A Solid Man To A "Real" Solid Muldoon
A Comedy, A Hoax and A Professional Wrestling Superstar
#PWHS #Article #SolidMan #Muldoon #PTBarnum #GreatestShowman
December 28, 1921 - Washington Herald
The story of William Muldoon is one of the most misleading and misunderstood of all the early North American professional wrestlers. Sure there are guys like Colonel James Hiram McLaughlin, Frank Gotch or Homer Lane where there are huge gaps in their lives that need to be filled in or even small portions of their lives which have been embellished over the years. Not to forget that for all wrestlers prior to the 1921 alliance of the Gold Dust Trio (Sandow, Mondt and Lewis) there is that ever present question of, "Were their matches legitimate or not?"
Muldoon though, he isn't just on a different mat, he is in a completely other gymnasium. There are two dates for his day of birth, dates that are exactly seven years apart. Which leads to the question of was he a soldier during the Civil War or just a drummer boy? Was he really taught Graeco-Roman wrestling on the front lines of the Franco-Prussian war where he'd enlisted to help the French troops? How many times did he win the American (often called "World") Graeco-Roman Championship? What really was his role as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission? Were he and Professor William Miller really arch enemies? What about he and Clarence Whistler?
The list of questions about his life are immense, I am sure I missed off many in that above selection of them. Most of them are probably never going to be answered, only speculated upon with more and more evidence amounting for one side or another. Before I move on to the question that I can answer today, I will give a run down of the above.
His D.O.B. and Civil War Status
Muldoon himself claimed to be born in the year 1845. While no birth certificate has ever materialized for this, evidence has been found which strongly leans towards him being a "Drummer Boy" in the Civil War. That would mean the 1852 date which is believed to be his real year of birth is more likely and also answers the question of in what capacity he was active during the Civil War.
With the 1845 date being believed to be true it would mean he learnt how to wrestle their initially, rather than beating other soldiers as stated in later biographies of Muldoon. Until his deathbed though, Muldoon told the story that he was born in 1845.
The Franco-Prussian War
There is no evidence to suggest his trip to the front lines did not happen, for whatever reason in my gut I remain skeptical of the matter though. If he did go, there is no reason that he did not learn Graeco-Roman while there.
The American/World Graeco-Roman Championship
In later biographies it is claimed that Muldoon won a "Gold Maltese Star" by defeating Emil Heygster and Professor Thiebaud Bauer during 1877 at Baltimore, Maryland. The medal is said to represent the "World Championship." There is absolutely no evidence to suggest this match actually took place.
No newspaper listings at the time at all. Bauer did travel to Batlimore in November 1877, but it was to wrestle with Professor William Miller, the man he had been touring with for two years by that point. Miller won their match for the "American Championship." It is also worth baring in mind that Muldoon was a member of the New York police force during this time.
On January 19, 1880 William Muldoon did indeed win a match billed as for the "World Graeco-Roman Championship." In it he defeated Bauer. That is the first verified championship victory for the Belfast, New York born wrestler.
When he lost the title I do not know, but he did lose that title. For on December 29, 1883 Muldoon defeated Bauer once again to regain the "World Graeco-Roman Championship." He would not lose the title again only relinquish it to his protege, Ernest Rober in late 1891.
William Miller and Clarence Whistler
I really could only speculate on this with nothing but circumstantial evidence at best to support the theory they were all good friends. If you're interesting in reading about them though, I believe I covered the two stories in a series of articles called "Fakirs at Work."
Muldoon though, he isn't just on a different mat, he is in a completely other gymnasium. There are two dates for his day of birth, dates that are exactly seven years apart. Which leads to the question of was he a soldier during the Civil War or just a drummer boy? Was he really taught Graeco-Roman wrestling on the front lines of the Franco-Prussian war where he'd enlisted to help the French troops? How many times did he win the American (often called "World") Graeco-Roman Championship? What really was his role as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission? Were he and Professor William Miller really arch enemies? What about he and Clarence Whistler?
The list of questions about his life are immense, I am sure I missed off many in that above selection of them. Most of them are probably never going to be answered, only speculated upon with more and more evidence amounting for one side or another. Before I move on to the question that I can answer today, I will give a run down of the above.
His D.O.B. and Civil War Status
Muldoon himself claimed to be born in the year 1845. While no birth certificate has ever materialized for this, evidence has been found which strongly leans towards him being a "Drummer Boy" in the Civil War. That would mean the 1852 date which is believed to be his real year of birth is more likely and also answers the question of in what capacity he was active during the Civil War.
With the 1845 date being believed to be true it would mean he learnt how to wrestle their initially, rather than beating other soldiers as stated in later biographies of Muldoon. Until his deathbed though, Muldoon told the story that he was born in 1845.
The Franco-Prussian War
There is no evidence to suggest his trip to the front lines did not happen, for whatever reason in my gut I remain skeptical of the matter though. If he did go, there is no reason that he did not learn Graeco-Roman while there.
The American/World Graeco-Roman Championship
In later biographies it is claimed that Muldoon won a "Gold Maltese Star" by defeating Emil Heygster and Professor Thiebaud Bauer during 1877 at Baltimore, Maryland. The medal is said to represent the "World Championship." There is absolutely no evidence to suggest this match actually took place.
No newspaper listings at the time at all. Bauer did travel to Batlimore in November 1877, but it was to wrestle with Professor William Miller, the man he had been touring with for two years by that point. Miller won their match for the "American Championship." It is also worth baring in mind that Muldoon was a member of the New York police force during this time.
On January 19, 1880 William Muldoon did indeed win a match billed as for the "World Graeco-Roman Championship." In it he defeated Bauer. That is the first verified championship victory for the Belfast, New York born wrestler.
When he lost the title I do not know, but he did lose that title. For on December 29, 1883 Muldoon defeated Bauer once again to regain the "World Graeco-Roman Championship." He would not lose the title again only relinquish it to his protege, Ernest Rober in late 1891.
William Miller and Clarence Whistler
I really could only speculate on this with nothing but circumstantial evidence at best to support the theory they were all good friends. If you're interesting in reading about them though, I believe I covered the two stories in a series of articles called "Fakirs at Work."
On with the Article: The Song and the Character
"A Solid Muldoon" or "A Solid Man." Both were acceptable terms in the late 19th century. One a very positive term, the other, let's just say it had positive and negative qualities. We'll start with the song.
One of the most famous "comedy double acts" in the 1870s was consisted of Edward "Ned" Harrigan and Anthony "Tony Hart" Cannon. The two wrote and performed sketches and songs together to the greatest of success. To put their fame into perspective, they were the Laurel and Hardy of their day. With many songs that would be imitated, copied, rewrote, and performed time-and-time again for decades to come.
Perhaps none of the acts the two men put together would be as famous or as long lived as "Muldoon, the Solid Man." It was composed by Harrigan in 1874 and first performed in the early part of March that year. A version of it was re-recorded in the 1980s over 100 years later with various versions still available to listen to on YouTube to this day.
What I have already ruled out there is the possibility that Harrigan named the song after William Muldoon, the wrestler. The first known usage of the name in association with the wrestler actually came in early 1878 and it was not in a flattering manner, although it would later come to be.
As with all Harrigan and Hart the song was poking fun at someone, the Irish were a normal target for them, mainly because they both had Irish blood in them. Harrigan did have a looser connection than Hart to his Irish ancestors though. They were not intended to be malicious, just a joke to help get through the day, much in the same way they made comedy sketches about the ongoing feuds between the Irish and German immigrants which made up a large portion of the New York populace, in an effort to ease tensions.
The sketch which "Muldoon, the Solid Man" appeared in was called, "Who Owns the Clothes Line" and is said to be about two Irish women and their husbands and some kind of dispute over a communal washing line. Other songs featured in it were "The Old Hat," "The Bard of Armagh," and "Whisky you're the Devil." The New York Public Library has actually preserved a copy of the music sheet of the song we're interested in and you'll no doubt have noticed I have included that just above so you can read the lyrics. If you can read sheet music, maybe you'd like to play it too.
A "Solid Man" was a term used very much like when we'd say someone is a "Stand-up guy." A man who is tough minded, or physically, straight forward, and even though hey may not act always within the realms of the law, he is respected as he'd do what is right for people who mattered to him. During the 1870s the term "Solid Man" was often given to a politician who fit the above description.
Harrigan played off of the idea that a "Solid Man" also may not be the brightest of all the men on the face of the planet. Some what of a braggart too. Audiences ate it up. Eventually a whole Muldoon clan would be added to the Harrigan and Hart act. Other comedians would also invent their own Muldoon members or stories for the original to get himself into mischief such as Bryan O'Lynn throughout 1877 who papers reported captured the character of Harrigan's Muldoon perfectly.
The Hoax
Just a week into October 1877 a discovery in Colorado received print in newspapers across the nation. A giant of a man was found at a place now known as "Muldoon" in the state. Early on it was dubbed the "Solid Muldoon." Why? Well, it's not stated in the newspapers, but this one I feel I can have a pretty good stab at as to why it was called so.
Within a week most people aware of the find were convinced that it was a hoax. It had initially been dubbed the "Prehistoric Man" and said to be a fossil of an ancient huge human being. Quickly dismissed by experts it was then said to be some kind of clay built monument. Still people just were not buying it. By the end of the month, hardly anyone was buying it as a legitimate find. Within four months the creators of the hoax had come forward.
What first clued journalists and others in on the fact that whole discovery was farcical was the fact that Phineas T. Barnum, the man who gave the world the much more famous Cardiff Giant deception to the world several years prior, just happened to be in Colorado at a ranch nearby so he could come straight to the site of the find and offer $20,000 to purchase it there and then.
He took it back to his New York museum and positioned it on display with the rest of his oddities and supposed natural wonders. The term "Solid Muldoon" was used infrequently to stereotype someone as being like the Harrigan character. A derogatory version of the "Solid Man" term. It is for that reason I have no doubt it was dubbed the "Solid Muldoon" as it was only the dimwitted who would fool for the alleged ancient "Solid Man."
The Wrestler
We've already spoken a fair bit about him. It has been claimed that both the song, already disproved, and the creation of Barnum were named after William Muldoon. As already stated there is nothing to suggest he was referred to as the "Solid Man" prior to 1878. Plus even if he was, his name was not nationally known nor was it that big of a name outside of his precinct in New York City where he was a patrolman for the N.Y.P.D.
The first reference I've actually seen for Muldoon being called a "Solid Man" was actually in a report of a fight between he and William Miller where it is said, Muldoon "clearly is not that much of a solid man,' due to finding himself on the losing end of the fight. Even though he had been jumped.
It was actually not a name he was referred to as all the time during his career. Yes, he did get referred to as it off and on, but it was when he took up his health farm following retirement that the name became ever more associated with him. This was mainly because of his remarkable physique, stamina and overall good health for a man of his age. He lived right up until 1933, a fair feat for someone in that day and age.
There is no doubt that in part Muldoon first referred to himself as the solid man due to the Harrigan song. With a tour going on by O'Lynn in 1877 and the popularity of the character again reaching great heights in late 1877 due to the "Solid Muldoon" Barnum attraction, also featuring new performances by Harrigan himself of other Muldoon family members, William, the wrestler would have known of and possibly even liked the song.
Given the circles he traveled he may have even met Harrigan, Hart, O'Lynn or another performer who took the act on in their repertoire. Then you take into consideration that he was entering into the world of professional wrestling surrounded by the sensational showmen known as Thiebaud Bauer, William Miller, Emil Regnier, Andre Christol, and others, the adoption of an already popular name that contained his own real name, and to a point fitted his honest, respected, and likable demeanor, then in the fact he had Irish parents, well, he would have had to have been a real "Solid Muldoon" not to see the benefits of being the real life "Muldoon, the Solid Man."
However he came about to be referred to by that name and to latch on to it over the years making it his own, claiming to have had songs named after him and ancient relics too, phony or otherwise, what is for certain is the wrestler was the last of the three to adopt "Solid Man" name.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
A Solid Man to a "Real" Solid Muldoon.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: September 24, 2016.
Article: #154.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
A Solid Man to a "Real" Solid Muldoon.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: September 24, 2016.
Article: #154.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other articles by Jimmy can be Read Here.