olson
md Zbyszko had any of the SAVIOR Of
4 real contest. So we haven't really
been permitted to get a match here
with red corpuscles in ii since the old
lays when Charles Haughton was on
Earth. Nor is there much likelihood
hat we will ever be able to see a good
'how unless the heads of the trust"
zee fit to come into town and stage one
lere on their own account.
Et Tu, Frank Gotch!
For today the syndicate of men
headed by George Kennedy and Joe
Coffey, Of Chicago, has virtually con-
troll of the ~services Of every American
wrestler; and it has a pretty good
understanding with Frank Gotch.
If o think this is drawing it too
strong here is a bona fide reply, in part,
written by Kennedy to a st. Louis man
who has since offered as high as $12,-
700 to bring a certain match here:
Here are the men | can get for
you show, who are not hooked up
With other dates now: Eugene Trem-
bly,, Canada, 1876 pounds; Yussif NAH
nout, 200 pounds; Stanislaus Zbyszko,
1875 pounds; Jim Essen, 225 pounds :;
Raoul de Rouen, 230 pounds; Charles
Cutler, 220 pounds; Pat Connolly, 1873
pounds; Con Kelley, PIP pounds. .
" l will put on Mahmout for so per
,ent Of the gross receipts, t~ransporta-
ion and a guarantee that the wrestlers
themselves get not less han $3.50 for
heir share"
Modest One.
How could you take IT for so little! And
aell do Just as nicely for any Of the other
Vrestlers, won't you. Fifty per cent
guarantee and let the st. Louis man carry
he bag for all the expenses. Great!
Sotch is a little better-it's 60 per cent IL
rou'd like him. Within the last year pro-
noters AVE several times tried TO bring
prominent wrestlers here. But the wires
could not be pulled so that the shows
'ould be made to break even.
Possibility for Evil.
Darker practices than mere control OF
he wrestler's time and dates are limited
1t by the enemies of the trust. II the
rust is nursing a prospective big match.
we are told, through wire pulling II pre-
vents the affair reaching an ante-climax
such as might happen by having the
wrestling gentleman being groomed for
he the championship occasion beaten be-
!ore he meets Gotch. All wrestlers are
pointed" by the trust, for bouts with
Totch.
When Mahmout came to his country.
I was over a tortuous route that he
worked his way up to Gotch. He met
everything in sight before he finally won
The privilege Of getting beaten-iust as
everyone knew would happen all along.
But think Of the box office receipts before
the Mahmout lemon was entirely
squeezed!
Next 1t was Zbyszko, who was imported
and sent around the circuit. And does II
aot look peculiar that Gotch could not
bulge this man in Buffalo long ago, but
could throw him twice in half an hour at
Chicago? The difference between a S.. 900
house and a s35, 600 gate explains, perhaps.
Smart Men, Those Trusty Ginks.
There's nothing really Illegal in what is
actually known of the trusts methods.
But the combination stultifes the game a
Dit. II is perhaps not more TO be censured
than the theatrical trust.
The man who deserves most blame gets
away with least. He IS Frank Gotch. He
ends his assistance to the plans of the
promoters in their date making. With
,ut Gotch the trust" would fall Of its
own weight.
If Gotch really retires, now is the time,
re gentlemen Of promoting instincts, who
a W been raving for a chance TO reopen
he wrestling game in this and other
titles, to step in and guess who is to be
aext champion, and get him down on a
contract.
If you do you can get a little pin money
For the winter hoard. too.