The Alaska citizen., 1916-03-20
JOE STECHER IS REAL

Neh ' | L lN w HGS LIN S
 NEW YDRK.-Joe Stecher the farmer boy from Dodge Neb- threw Mort Henderson. the Masked Marvel twice in less than sixteen minutes belo.e a crowd of 6,500 wrestling enthusiasts al Madison Square Garden recently
 Stecher secured the first fall in minutes 5u seconds with a body scissors and arm lock. He threw Henderson tlo second time in , minutes Fl seconds with body scissors and double wrist hold Stecuer weighed Poo pounds and the Marvel l95 pounds.
 Henderson stated while ho was resting after the first fall that he had weighed 21S pounds when he first entered the wrestling tourna- ment at the Manhattan Opera House He did not, however, at tribute his defeat to this loss of weight or to his present condition or lack of it. as after the bout was over he made a public statement in which he said that Stecher was easily the greatest wrestler he had ever met.
 George Bothner, the referee, was also enthusiastic over Stecher. He certainly is bear" he said to some of the newspaper men after the match. and he is so fast that he should make a good boxer"
 The match itself was an unequal one Stecher, cool and confident, was continually on the offensive, and from the first it was apparent that the only question was how long Henderson could keep his shoulders from the mat.
 In fact. the Marvel was on the defensive every second of the first bout and managed to get only one hold in the second which Stecher broke as easily as a child would strand of worsted
 The entire lower part of the Gar den and the main part of the gallery were filled with wrestling fans. The crowd that had been going to the Manhattan Opera House Hooked to see the new star of the wrestling game, and evening clothes were in evidence in most of the boxes.
 As a matter of fact the gather ing resembled a theatre crowd more than the usual as embl3ge which collects at wrestling bouts, as many women were present. All the Broadway not@bles were there, and upper Fifth avenue was well rep resented
 There were fans from as far north as Yonkers and as far south as Staten Island, as far west as New Jersey and as far east as Long Island. Most Of them con sidered themselves well repaid for any distance they may have tra yelled.
 The main bout Wa advertised for 9:3o o'clock, but it was not until 1007 that Mort Henderson climbed betW cen the ropes in his black mask and figur~d bathrohe There is no doubt that mask gives a sinister appearance to even the most peaceful counJenance, and even when unmasked Henderson has a fighting face.
 Stecher followed close upon the heels of the Marvel. About him there was nothing sinister. He has good features dark, well marked eyebrows and dtmpiel chin. He wears his hair parted in the mid dle and brushed back in the college fashion. As matter of fact h@ looks much like a young college boy with a fresh, wholesome face. He, too wore flowery bath"ooe His step was light and springy, and his flesh pink and firm. There was something about him that gave one the impression of the very eN- sence of vigor and youth.
 Dr. B. F. Roller and "Strangler" Lewis clambeled into the ring and were presented by Joe Humphries. who had previously made an al nouncement that these two men alone were barred in Stecher's ol fer of 5000 tc any man who would wrestle him fer fifteen minutes W t!t- out being thrown.
 This did not mean in all prob, ability that Stecher feared either