New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-24
MAN OUT WEST
TELLS STORY OF
STECHER'S LIFE
Nebraska Editor Says
Tales That Reached East
Are All Wrong.

BY the time Joe Stecher. the Ne
braska farmer wrestler. actually steps
into the ring for his finish match with
Wladek Zbyszko in Madison Square
Garden next Thursday night the wrest-
ling fans of the East may know more
about him than they do now.
Many and conflicting accounts have
come out OF the West as to how Joe
achieved fame, how he learned the mat
game. who were his teachers and other
intimate details Of his home life. Most
OF these were all wrong, il seems. and
now comes a long letter from the man
aging editor Of "The Fremont Trit-
une," who has known Joe Stecher and
his fam ly long enough to speak with
authority regarding the rangy Ne
braska farmer.
Armed with this information. those
Who 20 to the Garden on Thursday
night will have the young mans his
tory at their finger tips and can recite
the story of his fe to those less fortu
nate Here is the letter:
Sporting Editor. New York Tribune,
New York City.
MY Dear DIT. Eastern newspapers
have contained 20 many glazing mis-
statements concerning our own Joe
Stecher Including your valued publ
cation of date Sunday. January l6)
that ! feel impelied 10 drop you
personal line. Joe Stecher il not an
lowan, but was born and raised Oh u
farm In Dodge County, Neb., which he
still calls his home.
Ia IN l1nIUa
Dodge County. having retired from the
farm. but the boys, Joe and his broth
or. Anton, who is his trainer, continue
TO operate the home place. Stecher
did not learn 'rasseiing' from Farmer
Burns. and the Farmer has never had
ANYTHING whatever 20 do with this
Dodge County boy. Burns, on the
other hand, has led the Opposition
forces in our neighboring town.
Omaha. where the efforts OF the Stech-
ers TO develop their wrestling ability
and put wrestling on an honest basis
have been subjected to all sorts OF
ridicule.
at may seem hard TO swallow this,
but IL IL the hOnest-to- gospel truth
that Joe Stecher never had any trainer
except his brother. Anton. The two boys
started wrestling in the y. VI. {. A. oil
Fremont. while going 20 school here
five wears ago. and then kept II up
themselves on the farm. They worked
IL an out themselves. The story OF
how they did it is q big ono in itself.
but thev didn't have any hep except
what the bows in their home town and
in neighboring towns gave them.
zone bv one Joe cleaned uD the
wrestlers from everywhere VINO driited
in under all sorts Of assumed names
20 "clean up" the Stecher country
farmers. Hussane and Adolph hrnst
we're among the noted strong rlen OF
the day who were brought 10 DodEe
County by the Omaha crowd Tor me
purpose Of milking Joe's friends VINO
have been willing to back HIM ior tholf
Last penny against every conner
"Both Ilussane and Ernst came IN
disruise and big sums were wagered
on them. | have watched this whole
business from the start and cautioned
the bows to be careful, and 1t has bGeh
a wonder OF wonders to me that Joe
has cone ahead ard beaten every ono
Of them. Some Of the country lads
whom ! thought sure would 90 broke
some day by hazarding Their money on
this green country wrestler actuaiiy
have grown rich.
"The main points want to impress
ere that Joe Stecher is Nebraska
boy. residing at the little town OF
Dodge. which is near Fremont, and that
old Farmer Burns, Of Omaha, has had
nothing to do with his development, but
has stood out in this country "a the
chief knocker against the boy athlete
who has surprised the world.
you can imagine how singular II
sounds to US in view of the circum-
stances. to have Burns given cI,edit
now for discovering and training HIM;
have known Joe since he was klu
md have been with him all the way
and will be glad to furnish you a real
letter from home on the subject when
ever YOU want to know anything about
Joe Stecher, Cordially,
CLARENCE A. LUCAS,
Managing Editor.
"P. S.-Note that you call him
German-American. His parents are
Bohemians."