Evening star., 1952-08-08


mated that SIS million spent to watch him in action If
high remembered that there only
Stranger Lewis who wasn't born with that at all
but Robert Herman Friedrich whose parents were German
immigrants
He became Ed strangle) Lewis wrestling
at the University Kentucky before World War He couldn't
coach and wrese professionally too almost intact he
appropriated for mat the of an old champion
from his native Wisconsin, Evan (Strangler) Lewis
CONTRARY TO WIDESPREAD belief among old timers
attended Kentucky although only 20 when
he instructed at Lexington In fact he went to high
school.
Lewis threw stecher to the
title gave Stan ZbySzko less than year later.
Zbyszko like Lewis wrsd under the banner of Billy Sandow
and smacked of business deal Many later Stranger
insisted that 1914 to 1910 he actually beaten
1t just to be good business change leads often
days the title something Today there
half dozen claimants, but nobody takes them seriously
Wrestling today hppodrome ridiculous exhi
and gble fall for it, but Lewis stecher Hacken
schmidt singehandedy probably could have pinned every
present-day wrestler in the country in week.
If wrestling in the prehppodrome days not much more
honest than today at least bore the look Once in Omaha
Lewis Stecher wresed for hours 10 minutes
before physician stopped it, explaining that both men were
exhausted
Lewis twice defeated stecher the title and took the
each from Zbyszko and Ed Don George His fifth
by the pachyderms
split into each headed by champion Probably the
STILL at Al, there
who felt that Lewis could handle in the world
THE sTRANGLERs DEFEAT" by zbyszko not totally
mplausible the Pole legitimate wrestler but his los
Wayne Mum in a title bout didn't ring true.
Lewis had been top from 1921 1925 promoters
tested his reign too long Mum football player
from the University of Nebraska He signed Sandow,
who persuaded Lewis to meet him. It should
contest but the public wanted face Mum took the title
from Lewis but didn't keep than Zbyszko
old beat the inexperienced Num- whereupon
stecher the old pro- threw Zbyszko.
But Lewis again when Sonnenbeg football
player from Dartmouth began the with his
billy tactics Sonnenberg couldn't wreste his out Of
vat of whipped but he introduced the flying butt
borrowed from the tackle in football loved it.
so THE TITLE PASSED to Sonnenberg, the boys
really began to ham it succession of exfootba players
got into the act including McNllen Herman Hickman Joe
Savold and Bronko Nagursk Freaks imported from
Europe such Hungarans with necks, until the
deterorated into what is today silly spectacle that
offer anything from women tag matches to dwars and Cor
geous George
Lewis dropped out of the picture long period but not
because he lacked the fair to compete new school,
Stranger could weste for keeps up more
than other legitimate wresers could grounded Lewis
the common mat disease eyes, trachoma Russ
Lynch OF the Milwaukee Journal relays this Lewis
I had trachoma for 13 years spent $50OOO trying to
cure it. The pain terrible like having eyes all
the time I'd sit in dark and close
got bad that I'd the bang nv head
against the wall. That felt good"
But the old Stranger with his belly badng head
still was probably the best of all in shooting match at A.
And at so he still active That dozen ago
A fabulous character Stranger Lewis