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Show 1 : 1 Frank Gotch, Greatest of All Mat Champions, Bead 1 RANK A. GOTCH. ,' , f ;,'-' : , ' '' I 7c rx 1 . , - C ' f I ''' " 'v7 Pf hi .. 7 km 1 - DKS MOIX15S, Iowa, Dec. 16. Frank A. Gotch, 1 retired champion heavyweight wrestler of the world, died at noon today at his home, Humboldt. Iowa, of uraemia urae-mia poisoning. He had been in failing health for two years. Gotch was 41 years old. The record books, detailing the events of his life, give his age as 39 years, but these are inaccurate. He was born on April 27, 1576, on a farm three miles south of Humboldt. He is survived by his widow, a 4-year-old son, Robert Gotch; a brother, Fred Gotch; a sister, Mrs. Charlie Kurth of Humboldt, and his mother, Mrs. A me-lia me-lia Gotch, also a resident of Humboldt. His wife and son were at his bedside when death came. It is said that the famous athlete was conscious almost up to the time of his death, despite the rumors ru-mors that have been in circulation during the past two months that he was irrational irra-tional part of the time. Illness of Long Standing. Tho first intimation that his health was not as good as it should be came to him in the summer of 1916. when he was making a tour of the country with a circus cir-cus as a test to see whether he should sign articles for a match with Joe Stecher of Dodge, Neb., who had won the title from Charlie Cutler of Chicago. Gotch had declared Cutler the Americ;A champion upon his retirement. Gotch had been with the circus, wrestling wres-tling with Bob Managoff, Earl Caddock and ol hers only a short time, when he was compelled to return to his home because be-cause of stomach trouble. He never regained re-gained his health fully, although he later rejoined the circus, but was compelled to j leave It again when he injured his ankle, j The discoveries the champion made re- garding his condtion that summer caused : him to" abandon all plans of i match with i Si.echer. The following winter Gotch became no better and during the cold months went to Hot Springs, Ark. He returned home last spring, but gradually lost strength and became weaker. Early in October he went to Chicago on his way to a southern resort, but became seriously ill. in a Chicago hotel. He was removed to a hospital, where he was kept until early iti November, when he was brought back to bis home. Since that time he had been able to leave his home only two or three times and then for only short strolls. Ten days ago it was necessary for his relatives to call in a special nurse for him but the best of care did not help him and he gradually grew worse. Fortune From, Wrestling. Gotch built up a fortune in wrestling and by investing his earnings in Iowa farm lands. His estate is various! v esti- l mated at between 200.000 and $400,000, 1 all of which represents money made : through his ability as a wrestler. Gotch won the American championship January 27. 19u4. from Tom Jenkins, after one of the roughest matches ever seen in this country. The bout was staged at Beilingham, "Wash. Gotch won the first fall and was awarded the second after Jenkins had fouled him repeatedly by a pplying the strangle hold and by striking him. Four years later the Humboldt grappler won the undisputed championship of the world by defeating George Hacken-sehmtdt. Hacken-sehmtdt. "the Russian lion," at the Dexter Dex-ter park pavilion, Chicago, In a forfeited match after two hours of grueling wrestling. wres-tling. There was no fall in the match, hut the invader quit, exhausted, after the : two hours of effort against a man who ! plainly showed that he was superior in I every respect. j A Famous Match. Wrestling enthusiasts called the first Gotch-Haekenschmid t match the greatest mat snectaeie of history. Gotch lost nine j pounds before his opponent shvq up. ind 1 his tongue whs so badly swollen that, it Jwas ft wek before be could speak plainly. He wrestled with Tlakonscinnidt in the White Sox ball park in Chi-.atro again in 1911. winning in short orde ' After ihe ! match it was made known that GofiVs j opponent had entered the contest with a I badly spniined knee, and although he had ; concealed it at first, it prevented his exerting ex-erting more than p. feeble lesistanep to the champion. The gate receipts at that match were ?S7.0;0. the most money ever takn in Mt wrestling show in the present pres-ent days. Tt was in his match with Haken-hmidr Haken-hmidr that Gotch introdu-'d and p-r-fc t ad rhe toe hold, attains' which no man v. as ever able to stand. The hold caused creat anguish :o rb opponents iind soon ca,iced the strongest of then! to weaken The only men who ever ruMMy Threw the champion was Frd Bvl of MY.rsh-tiid, MY.rsh-tiid, Wia. w'ho won a tali 1mm him in T'f-5 in N"w Orleans, takinc the firt fa!! to Gof-h's scond and third in ,1 t hr?-fa!l hr?-fa!l rrint'-Y Gop.h won froip Beal with Ilt'le effort. GorHi and Ja mop .T-rfrip . former I heavyweight boxiiiz chauiDion. cr lull-I mate friends and before Jeffries lost his title to Jack Johnson the two champions toured the country, meeting with great receptions everywhere. |