Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-26
JOE STECHER is
AGAIN CROWNED
KING OF 'EM ALL
Disposes Of His Husky Opponent
Yousiff Hussane in Four and
Five Minutes Time.
GIANTS CONTEST AT LINCOLN
Huge Auditorium at the State Fair
p Grounds Scene of Another Con-
quest for Nebraska's Pride.
BIG CROWD GOES FROM OMAHA
ny BENZ. II. sERKOwICH.

ny BENZ. II. sERKOwICH.
And IL there be any among you
here to offer objection to this union
let him speak now or forever hold
his peace!"
Huge gobs of silence.
Mister Joseph Stecher, do you
take this wrestling championship
crown to be your legally welded or
nament, to have, to hold and go into
vaudeville With"
Answer: II do"
Then join hands. l now declare
you man and title. Whom the sport
ing poplaution hath Joined together,
let no son-of-a-gun put asunder."
or course, all this is a bit OF frivol
There wasn't any ceremony like that, but
there might have been, II only to make a
little laugh for the boy-because Joe
Stecher put his everlasting trademark
on the old crown in O. way that makes
the bonds of wedlock look like two
spot. Nine minutes and six seconds 1t re-
quired for him to demolish the ambition
. of the most formidable of all of his chal-
lengers.
Without detracting one whit from the
ability OF Hussane as a wrestler, nor
even intending to give the impression
that he failed to do a good days work
1t must be stated in all fairness to
Stecher that the tigerish Bulgarian was
like a war baby In Belgium. You've all
heard Of that taIlow-legged terrier that
was being pursued by the asbestos feline
down in the place Bill Sunday talks OF.
Mister Hussane had the same oppor-
tunity for victory as the wax-footed
canine.
The fair grounds auditorium holds
about 1900 people but only about 1000
paid adrmission to sc the big go. II was
colder than a policemsn's heart In the
big building but the moment Nebraska's
pride and JOY stepped out. the fans COM.
menced to let off steam and II was a
warm welcome Joe got. Hussane too,
was accorded the respect due runner
up, but at no time were the fans any
thing bue skeptical In Omaha, two
hours before the match. stecher hackers
were chasing all over town with bundles
of needful, offering to lay It to 1 that
the Bulgarian wouldn't last forty min
utes. At the ringside there were plenty
of bets made at to 1 and even at 8 to !.
Just before the big go. Joe .Hetmanek.
Stecher's manager, remembered that
Youslff never wrestles except bare
footed. That's an advantage. It's easier
10 get grip on a shoe than on a mans
bare skim" he objected. A squabble
theatened to consume an hour or more,
and sport shoes were sent for. In the
= interim. however. a compromise was
agreed upon.
Yusiff wrestled In his sox--two pairs Of
them that Is, he wrestled as long as Joe
let him.
Stecher walked out TO the middle when
Referee Ed Smith yelled Col with a
smile on his face that spelled money in
the bank to the big crowd of loyal Ne
braskans. They stalled for a minute
possibly a minute and a half. Joe hrot
his right arm out and gripped his oppo-
nent's neck. Yusiff tried to get away.
hut Stecher kept him at arms length.
placidly studying him the while. Then
like bullet he dropped to his knees.
caught the Bulgarian about the thighs
and he was behind him. The crowd was
standing on chairs, tumultuously begging
the Nebraskan to get him. In another
minute an expression OF excruiating pain
shot over the features of the swarthy
wrestler as Stecher interIocked the terri
DIE sclssorb apoul hAS pouy ahN wv w
down with a bar-arm hold. Hussane was
as helpless as though he had been mana
cied hand and foot. Referee Smith
stopped Joe on the shoulder and an
nounced the official time-four minutes
and two seconds.
Hussane retired to his corner and re-
nained there during the brief recess
smiling cynically at the sea OF faces
which alternately cheered and hooted
lin.
The next session there was no feeling
cut. The two wrestiers came together
with fierce impact. Hussane was behind
when the scramble for legs and arms
ended for a brief spell. The foreigner
spun stecher around the floor a. time OF
CONTINUED on Page Two, Column one)