The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-10-31


above whisper. At three
o'clock, the physicians, the moth
err of the injured boy and his
sister were holding a consulta-
ton as to the advisable course
to pursue.
Chester Houston, student at me
Commercial college, whose home is in
| Pipestone, was seriously injured last
night in a wrestling match at the
Y. M. c. A. building. He and Jay
| Merritt, also college student, went
on the mat to wrestle for two min
utes as part of the athletic program
for the pleasure of the visitors at
the "Y." @a
The boys had been wrestling for
about one minute and Merritt secured
what is known as the strange hold,
that is hold on one thigh and the
other arm. He was attempting to get
the arm away from Houston's body
! in order to get the latter's shoulders
on the floor. Houston's head was
practically on the floor and when
/ Merritt attempted to down him he
did what werstlers call bridging y
He stiffened the muscles of his neck
! so that if Merritt attempted to tip
him over he could. spin on his head
and regain an upright position.
Muscles Did Not Stand Strain.
The muscles refused to stand UP
to the strain, and when Merritt
started to turn him over they gave
way and Houston's head turned for,
ward and sideways. He tumbled
over with his full weight on his neck
The whole thing happened very
tumble work, nor any very quick
action. 1t was thought by people
who saw the accident that the
muscles were tired from the strain
of full Nelson" hold which Merritt
had had a few seconds before.
Houston fell in crumpled heap
and the referee at once fastened to
! him to see what was wrong. He was
laid OH the mat and the referee
started at once to work with him
to get his breathing regulated. DR.,
| T. G.. Kelly was in the building and
was summoned. The men in charge
of the Y. with several of the boys
worked over him..
Paralyzed From Neck Down.
/ 1t was apparent at once that his
body was paralyzed from the neck
down, but he remained conscious and
was able to talk. He realized the
seriousness of his injury at once ant
is very nervous and, has suffered 9
severe nervous shock.
He was taken to DR.. J. w. An
drews' office where an Xray photo
graph was taken which showed
the sixth cervical vertebra to be
fractured, being somewhat crushed
{ on the OUTER side and pressing
against the spinal cord. Houston
was taken to the hospital at once
and his father N. A. Houston was
notified of the accident, and arrived
in Mankato this noon.
The physicians believe that an op
Grafton will be necessary to raise
the crushed vertebra from the cord
and although the boy is in seriou!
condition there is a chance that such
an operation may be entirely sue
cessful.
| Has Wrested Many Times.
Houston is twenty-five years old ant
has wrestled since he was small
boy. Only day or two ago he sale
to several of his boy friends tina
he had "wrestled a thousand times.
He is in excellent physical condi
ton and has trained at the Y. regu
larry since coming here in Septem
Der. He likes to- wrestle and wa.
glad to do it when asked to take
part in last nights match. Jay Mer
rit, with whom he was wrestling i:
younger boy and has not had 81
much experience, but is a well bull
and healthy young man. The acct
dent is a deplorable. one, but is on,
which no one is to blame for. The
i boys we're perfectly friendly and al
though they had never wrestled to
gether before they seemed event.
matched. Merritt was in no way re
sponsible for the accident and uset
no tactics except those which are alb
solutely correct in wrestling.
j Houston has been proud of thu
strength of the muscles of his necl
and had shown the boys of ths
college and of the y. M. c. A. hoV
he could stiffen them and spin OF
his head.
Because of the serious condition o
Mr.. Houston the football game which
the Commercial college team hat
scheduled with Blue Earth higl
school for tomorrow afternoon viii
not be played.
Mrs. Houston and her daughter ar
rived this noon and Chester recognized
them, but become unconscious almos
III nediately afterward. The physi
clans stated late this afternoon tina
there was no change for his recover!
and that an operation could not pos
sibly be performed because of his We ak
ened condition. Merritt has suffered