Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1911-09-07
HACK Is
I. AL.ENl0N|||. |.
Iowa Grappler Easily Defends
His Title as Worlds Cham
pion Against Russian Lion.
TWENTY MINUTES OF WORK
Hack Claims Weak Knee Was
Cause Of His Defeat----is
Heartbroken.

Chicago, Sept. 4.-The geographical
center of the wrestling world was
more than ever fortified at Humboldt,
Ia, the home of Frank Gotch, tod y,
Moreover, Referee F. w. Smith, who
proclaimed the worlds champion vic
tor over George Hackenschmidt in
| two straight, quick falls, declared that
for the next few years there viii be
no shift of the wrestling capital. un-
less Gotch should choose to change
his place of residence.
The Russians showing was pitiful.
| The crowd agreed that he had quit"
but the defeated challenger, through
copiCus tears, averred that he en-
tered the arena with wrenched knee,
on which Gotch worked and speedily
reduced him to an almost helpless
state. ~
In any event it is certain that the
foreigners nerves were on edge. He
Iepent a sleepless night and was pale
when he crawled through the ropes.
DR.. ]. ]. Davis, who examined botn
wrestlers before they went to the mat,
declared that while there might be
something wrong with Hacken-
schmidts knee, it was. not evident
during the examination. While it
took fourteen minutes and IS l.5{ sec
| onds, to gain the first fall, the second
4 fall required only five nlinut utsss 1. .E;<
4 seconds, which Hackenschmidt's
friends assert proved that his knee
was in bad condition. T. ,-.
Referee Smith Is authority for the
4 statement that when Gotch secured
the fatal toe lock, which won him the
second fall Hackenschmdt cried out,
Don't hurt nay toe," and second
liter, Don't break my leg" and fell
with his shoulders to the mat, froth-
ing at the mouth.
I The first fall resulted from a re-
verse body hold, after the men had
struggled IA minutes Is Is seconds.
/ The terrible toe hold for which
Gotch is famous, was responsible for
the second fall. He snapped it upon
the left foot of Hackenschmidt and
ended the second fall in S minutes
81 Is seconds.
Scarcely had he secured the grip
when Hackenschmidt acknowledged
defeat, with his shoulder. Hackep-
schmidts own statement that it was
the easiest worlds championship ever
won tells the story of the bout. Gotch
never was in serious difficulty at any
time, neither was he forced to extend
himself to win.
The Iowan got in all a half dozen
dangerous holds on the Russian.
Hack had Gotch worried but once
During the first bout Ehckenschmii 1t
obtained body hold on Gotch that
brought him to the mat but the
champion was on the canvas for only
a few seconds. Then he was only
down as far as his knees Almost be-
fore the Lion realized his opponent
was in a dangerous perdicament
Cotch had wiggled out of the ring AMI
was bounding across the ring to safe
| ty.
For his defeat Hack offers but the
once excuse that his left knee, which
! was injured in training two weeks
ago, weakened under the pressure of
/ the iron hand of Gotch, and it was
! useless to continue, at the risk of be
ling permanently injured. Hack went
into the ring with his knee In BAN
dages.
4 a Nervous Wreck.
But regardless of whether Hacks
knee WAS in bad shape. the schalen-
| ger was in no state mentally to enter.
La grilling contest Hack was nnnerv-
led before he entered the arena.
i Whether it was from WORRY over his
1 injured knee, or his fretting over the
match, is unknown.
1 Like Jeffries at Reno, the Russian
spent a sleepless night before the bat-
1 tie. His trainers tried every means
70 make him at ease. In the minds
Continued on Page A.
Il y