Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-04-06
YOUNG FARMER is
WRESTLING WONDEl
Nebraskan Has Thrown Some Good
Ones, and So Far Has Not Been
Defeated

Nebraskan Has Thrown Some Good
Ones, and So Far Has Not Been
Defeated
A young Nebraska farmer mas come
into the middle of the stage as a
wrestling wonder. His name is Joe
| Stecher, and he is Fl years old. Many
wrestlers seeking easy dollars have
visited the small town where he lives,
and all have returned empty handed.
Not once has Stecher been defeated.
Sportsmen have become interested in
him, and he probably will soon be
seen in action in Chicago.
Experiences of several of Americas
best wrestlers in Nebraska recently
have given the impression that Stecher
will be able to hold his own against
the bestsin the game. If reports from
reliable sources are true he will need
no 'phony" bouts to establish q
standing. The young giant gives
promise of being real wrestler like
Frank Gotch, the champion, who lives
in the neighboring state of Iowa. 4
Emil K1ank, who was Gotchs man.
ager, recently took a wrestler to Ne
braska with the object of slipping one
over on Stecher and his hackers.
Klank returned to Chicago wiser
man, but admits he made valuable
discovery. Others, including Farmer
Burns, discoverer mad developer of
Gotch, were fooled too, and now un-
doubtedly there will be scramble to
sign Stecher to binding contract for
an extended period of service on the
padded canvas.
Stecher gained local reputation as
a wrestler of prowess among the
farmers of Nebraska. Farmer Burns
at that time was managing Young
Hussane, the heavyweight Bulgarian
wrestler. Farmers coming to Omaha,
where Burns has school, brought
stories of the wonderful doings of q
young giant out in the state, and
Burns, who for about thirty years has
sought mat talent among the farmers
of the middle west, bought transport
tation for two persons to the home
town of Stecher. The two persons
were Burns himself and Hussane.
Of course Stecher accepted the chal-
lenge of Hussane, and the men met for
finish battle before large crowd of
interested" spectators.
Imagine the surprise of Farmer
Burns when Husane failed to hold the
young farmer with hammerlock and
few minutes later was in a fierce
mixup with the unknown grappler ir.s
the middle Of the canvas. Hussar
tried every hold on his list on h
less experienced opponent, but all js
vain. The young cornhusker was t.
strong. He broke the holds of t nj
Bulgarian with such east as to anna.
Burns and astonish Hussane.
Finally Hussane fastened on bod.sS
scissors, and it was thought to be aliN
off with Stecher The Nebraskan again
surprised the crowd by countering
with wicked scissors on the head !,
and had Hussane al bad way when
the Bulgarian sank his teeth into
Stecher's anatomy. The referee
promptly gave the match to Stecher
on foul.
Paul Martinson was sent ont from
Chicago to learn something about
Stecher. M.:rtinson came back with
considerable knowledge and defeat
as the sum total Of his experience in
Nebraska. Stecher pinned Martinson
with scissors hold.
Then Phil Klank thought he would
venture into Nebraska with Marvin
Plestina, one of the best defensive
wrestlers in the game. Although the
Chicago heavyweight was in superb
condition he Proved no match for the
Nebraskan. The showing of Stecher
against Plestina was a revelation to
Klank. The Austrian heavyweight
Went down to defeat in straight falls.
each time via the scissors hold, in II
and 3 minutes respectively. This IL
about the time it required Youssif
Mahmout to pin Plestina when the
Bulgarian was at his best.
This is lean season for w estlers.
Nearly all the big wrestlers of Europe
are in captivity or fighting at the front.
Some were stranded in South Amer
lea. They were taking part in tour.
nament in Argentina when the war
broke out. Now it is reported that
they are On their way to Chicago, TAX
ing no chances of being grabbed for
the European war; It is their. mis-
sion in the world to wrestle, not to
fight, they thinh. The wrestling fans
If Chicago want to see some real live
with Americans in them. Az
Frank Gotch is N retirement they will
welcome anyone who promises to be a
wrestler of his stamp. So it looks
good for Stecher.
WHO'S GOT ETC tn Cello