The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-09
Johren Cops Coin in Big Handicap

series of articles Wmch MT. Cofpell iS 1 writing concerning the career of the late Frank Gotcf, who Went to his grave tbe ] undefeated heavyweight wrestling chain- pion of the world. The next instalment will appear tomorrow)
 Frank Go;ch always believed in giving the crowd it's moneys worth. If the match brought him together with foe- man whc couldn't furnish a real battle, the champion usually would provide little side issue" stun for the enter tainment os the audience.
 In 1910 Gotch toured the country with Jim rehries in an Athletic Carnival" While Jeff was taking on all pugilisttc corners, Gotch was doing likewise with the w-estlers. offering S25O to any man he couldn't throw in Is minutes. The aspir- ants for the prize, in most cases, were novices who had nothing to recommend them hut huge size and great strength. Each fell an easy victim before the prowess of the mighty Gotch.
 One night the champion was called upon to down two foes. The first one-- a powerful looking ungster-stepped onto the mat wearing about two inches of black hair on his chest. He looked like a black bear. so thici<ly was be covered with hair, and that was Franks cue for a little burlesque.
 As soon as time was sounded Gotch grabbel his bulky rival and deftly flopped him to the floor. Then he turned him oyer on his back and sat on his stomach Despite the frantic efforts ot the novice to break loose Gotch held t.-f I, ,%l,. I~NH kts,f from his chest, murmuring after the fashion of the love-orn maiden, who tears q daisy to pieces:
 He loves me; he loves me not; he loves me; he loves me not.
 After Gotch had piucked about two dozen hairs. unmindful of the screams from his foe Gotch got up to make an announcement to the crowd. Hastily his foe jumped to his feet, rushed off tae stage and never came back
 The second man came on and hardly had he moved toward the center of the ring when Gotch had him.. Tn a flash he was down, with the campion sittins on top.
 What hold will use to throw this feIlow?" Gotch asked the crowd from his "roost"
 Toe hold" shouted some one.
 Gotch looked at the feet of his rival and then replied:
 "Can't do 1t. He's got shoes on "Wen take em off, was the come back from the gleeful audience And Frank Gotch did, tossing one shoe to the left side of the stage and
 the other toward the right wings Then he tried for the toe hold only to make a discovery, which he announced to the audience:
 This fellow is wearing tights with thick feet Because of that l cant set the toe hold
 "Taxe off his tights" roared the crowd. Off came the tights Gotch maneuver- l ing. things in such way that while the | disrobing process was taking place the 1 Gotch victim continued prostrate. The
 action of Gotch reduced the regalia of 1 the novice to only pair of small tights and he was so ashamed of his appear | ance that he Hoped right over oh his l back and let Gotch down him without | the necessity of a toe hold. 1 While Gotch was in England a wrest- | Ter George Dinnie, of Sheffield chal- | lenged him. Gotch paid no attention to | it and at once Dnnie charged in the | newspapers that Gotch was afraid to meet him. This angered Gotch and he | had a match arranged with Dinnie. but | instead Of it being best two-out-of- l three-falls affair, Gotch agreed to throw | Dinnie twice within 30 minutes. l A huge crowd of Dinnie's friends l turned out to see the match Gotch got l right down to business with the call of 1 time and gained the first fall In one minute and six seconds Dinnie at once 1 let out the cry that he really hadn't I been downed-but the referee ignoro1
 him. Gotch grabbed Dinnie as he was | coming out for the second fall, spuh | him around dumped him and then with
 a half Nelson crotch put his shoulders l to the mat again in the total time of % | seconds.
 l Dinnie set up great protest, insisting | that both shoulders had not been pinned ! to the mat for the second fall The ref cree ruled otherwise. but Gotch joined the discussion with
 "All right, if you say you weren't | down, Dinnie, I'll give you another | chance
 Gotch grabbed Dnnie as they reached | the center of the ring, hurled him high into the air and then let him flop to the I mat Then Gotch hopped upon Dinnse i and secured the deadly toe hold. In about two seconds he had Dinnies legs far up his back 1 "I uuit-I auit-I'm down." shriekei | the pain racked Dinnie.
 l "Oh. no; you're not down yet" calmly
 responded Gotch, bending the leg still I farther. "A little of this treatment ts
 what you need-and I'll give 1t to you Farther and farther went the leg, with Dinnie bowling in agony. At last Gotcn
 said:
 ! Are you down now-really down?" "Yes yes" moaned Dinnie.
 If let go of your leg and let you l up will you tell the crowd here thai l I'm real nice fellow?"
 Dinnie promised, and limping to the
 ropes he made goods
 l stanlislaus Zbyszko, one of the imightiest wrestlers Poland ever pro- duced, connected with the idea in 1910 1 that he could master Frank Gotch tAnd Zbyszko went down to as inglor-
 ious a defeat as any great wrestler
 ever suffered.
 On November 25, 1909, Gotch took
 on the Pole in a handicap match in Buffalo. The champion agreed to throw 1 Zbyszko in one hour--but he failed to ~ ~ x4{2UI {S1 {IM ~ ~