Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-05
BETS CALLED OFF ON
BIG WRESTLING MATCH
Referee Smith Recommends Pro-
ceeding on Account Of Match
Being a Poor One.
GOTCH SURPRISED AT EASY
VICTORY OVER HACK
Russian Defeated After Twenty
Minutes of Wrestling, Weeps,
Saying Bad Knee Is to Blame.

CHICAGO. September calling of all
bets on the Gotch- Hackenschmidt wres
thing match yesterday has raised a storm
of protests by those who had money up
on the winner.
Herman F. Schuettler assistant chief
of police. last night explained the action
by saying that such procedure is custom
airy. An added reason, he said. is that
the police are determined to stamp out
gambling in the city
Referee Smith," Chief Schuettler ex-
planned. proposed that the bets be call
ed off. His reason was that in case the
match turned out to be a poor one, as it
did, there would be tremendous
'squawk' from the bettors and the wres-
Ting game would receive a serious set
| back in Chicago. You understand it is
quite customary to call bets off in events
of this kind 1t has little effect, as the
bettors will back their opinions regard
less Of the announcement.
lone more fiasco like this and wrestling
is a dead card in Chicago.
1T is a shame the assistant chief
continued, Ito bring a crowd like this
together and send them home with this
memory of the worlds greatest wres-
ting match
Il am a devotee of wrestling no one
likes better than / do to see two men,
evenly matched, battling for big title.
1t isn't right to put up match of
this kind. Wrestling is a good sport
1t can be, made crooked like any other
sport, but honestly conducted it is
splendid recreation.
Il do not think this match was crooked.
But it fiasco. Whyo Because the
men We're not evenly matched
Because one man wasn't I'D TO stand
Ing the gaf this crowd paid over 100000
TO see twenty minutes of Indifferent sport.
The next big match. If there is one, must
be preceded by a guarantee arranged so
that the public can be satisfied there
VIII he real contest. Otherwise Wres-
Ting will be. as l have said, dead card
in Chica GO
Big Prize Money.
The Chicago public paid $4,000 to see
two men pull each other around a ring
erected over the home plate in Comis-
keys ball yard. The men were Frank
Gotch of Humboldt. Iowa. champion of
the world at the mat game. and George
Hackenschmidt of Russia. through whose
ability to quit three years ago Gotch
a os1,e,.. his Championship. Hacken-
schmidt quit again yesterday, and Gotch
won two straight falls in nineteen min
utes and fifty seconds
Gotch secured the first fall with re-
verse body lock in fourteen minutes and
eighteen and one-fifth seconds: the Sec
ond fall required exactly five minutes
and thirtytwo and one-fifth seconds
Hackenschmidt quit both times when
Gotch tumbled him to the canvas.
Hack did not try TO evade the Gotch
attack ard appeared to allow his Shout
ders to go to the mat The enormous
throng of 35.Gm was dazed by the sud-
denness OF the finish and the cheap ex-
Inhibition by Hack. and went home swear
Ia mo q f1A
The Empire Athletic Club, which pro-
NOTED the affair. paid both wrestlers $4,000
each. win lose or draw. Then $1,000 was
allowed each for training expenses. That
| money they banked before they went into
the ring. The preliminary affairs be-
tween two unknows of the nliddleweight
division were much more interesting than
the big bout.
"Lost Heart, Like Jefferies."
DIR. B. F. Roller Hacks chief trainer,
said:
Hack lost heart the same way Jeffries
did. l am terribly disappointed over the
showing he made. I don't like to say
anything against man that have been
with, but / will say that he did not mani
fest the courage he had shown in his
bouts in the gymnasium
DO you mean to say that he is not
game?"
Il wouldn't like to say what l mean"
Dr. Roller answered.
Hacks manager, Jack Curley, said:
Two weeks ago he tore two lga-
ments on the side of his leg. which laid
him up SO he could not train for two
days. The calling off of bets was the
result of a consultation among those in
terested. who feared that even though
Hack was absolutely confident he could
depend on his legs there was more chance
that hackers who QQerai fbair
on him would not be getting the run on
their money that they would if his leg
was WE'LL
According to the general comment
Hackenschmidt entered the ring a beaten
man. He was pale and has passed
sleepless night. He looked like a loser
Gotch, supremely confident. was master
of the situation at every stage.
Gotch held levee after the match
just outside Of the platform of the arena.
while Mrs. Gotch held another one in
the grandstand. Gotch said:
Honest. l didn't think it would be so
easy. | expected to win. but not with the
ease with which the feat actually was ac-
complished. i had not been in the ring
three minutes when l knew Hack was
even less to be feared than he was three
years ago."
Defeated Russian Weeps.
II have nothing to say" the defeated
Hackenschmidt broke down and cried.
and with the floodgate of his tears he
said:
II was In no condition to wrestle. Two
weeks ago I wrenched my left knee.
Ny trainers told me l could go in and
wrestle without injuring the member.
But we had scarcely got to work when
Gotch began to pull and twist my left
leg.
Il soon realized that I was in no con-
dition to continue the match. l am not
gutter. neither do desire to charge that
/ was not treated squarely. My defeat is
due entirely to the injury. j feel deeper
than words can tell the loss of this