Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-07
WRESTLING MATCH
IS THING OF PAST
Stecher Offers to Wrestle
Lewis for the Receipts, but
Stranger Kicks Out.
MELADY THROWS UP HANDS
BY FRED S. HUNTER.

sThe Stecher-Lewis match is now
thing OF the past.
Yesterday afternoon following
thirty-six hours OF deliberation dur
ing which the farcical match was
viewed and discussed from every
angle, Gene Melady decided to call
it quits, give the wrestlers their
money and have it over with once
and for all
Melady made his decision late yes
terday afternoon after a second con-
ference with the Stecher and the
Lewis force. Until this time he con-
tinued to hang onto the money and
refused to give the wrestlers their bit.
When he called the second confer
ence yesterday afternoon, Melady put
it up to both wrestlers. Are you
willing to give the public fair
shaker" he asked.
Stecher Speaks Up.
Joe Hetmanek, speaking for
Stecher, Immediately spoke up and
declared in most emphatic tones that
Joe was perfectly willing to resume
with Lewis any time. We'll wrestle
Lewis said Hetmanek, tomorrow,
next week, or next year. We don't
care when or where" ..
Billy Sandow, manager for Lewis,
demurred. He pleaded the excuse that
Lewis is booked solid for the next
four months in the west. On July
IS Lewis goes to Butte, Mont where
he is carded to tangle with Pat Con-
nelly and he continues from there
to the Pacific coast where he is
slated for a bout with Adolph Ernst.
Pleading the press of these engage
ments, Sandow said it would be i'm
possible for Lewis to wrestle Stecher
again.
1t was also intimated that suit
would be brought if Melady did not
turn over the wrestlers' share of the
receipts. Lewis, of course, had the
edge of the argument, because Me-
lady could not legally hbld the money
from the wrestlers After Referee
Sfith's draw decision and he was even
taking long chance by holding it
as long as he did.
II have done everything In my
power" said Melady, ito protect the
public. Nobody regrets any more
than l don that match Tuesday. !
hope the public is satisfied that l
have done everything possible"
Melady offered to stage the re-
sumption match and put up all the
money himself. Hetmaney, for
Stecher, offered to wrestle Lewis for
the entire receipts, not merely the
6O-40 cut, the original articles of
agreement called for But Lewis re-
fused.
Melady finally threw up his hands
and quit. 1t was too much for him.
He gave the wrestlers their money.
Enough Is Enough.
Discussion of the Tuesday match
became calm yesterday. Apparently
everybody had completely succumbed
to the singing and wanted to forget
it. Those persons who, Wednesday,
were clamboring for a continuation
of the match, ceased their agitation
and were ready to call it finis. Dis
gust for the whole thing had sue
cessfully displaced all soreness.
Enough is sufficiency," seemed
to be the consensus of opinion. "Giye
EN- their money and let 'em be on
their way, we'll know better next
time"
That wrestling has made adead is
sue in Omaha was a unanimous YER
dict. Omaha is through. A Stecher-
Gotch match wouldn't even cause
cause much more than a slight ripple
OF interest in Omaha now. Omaha
has had its fill, it couldn't digest any
more.