Omaha daily bee., 1916-07-09
TALK OF THIRD GO
IN THE WINDY CITY
Report That Joe Coffey Would
+ Stage stecher.Lewis Tilt
on Labor Day.
PRESS AGENTS START WORK

That Joe Stecher and Edwin
(Strangler) Lewis, who wrestled a
miserable five-hour draw in Omaha,
July 4, are to collide in third match
at Chicago on Labor day, was re-
port that gained credence in Omaha
wrestling circles yesterday.
No official confirmation Of such a
match could be obtained, but a man
believed to be "in the know" declared
that Billy Sandow, manager for
Lewis, had admitted such a match
was a possibility. :.
1t is known that Joe Coffey; well
known Chicago promoter, who is
about the only man in the Windy
City who has been able to stage any
wrestling matches with any degree of
success at all since the celebrated
Gotch- -Hackenschmidt fiasco, made
an offer for Labor day go between
the two men when he was in Omaha,
July 4. iCoffey made his first offer
is not given out, by Mr.. Ernst once
dumped Lewis and it doesn't play
to take chances in this modern age.
Some grand old publicity bunk is
being pulled in the east these days.
Accounts of the Stecher-Lewis match
in the eastern papers go into details
to tell of the snumber Of times the
at the ringside after the Omaha farce
had continued for some time, and it
was apparent Stecher would not dump
Lewis in the anticipated quick time.
Talk Of Big Purse.
Whether Coffey followed up this
offer with subsequent proposition is
not definitely known, but the wise
ones are inclined OF believe that he
did, Nand rumors of a fabulous purse
were current.
That a third Stecher-Lewis 60 in
Chicago would be financial success
is the belief Of followers OF the game
in Omaha. The "one-a-minute" crop
thrivcs in the Windy City. Omaha
wouldn't fall for the match, but Chi
cago might if the publicity campaign
was worked cleverly enough.
The only thing which discourages
the report Of the proposed Labor day
match is Joe Hetmanek's assertion
that Stecher would not consent to a
match with Lewis if an admission
was charged. It is argued however,
that Stecher in his eagerness to get
another wallop at the procrastinating
Stranger might consent to a Chicago
match, because Chicago is 500 miles
away from Omaha.
Lewis Changes Plans.
Stranger Lewis will not go west
to meet Pat Connolly, Taylor and
Adolph Ernst, with whom he was
booked for matches within the next
three weeks. Instead, Lewis will turn
his face toward the rising sun and
hike eastward.
The reason for this switch in plans
Strangler broke Stecher's wonderful
scissors hold and how many times he
was behind, ad inhnitum, ct cetra,
Down in Lexington, KY, they're
having great old time. Frank Gotch
is booked in there shortly with the
circus and demands are being made
that Gotch wrestle Lewis on his offer
to throw any man in the world in fif-
teen minutes. They are even calling
upon the mayor to force this upon
Gotch.
And all this is merely a beginning.
Before another thirty days have
passed and the old typewriters get to
working in mid-season form. there'll
be lot of interesting reading flood
ing into the newspapers. And while
the effete east is getting ready to
save up its spare nickels and dimes
TO contribute to the cause, Omaha
will sit by the banks of the muddy
Missouri and snieker up its sleeve.