Fakirs At Work
Chapter Two: Professor Thiebaud Bauer Versus Professor William Miller
#PWHS #Article #FakirsAtWork #FAW #Hippodrome #ProfBauer #ProfMiller
A look at the moments in history which made audiences cry-out, "Hippodrome!"
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May 28, 1875 - San Fran Examiner
1874-1880
William Miller and Thiebaud Bauer, the two professors caused quite a stir in the professional wrestling world during the 1870's. Bauer was a Frenchman who came over to America with much fanfare in the Graeco-Roman style of wrestling and proved to dominate all who faced him in his early days on the west coast.
When William Miller arrived a few months after Bauer he was known as an all-around athlete. Originally born in England, but considered Australian as he'd spent most of his life there. Together they had arguably the biggest Graeco-Roman match that had ever taken place on an American mat and it was highly anticipated by the Californian audiences.
The first known time the pair squared off was on November 14, 1874. A match that took place at the Pacific Hall on Bush Street in San Francisco, California. Bauer being billed as the Champion of France. Miller being billed as the Champion of Australia. The match itself being billed as for the Championship of the Pacific Coast. It was to be two out of three falls and contested under the "Roman Gladiator" style of wrestling.
Those in attendance loved the contest. It was said to be "intensely exciting," they went on and stated "so generally satisfactory because of its freedom from 'tricks of the trade.'" Both men scored a fall a piece. Then during the third fall Bauer claimed he had injured his groin. Miller gallantly agreed to a draw with a rematch set for a month later. Some members of the audience wanted a continuation, however, the majority were satisfied and happy to pay for a rematch between the two men.
One newspaper went as far as to state:
"There was no tom-fooling, or shin-kicking in the business, but a well sustained, fair contest between well-developed, athletic and powerfully muscled men. Such wrestling, say sporting men, has seldom been witnessed."
Another while stating fans where overall please with the contest said there was "Great disappointment" with the decision to not continue. Whether the draw was met with great disappointment or whether the majority were satisfied enough not to mind the ending, 1,200 plus people attended the rematch on December 8, 1874 in Platts Hall in the same city. Both men were being hyped to the highest degree in newspapers for the second meeting of the "Muscular Apollo" Bauer and the "Australian Hercules" Miller.
Press reporters filled tables at each side of the stage where the mat was housed. By the end of the second fall when it was one fall a piece "Everyone was excited to a fever heat." The third fall lasted fifty-four minutes making the total match time one hour and sixteen minutes and it was won by Bauer. Members of the audience had actually been calling for the bout to be declared a draw earlier on due to both men being so physically exhausted, but they continued to wrestle. One paper called the match, "Brilliant and beautiful."
About a week after this contest it came out that Miller wanted another match. He claimed Bauer had used grease in his hair and no smoking in the hall this time as both prevented him from winning the contest. That much would not happen until May of 1875. It was rumored Bauer was leaving San Francisco shortly and Miller made one last attempt at challenging Bauer. On May 19 the match was signed. Three out of five falls. Roman style. Each fall will only be allowed if the opponents shoulders are held down for two seconds.
Anticipation to if the match would happened or not increased as Miller was late posting his second round of forfeit money. Ticket prices had gone up by $0.50 ($10.00 in today's money) for reserved seats and $2.00 ($41.00 in today's money) for private boxes. Once again the match took place in San Francisco, but this time in Wilson's Palace Amphitheatre.
The crown on May 28, 1929 was said to be "Immense." Excitement was again all around for the contest and betting had been very lively. Bauer's Pacific Coast Championship (which would become the Graeco-Roman Championship) was up for grabs as well as 2,000 gold coins, in the previous bouts it'd been $1,000. Things did not go quite so well this time.
Where as the previous bouts had received fairly long articles discussing the matches in details, this one received nothing of the like. It was apparent the audience and the judges had caught on to that these two men were not really wrestling to win. During the fifth fall when the men had two falls a piece, the referee declared the "contest" a draw. He stated, "It was obviously a put-up job."
Immediately following both men were removed from the San Francisco Olympic Club for staging purely theatrical bouts and they moved on in their voyage across the world. Staying in America though. On July 18 of the same year they appeared in Virginia together. Bauer was apparently intoxicated and Miller refused to face Bauer a second time after they had come to a draw earlier in the evening. Bauer face Emil Regnier instead. Later on in the night both Bauer and Regnier were arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
A year later on July 15 they wrestled to a three draw at Ford's Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland. The match ended in disorder. What happened to cause it is currently unknown. They had a second bout which I have no details of, although both matches are said to have gone well. They also competed in Boston, Massachusetts around this time. On August 4 they were set to face in Washington, District of Columbia, however Miller could not compete due to abscess on his hand. Louis Cateron lost to Bauer as Miller's replacement.
When the two met at Wood's Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio, the venue was "Packed full." Bauer defeated Miller for the championship two falls to Miller's one. The title was now being billed as the World Graeco-Roman Championship. This match was also said to be met with great approval. Still, the San Francisco newspapers were not fooled and were quick to point out:
"Bauer and Miller cleaned up quite a nice little sum at Cincinnati last night, by one of their wrestling displays."
March 20, 1877 saw their first contest in New York. 4,040 people attended and they wrestled to around a seven hour long draw. Bauer scored the only fall of the contest. Over $6,000 was paid in tickets. Both men received three cheers each at the conclusion of the contest by the men and women present at the Metropolitan Riding Academy.
Then on June 18, 1877 the following article was printed in the Brooklyn Eagle. While Miller and Bauer are not mentioned by name, it is they who are the culprits it is written about:
“It is not long since that expose of the frauds committed on wrestling circles out West by prominent contestants in the Graeco-Roman wrestling scene was made, but it seems to have little effect in opening the eyes of the sporting public to the hippodroming in this line of sport which is now going on. The plan of these wrestling knaves is to get up an excitement about ‘grand championship matches,’ and to have special remarks made in the papers about the “feeling of enmity” existing between certain rival wrestlers. All this is done to get up an excitement to swell gate receipts. The whole game of these wrestling hippodromists is so plain that it is surprising that it has not been played out long ago."
Considering the tone of this article and how it's being printed as common knowledge given the attitude most people have nowadays it does seem kind of surprising that people still paid money to see what they must've known, and if they didn't before they sure did now, that these two men were working together. It is my opinion though, based on situations like this which are repeated through-out the history of wrestling, that fans have never cared about things being not quite as they seem, as long as they're entertaining. I imagine those who moaned about the bouts being a hippodrome are the equivalent to today's IWC.
The Brooklyn Eagle printed a scathing article on November 14 of that year:
"SO CALLED CHAMPIONSHIP CONTESTS.
There is probably no sport before the public – not even excepting professional billiard playing – in which there has been so much regular ‘hippodroming’ and crookedness practiced as in the wrestling arena within the past two or three years. There has scarcely been an important contest in which the result has not been known beforehand. A system of humbug has been carried on in the form of creating a supposed bitter rivalry between prominent wrestlers, in order to get up an excitement, and matches have been arranged which have been alleged to be for thousands of dollars a side, when not a dollar has been put up on either side, the contest being one for the gate money alone, and that is equally divided, the betting deciding as to which party should win. The men have been found guilty of it and in one case the knavery was publicly exposed out West. But still the people are being gulled by these so-called championship wrestling matches. The latest contest in the wrestling arena was that between Miller and Bauer at Boston last night, in which Miller was defeated, Bauer winning in one fall. The usual $1,000 challenge followed, and another profitable gate money match will be arranged. Pools were sold at Boston on the match, in which Miller was the favorite with those not behind the scores, he being the strongest man and the best wrestler. The fact is nothing has been such a blight on honest sport as the curse of the pool box. It has almost killed professional billiards in the Metropolis; has broken into the healthy life of baseball; driven professional oarsmen out of the arena, and brought odium upon every sport with which it has been connected. But for the pool rooms of Chicago and St. Louis – encouraged by the local press there – there would have been no such crookedness in the Western base ball nines, which recent developments have disclosed.”
Bauer and Miller will both come up in future articles. Especially Miller. So, I just want to take a moment to point out if you didn't check out the Masked Wrestler of Paris bio already then you will not be aware that it was speculated Bauer was the man under the mask. Not only that, but there are records that Bauer owned and wrestled a circus bear also. And as I say, both men's names will undoubtedly be making future appearances in this series of articles.
Also worth noting is Graeco-Roman wrestling did take a dive in popularity around this time and it wouldn't be until William Muldoon held the Graeco-Roman Championship that the interest and the interest started to return. It is my opinion though that the popularity waned not due to the fixed nature (if it was indeed there), but rather because the same match was overplayed. Yes there were stars in other styles, but there were not yet any big names appearing in the Graeco-Roman style to keep the audiences coming back.
Bauer and Miller would actually leave America in 1878 and tour Cuba and South America for some time before returning to the United States where new stars were developing and ultimately new competition to work with or against depending on your perspective. Their last known match together was on February 27, 1880 at the Horticultural Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The time away and then the range of opponents they faced on their return obviously did them good as 1,000 people were in attendance. Miller got the win with two falls to one. Bauer apparently got sick during the second fall.
I think it's important for me to point out at this time that, yes, I am of the opinion these contests were all worked and that Bauer and Miller were two of the most influential showmen in the history of professional wrestling. However, it's equally important that that is only my opinion based on the newspaper reports I have read on both men and what I have read in between the lines in those reports of their bouts.
There is a good chance I am wrong and the gossip of fixing was nothing more than propaganda presented by the newspapers and Olympic Club (originally) for whatever reason. The truth is we'll probably never know one hundred percent either way; after all this is 140 years ago. I hope you feel I have provided enough information to at least have a first thought of whether they were or were not the work fakirs.
William Miller and Thiebaud Bauer, the two professors caused quite a stir in the professional wrestling world during the 1870's. Bauer was a Frenchman who came over to America with much fanfare in the Graeco-Roman style of wrestling and proved to dominate all who faced him in his early days on the west coast.
When William Miller arrived a few months after Bauer he was known as an all-around athlete. Originally born in England, but considered Australian as he'd spent most of his life there. Together they had arguably the biggest Graeco-Roman match that had ever taken place on an American mat and it was highly anticipated by the Californian audiences.
The first known time the pair squared off was on November 14, 1874. A match that took place at the Pacific Hall on Bush Street in San Francisco, California. Bauer being billed as the Champion of France. Miller being billed as the Champion of Australia. The match itself being billed as for the Championship of the Pacific Coast. It was to be two out of three falls and contested under the "Roman Gladiator" style of wrestling.
Those in attendance loved the contest. It was said to be "intensely exciting," they went on and stated "so generally satisfactory because of its freedom from 'tricks of the trade.'" Both men scored a fall a piece. Then during the third fall Bauer claimed he had injured his groin. Miller gallantly agreed to a draw with a rematch set for a month later. Some members of the audience wanted a continuation, however, the majority were satisfied and happy to pay for a rematch between the two men.
One newspaper went as far as to state:
"There was no tom-fooling, or shin-kicking in the business, but a well sustained, fair contest between well-developed, athletic and powerfully muscled men. Such wrestling, say sporting men, has seldom been witnessed."
Another while stating fans where overall please with the contest said there was "Great disappointment" with the decision to not continue. Whether the draw was met with great disappointment or whether the majority were satisfied enough not to mind the ending, 1,200 plus people attended the rematch on December 8, 1874 in Platts Hall in the same city. Both men were being hyped to the highest degree in newspapers for the second meeting of the "Muscular Apollo" Bauer and the "Australian Hercules" Miller.
Press reporters filled tables at each side of the stage where the mat was housed. By the end of the second fall when it was one fall a piece "Everyone was excited to a fever heat." The third fall lasted fifty-four minutes making the total match time one hour and sixteen minutes and it was won by Bauer. Members of the audience had actually been calling for the bout to be declared a draw earlier on due to both men being so physically exhausted, but they continued to wrestle. One paper called the match, "Brilliant and beautiful."
About a week after this contest it came out that Miller wanted another match. He claimed Bauer had used grease in his hair and no smoking in the hall this time as both prevented him from winning the contest. That much would not happen until May of 1875. It was rumored Bauer was leaving San Francisco shortly and Miller made one last attempt at challenging Bauer. On May 19 the match was signed. Three out of five falls. Roman style. Each fall will only be allowed if the opponents shoulders are held down for two seconds.
Anticipation to if the match would happened or not increased as Miller was late posting his second round of forfeit money. Ticket prices had gone up by $0.50 ($10.00 in today's money) for reserved seats and $2.00 ($41.00 in today's money) for private boxes. Once again the match took place in San Francisco, but this time in Wilson's Palace Amphitheatre.
The crown on May 28, 1929 was said to be "Immense." Excitement was again all around for the contest and betting had been very lively. Bauer's Pacific Coast Championship (which would become the Graeco-Roman Championship) was up for grabs as well as 2,000 gold coins, in the previous bouts it'd been $1,000. Things did not go quite so well this time.
Where as the previous bouts had received fairly long articles discussing the matches in details, this one received nothing of the like. It was apparent the audience and the judges had caught on to that these two men were not really wrestling to win. During the fifth fall when the men had two falls a piece, the referee declared the "contest" a draw. He stated, "It was obviously a put-up job."
Immediately following both men were removed from the San Francisco Olympic Club for staging purely theatrical bouts and they moved on in their voyage across the world. Staying in America though. On July 18 of the same year they appeared in Virginia together. Bauer was apparently intoxicated and Miller refused to face Bauer a second time after they had come to a draw earlier in the evening. Bauer face Emil Regnier instead. Later on in the night both Bauer and Regnier were arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
A year later on July 15 they wrestled to a three draw at Ford's Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland. The match ended in disorder. What happened to cause it is currently unknown. They had a second bout which I have no details of, although both matches are said to have gone well. They also competed in Boston, Massachusetts around this time. On August 4 they were set to face in Washington, District of Columbia, however Miller could not compete due to abscess on his hand. Louis Cateron lost to Bauer as Miller's replacement.
When the two met at Wood's Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio, the venue was "Packed full." Bauer defeated Miller for the championship two falls to Miller's one. The title was now being billed as the World Graeco-Roman Championship. This match was also said to be met with great approval. Still, the San Francisco newspapers were not fooled and were quick to point out:
"Bauer and Miller cleaned up quite a nice little sum at Cincinnati last night, by one of their wrestling displays."
March 20, 1877 saw their first contest in New York. 4,040 people attended and they wrestled to around a seven hour long draw. Bauer scored the only fall of the contest. Over $6,000 was paid in tickets. Both men received three cheers each at the conclusion of the contest by the men and women present at the Metropolitan Riding Academy.
Then on June 18, 1877 the following article was printed in the Brooklyn Eagle. While Miller and Bauer are not mentioned by name, it is they who are the culprits it is written about:
“It is not long since that expose of the frauds committed on wrestling circles out West by prominent contestants in the Graeco-Roman wrestling scene was made, but it seems to have little effect in opening the eyes of the sporting public to the hippodroming in this line of sport which is now going on. The plan of these wrestling knaves is to get up an excitement about ‘grand championship matches,’ and to have special remarks made in the papers about the “feeling of enmity” existing between certain rival wrestlers. All this is done to get up an excitement to swell gate receipts. The whole game of these wrestling hippodromists is so plain that it is surprising that it has not been played out long ago."
Considering the tone of this article and how it's being printed as common knowledge given the attitude most people have nowadays it does seem kind of surprising that people still paid money to see what they must've known, and if they didn't before they sure did now, that these two men were working together. It is my opinion though, based on situations like this which are repeated through-out the history of wrestling, that fans have never cared about things being not quite as they seem, as long as they're entertaining. I imagine those who moaned about the bouts being a hippodrome are the equivalent to today's IWC.
The Brooklyn Eagle printed a scathing article on November 14 of that year:
"SO CALLED CHAMPIONSHIP CONTESTS.
There is probably no sport before the public – not even excepting professional billiard playing – in which there has been so much regular ‘hippodroming’ and crookedness practiced as in the wrestling arena within the past two or three years. There has scarcely been an important contest in which the result has not been known beforehand. A system of humbug has been carried on in the form of creating a supposed bitter rivalry between prominent wrestlers, in order to get up an excitement, and matches have been arranged which have been alleged to be for thousands of dollars a side, when not a dollar has been put up on either side, the contest being one for the gate money alone, and that is equally divided, the betting deciding as to which party should win. The men have been found guilty of it and in one case the knavery was publicly exposed out West. But still the people are being gulled by these so-called championship wrestling matches. The latest contest in the wrestling arena was that between Miller and Bauer at Boston last night, in which Miller was defeated, Bauer winning in one fall. The usual $1,000 challenge followed, and another profitable gate money match will be arranged. Pools were sold at Boston on the match, in which Miller was the favorite with those not behind the scores, he being the strongest man and the best wrestler. The fact is nothing has been such a blight on honest sport as the curse of the pool box. It has almost killed professional billiards in the Metropolis; has broken into the healthy life of baseball; driven professional oarsmen out of the arena, and brought odium upon every sport with which it has been connected. But for the pool rooms of Chicago and St. Louis – encouraged by the local press there – there would have been no such crookedness in the Western base ball nines, which recent developments have disclosed.”
Bauer and Miller will both come up in future articles. Especially Miller. So, I just want to take a moment to point out if you didn't check out the Masked Wrestler of Paris bio already then you will not be aware that it was speculated Bauer was the man under the mask. Not only that, but there are records that Bauer owned and wrestled a circus bear also. And as I say, both men's names will undoubtedly be making future appearances in this series of articles.
Also worth noting is Graeco-Roman wrestling did take a dive in popularity around this time and it wouldn't be until William Muldoon held the Graeco-Roman Championship that the interest and the interest started to return. It is my opinion though that the popularity waned not due to the fixed nature (if it was indeed there), but rather because the same match was overplayed. Yes there were stars in other styles, but there were not yet any big names appearing in the Graeco-Roman style to keep the audiences coming back.
Bauer and Miller would actually leave America in 1878 and tour Cuba and South America for some time before returning to the United States where new stars were developing and ultimately new competition to work with or against depending on your perspective. Their last known match together was on February 27, 1880 at the Horticultural Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The time away and then the range of opponents they faced on their return obviously did them good as 1,000 people were in attendance. Miller got the win with two falls to one. Bauer apparently got sick during the second fall.
I think it's important for me to point out at this time that, yes, I am of the opinion these contests were all worked and that Bauer and Miller were two of the most influential showmen in the history of professional wrestling. However, it's equally important that that is only my opinion based on the newspaper reports I have read on both men and what I have read in between the lines in those reports of their bouts.
There is a good chance I am wrong and the gossip of fixing was nothing more than propaganda presented by the newspapers and Olympic Club (originally) for whatever reason. The truth is we'll probably never know one hundred percent either way; after all this is 140 years ago. I hope you feel I have provided enough information to at least have a first thought of whether they were or were not the work fakirs.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Fakirs At Work: Chapter Two.
Authors: Harry Grover.
Published: August 9, 2014.
Article: #46.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Fakirs At Work: Chapter Two.
Authors: Harry Grover.
Published: August 9, 2014.
Article: #46.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Fakirs At Work: Chapter Three - Read Here.
Fakirs At Work: Chapter One - Read Here.
Other articles by Jimmy can be Read Here.