New-York tribune., 1920-12-14

AlCdQ ltOlU ana HlDlOCk.
Stecher 20S pounds and Lewis 228. The
Stranger looked to be carrying the full
tonnage announced. 1t was announced
further that If the men went under the
ropes they would come back to the
center of the ring in standing posi-
ton. George Bothner best known of
all wreSt tiers, was introduced as ref
cree. The bell rang at 9:2O.
Alter ilve minutes of slow and eau
tious feeling for openings. Stocher
sWooped down and made lunge for
Lewis's knees. Lewis scowled as nc
slipped back. A second later Lewis made
leap and barely missed getting
head hold. Stecher eluded him. and
suddenly gripped Lewis with a reverse
armlock. Lewis slipped out of it as he
was being pressed to the floor. Both
went to the mat, with Stecher under
meath, after ten minutes of wrestling.
but they both seemed to rebound from
the mat.
BY clever fein Lewis clamped
Stecher by the knees and bore him to
the mat, but Joe wriggled out of the
hold before the challenger could gam
anything by it. Lewis held the head
hold for just half second, and then
came bewildering tangle of legs, arms
and feet as the pair lashed and
squirmed around the mat. The tobacco
smoke fog around the ring thickened
and George Bothner choked and wept
coplously as he felt his way through
the mist.
Stecner grpped Lewis with an arm
and body hold and bore him steadily to
the floor. One of the Strangers mas
slve shoulders sank into the mat. The
Nebraskan threw his weight into his
work and it looked just for a feeting
instant as though the bout might end
there, but Lewis wrenched himself free.
Stecher Breaks Headlock
Coming out of a headhold Stecher
flung Lewis to the mat and squatting
over him felt for a body scissors hold
Lewis again wrenched free and the pair
again went through a series Of holds
that gave the effect of tangle of
white serpents.
Once more Stecher had Lewis down
lind the oening to clamp the Strangler
with the scissors hold. Both men be-
gan to drip perspiration. Lewis, with
Stecher underneath him, felt ponder
ously for openings until Stecher light
| ly wriggled free.
Again Stecher pressed Lewis to the
mat with that reverse armlock Lewis
0Cciheu " run lutO III, lie went QOWn
with his face distorted with pain as
one shoulder again sank into the mat
Lewis was out of danger again when
/ he wrenched himself out of the hold.
{ Lewis got the first real head hold
at quarter to 10. He clamped it on
| hard and bore Stechor to the mat with
1t, but his own body was underneath
Stecher came free only to be thrown
down by an armlock. There was an
other whirl of arms and legs through
! the smoke screen.
! champion coiled his long legs, feeling
| for a body scissors. Lewis worke
free and for brief flash seemed to
| have Stecher with a toehold, but there
was another whirling Of arms and legs
and both men were on their feet again
where they began.
Scissors Fails Nebraskan
Twice Stecher had a partial scissors
hold, but each time Lewis worked free
The second time Lewis held a crotch
hold, while Stecher worked for bar
Nelson. 1t was picturesque to this
point. but not serious. Coming out of
body hold Lewis got his head lock.
but lost 1t as Stecher slipped to the
mat.
There was another whirl of arms and
~ as 4AS HiS WI hcu lIcC from ClS
threat of a scissors. The quarter ton
Of wrestlers seemed to scatter and fly
through the air in all directions.
George Bothner, the wiry referee, mar
rowly escaped being knocked from the
ring by Lewis's feet as they whirled by
his head.
Stecher made a clever feint and
threw Lewis to the mat, clamping him
as IN body scissors hold. Lewis
threshed about wildly like a bear in
trap, -thumping the floor with his feet
and the back of his head. Just as it
seemed that he was about to be crushed
in the hold he jerked himself out. The
hold lasted only a minute
Just two minutes before the first
hour it seemed to be all over. Stecher
caught toe hold and Lewis seemed
ready to succumb His face was gray
with paint, but he pressed his hand
against Stechcr's face and twisted free
as Stecher brought full pressure to
bear on the Furnishing hold
"Strangler" Misses Chance
Lewis brought Stecher down with
the head hold and held him there for
over minute painting as he exerted
full pressure. Stecher rose trine
shaky at the knees and pressing his
temples with his hands. The tension
tire Lewis too, or he felt that Stecher
might be stalling. He did not press
what seemed to be an advantage.
Stecher had scissors hold for
few seconds, but Lewis rid himself of
Il ythe simple process or raising
himself from the floor and shaking
Stecher from him. In one Of their
whirls the men bumped heads together
and both complained in dumb show.
Lewis was all but thrown over the
ropes.
Lewis pulled Stecher down with
deadlock which he held for fifty
seconds. AS Stecher wriggled free he
clamped Lewis with head scissors
Lewis broke reverse armlock Joe
Humphrics announced that IL had gone
an hour and half as Lewis had
Stcchcr's foot with two hands in a toe
hold Stechcr twisted and worked free.
Lewis dragged Stcchcr down with a
deadlock. Az the champion squirmcd
free Lewis brought him down with u
second deadlock. Again Stccher came
out Of it, and again he was dragged
down to the mat. There was another
whirl Of big white bodies and Stecher
was dragged down again Twisting
free Stechcr got in his body scissors
hold and began TO press in Lewis's ab-
domcn- The boa constructor process
was on.