Indiana, United States of America: 1898
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january 1898
JANUARY 1, 1898 (SATURDAY)
Wayne Club, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Two out of Three Falls
Joe Acton (of Toledo) def. Joe Freesh/Trasch (of Auburn),
Two Falls to (F1 00:08:50 - F2 00:14:32 - C 00:23:22)
Note:
Also finished Acton giving a demonstration with bar bells and a blackened glove contest.
JANUARY 3, 1898 (MONDAY)
Empire Theater, Indianapolis, Indiana
Referee: Mr. Bowser
1 - Indiana Welterweight Championship - Two out of Three Falls
Sam Marburger def. Herbert Hale (c),
Two Falls to None (F1 00:57:00 - F2 00:07:00 - C 01:04:00)
JANUARY 8, 1898 (SATURDAY)
Wayne Club, Fort Wayne, Indiana
AttendancE: 100
1 - Joe Acton Vs. Ed Wefel,
Result Unknown
2 - White/Black Gloved Boxing
Joe Acton Vs. Wallace,
Draw (Three Rounds)
Note:
In match 2 Wallace (a black man) wore blackened gloves and Acton wore gloves coated in white flour. By the end of the contest "it was impossible to tell which was the black and which was the white man."
Featured other boxing bouts.
JANUARY 12, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Opera House, Martinsville, Indiana
Attendance: "Large"
1 - Handicap - Ward to Throw Five Men in Sixty Minutes
Charles Ward def. William Boaz, Fred Lasch, Charles Jones, Wed Dent & Cliff Schnalter
(BZ 00:00:45 - FL 00:04:00 - CJ 00:04:00 - WD 00:11:00 - CS 00:13:00 - C 00:32:45)
JANUARY 14, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Fort Wayne Atletic Club, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Catch-as-Catch-Can
Professor Loveless Vs. "Hank" West,
Result Unknown
Notes:
Primarily a boxing show, but featured fencing too. Joe Acton lifted a 150lb dumbbell and two men off of the floor.
The wrestling match will be described hold-by-hold to the audience.
JANUARY 19, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Benefit for Joe Acton
Jackson's Hall, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Referee: Herbert Hale
1 - Two out of Three Falls
Joe Acton def. Trasch/Al Fruch,
Two Falls to None (F1 01:00:52 - F2 00:05:00 - C 01:05:52)
Note:
Also featured boxing.
JANUARY 27, 1898 (THURSDAY)
Ladies Night
Fort Wayne Athletic Association, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Referee: Ross McCulloch
1 - Tracsh Vs. Kent,
Draw (00:12:00)
Note:
Also featured other sports and athletics.
JANUARY 29, 1898 (SATURDAY)
Hungtington, Indiana
1 - Joe Acton Vs. "A Canadian Champion",
Result Unknown
february 1898
FEBRUARY 3, 1898 (THURSDAY)
Grand Opera House, Indianapolis, Indiana
Referee: Georg Catterson
SecondS: George Fox and Al Roberts (Gehle) & Ted Railnback and Joe Haspwell (Murbarger)
1 - Ohio & Indiana Middleweight Championship - Two out of Three Falls
Sam Murbarger (of Indianapolis) (c-IMC) def. Frank Gehle (of Piqua) (c-OMC),
Two Falls to One (F1 00:28:00 - F2 00:15:00 - F3 00:17:00 - C 01:00:00) NEW CHAMPION
Note:
Following the contest Murbarger stated he would return to the welterweight class for a year.
FEBRUARY 4, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Promotion: Fort Wayne Athletic Club
FWAC Hall, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Attendance "Largest to Attend an Event by the FWAC"
Referees: Geo. Brown (M2) & Joe Acton (M3)
Seconds: Elwood George, Herbert Hale and Bicknese (Kramer) & Joe Acton, Harry Kennedy & R.L. Gibbs (Treech) & Ed Gaffney (Hale) & Elwood George (West)
1 - Fencing
Prof. Loveless Vs. Prof. Toussaint,
Result Unknown
2 - Boxing
John Kramer "the Eastern Kid" (of Cincinnati) Vs. Almon Treech (of Auburn),
Time-Limit - Kramer Failed to Knockout Treesh
3 - Indiana Catch-Weight Championship - Two out of Three Falls
Herbert Hale (of Fort Wayne via Indianapolis) (c) def. Henry/"Hank" West (of Auburn),
Two Falls to None (F1 00:09:52 - F2 00:02:13 - C 00:12:09)
Note:
Also featured another boxing match, Henry Singer the strongman and a contortionist.
The fencing is not mentioned in the write up.
FEBRUARY 9, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Basketball: Indianapolis Vs. Crawfordsville
Y.M.C.A. Gymnasium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Tickets: $0.15
Referee: Professor Zink
1 - Y.M.C.A. Lightweight Championship
John Dyer Vs. Charles Moore,
Draw
Note:
The match was staged in the intermission between the two halves of basketball.
FEBRUARY 12, 1898 (SATURDAY)
Benefit for Henry Singer, the Stong Man
Jackson's Hall, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Boxing
Herb Hale Vs. John Cramer "the Eastern Kid",
Result Unknown
2 - Acton Vs. Treesch,
Result Unknown
Notes:
Also featured Singer performing feats of strength and other entertainment.
FEBRUARY 16, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Columbia City, Indiana
"A glove contest for points and a wrestling match had bee arranged between Acton, of Cleveland, and Hale, of Indianapolis, but was forbidden by Mayor James M. Harrison. The mayor declares that glove contests cause a peverted spirit of emulation in the young, and that so long as he has the power to prevent them nothing of the kind shall be permitted in the city." - Huntington Daily News-Democrat
FEBRUARY 22, 1898 (TUESDAY)
Wrestling Tournament to Become Number One Contendor for the Indiana Catch-weight Championship: Opening Day
Promotion: Fort Wayne Athletic Club
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Notes:
This is the opening day of the tournament which concludes on February 26, 1898.
Teilnehmer / Particpants:
Eddie Barr (World Middleweight Champion),
Charles Woodman (World Lightweight Graeco-Roman Champion),
Harvey Parker (of Pennsylvania),
George Baptiste (of St. Louis).
FEBRUARY 24, 1898 (THURSDAY)
Wrestling Tournament to Become Number One Contendor for the Indiana Catch-weight Championship: Penultimate Day
Promotion: Fort Wayne Athletic Club
Fort Wayne, Indiana
FEBRUARY 25, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Third Athletic Exhibition
Promotion: Fort Wayne Athletic Club
FWAC Gymnasium, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Fort Wayne Championship
Eugene Kent Vs. Howard Buskirk,
Draw (00:20:00)
Notes:
Primarily a boxing show.
Non tournament.
FEBRUARY 26, 1898 (SATURDAY)
Wrestling Tournament to Become Number One Contendor for the Indiana Catch-weight Championship: Final Day
Promotion: Fort Wayne Athletic Club
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Notes:
This is the closing day of the tournament which started on February 22, 1898.
These two matches were scheduled to take place over the course of the tournament:
1 - Harvey Parker Vs. Herbert Hale,
Result Unknown
2 - Handicap - Baptiste to Throw Hale Three Times in Sixty Minutes
George Baptiste Vs. Herbert Hale,
Result Unknown
Note:
No further information.
march 1898
MARCH 1, 1898 (TUESDAY)
Athletic Carnival
Auburn, Indiana
Referee: Mr. A.P. Most
Seconds: Elwood George and Herbert Hale (Tresch) & "Eastern Kid" and Hank West (Saunders)
1 - Herbert Hale Vs. Prof. Loveless,
Result Unknown
2 - Almon Tresch (of Auburn) def. "Happy" Jack Saunders (of Waterloo),
Technical Knockout
MARCH 2, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Basketball: St. Louis YMCA Vs. Indianapolis YMCA
YMCA, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Sam Murbarger def. Ben Farlee,
Five Falls to None (00:15:00)
Note:
The match was billed to be staged during the intermission between halves of the basketball game. The write-up states it took place after the game.
MARCH 4, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Benefit for the Fort Wayne Baseball Management
Promotion: Fort Wayne Athletic Club
Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Catch-as-Catch-Can
Herb. Hale Vs. Al Treesch,
Result Unknown
Note:
Primarily a boxing show.
MARCH 7, 1898 (MONDAY)
Promoter: Homer Selby
Tomlinson Hall, Indianapolis, Indiana
Featuring boxing and wrestling.
MARCH 11, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Princess Rink, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Herbert Hale Vs. Harvey Parker,
Result Unknown
Notes:
Primarily a boxing show.
It's possible the wrestling match was never actually fully booked.
MARCH 14, 1898 (MONDAY)
Columbia Hall, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Two out of Three Falls4147
Len Zaiser def. Fred Young,
Two Falls to None (F1 00:32:00 - F2 00:07:00 - C 00:39:00)
MARCH 15, 1898 (TUESDAY)
Grand Opera House, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Indiana & Ohio Welterweight Catch-as-Catch-Can Championship - Two out of Three Falls
Sam Murbarger Vs. Elmer Woodmansee,
Result Unknown
Notes:
This was the new date set to avoid the cake-walk.
MARCH 16, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Grand Opera House, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Indiana & Ohio Welterweight Catch-as-Catch-Can Championship - Two out of Three Falls
Murbarger Vs. Woodmansee,
Re-arranged
Note:
A cake-walk was already scheduled for this day in Tomlinson Hall.
MARCH 18, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Billy Madden's Athletic Co.
Empire, Indianapolis, Indiana
Featuring Gus Ruhlin and Jim Daly in boxing and wrestling.
MARCH 26, 1898 (SATURDAY)
Promotion: Fort Wayne Athletic Club
FWAC, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Attendance: "Too Small"
1 - Illustrated Catch-as-Catch-Can
Herbert Hale def. Prof. Loveless
(00:15:00)
Notes:
Primarily a boxing show.
The main boxing bout did not take place due to the attendance.
april 1898
APRIL 1, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Fort Wayne Athletic Club Rooms, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Attendance: "Small"
1 - World [Middleweight] Mixed Style (Catch-as-Catch-Can/Graeco-Roman) Championship
Herb Hale def. Elmer Woodmansee (of Cincinnati)
(F1 00:10:30 - F2 00:20:00 - F3 00:12:00 - C 00:42:30)
Notes:
Who, if either, were the champion going in, it is not stated. No mention of this being a title match is made in the write-ups though.
Also featured boxing.
Anderson, Indiana
Attendance: "Big"
1 - Two out of Three Falls
Sam Murbager def. William Sapp
Two Falls to None (F1 00:21:00 - F2 00:08:00 - C 00:29:00)
APRIL 2, 1898 (SATURDAY)
Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Handicap - Barr to Throw Hale Three Times in Sixty Minutes
Eddie Barr Vs. Herb Hale,
Result Unknown
Notes:
Barr is listed as the World Middleweight Champion.
This match may actually have never been booked.
APRIL 12, 1898 (TUESDAY)
Second Athletic Carnival
Auburn, Indiana
1 - Handicap - West to Throw Hale Twice in Sixty Minutes
Henry West def. Herbert Hale
Two Falls Secured (00:08:00)
Note:
Also featured sparring and other athletics and sports including an exhibition by Prof. Loveless.
APRIL 20, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Wrestling Carnival
Anderson, Indiana
APRIL 22, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Grand Opera House, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: "Not Large"
1 - Two out of Three Falls
Samuel Murbarger (of Indianapolis) def. J.L. Snyder (of St. Paul)
Two Falls to None (F1 00:40:00 - F2 00:22:30 - C 01:02:30)
may 1898
MAY 5, 1898 (THURSDAY)
Grand Exhibition
Promoters: The Turners
Lyceum Theater, New Albany, Indiana
Featuring wrestling, fencing and apparatus work.
MAY 18, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Grand Opera House, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: "Several Hundred"
1 - 158lbs
Sam Murbarger (of Indianapolis) Vs. Frank Gehle (of Piqua, O.),
Time-Limit Draw (02:00:00)
MAY 20, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Benefit for Herbert Hale
Attendance: "Fair Sized"
Fort Wayne Athletic Club, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Hale Vs. Acton,
Result Unknown
Notes:
Featured a battle royal (boxing or wrestling is not stated), boxing and an exhibition by Prof. Loveless with dumbbell swinging
june 1898
JUNE 1, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Garrett, Indiana
Attendance: "Large"
1 - Northern Indiana Heavyweight Championship
D.W. Linville (of Garrett) def. Herbert Lane (of Indianapolis) (c)
NEW CHAMPION
Note:
Three falls were completed.
july 1898
JULY 20, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
34 East Columbia, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Joe Acton (of Fort Wayne) Vs. "An Unknown",
Result Unknown
JULY 27, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Park Theater, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Sam Murbarger Vs. ????,
Result Unknown
Notes:
Also featured boxing.
Possibly Murbarger was to wrestle Charles Ward
August 1898
AUGUST 10, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
All-Night Smoker
Park Theater, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: "Crowded"
1 - Two out of Three Falls
Sam Murbarger (of Indianapolis) def. Snyder (of St. Paul),
Two Falls to One
Note:
Featured boxing as well as a full entertainment program
september 1898
SEPTEMBER 6, 1898 (TUESDAY)
24 East Columbia Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Joe Acton Vs. Herb Hale,
Postponed
Note:
The agreed up-on referee was unable to be present hence why it was postponed until September 10, 1898.
SEPTEMBER 10, 1898 (SATURDAY)
24 East Columbia Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Joe Acton Vs. Herb Hale,
Result Unknown
SEPTEMBER 6, 1898 (TUESDAY)
24 East Columbia Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Joe Acton Vs. Herb Hale,
Postponed
Note:
The agreed up-on referee was unable to be present hence why it was postponed until September 10, 1898.
SEPTEMBER 10, 1898 (SATURDAY)
24 East Columbia Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana
1 - Joe Acton Vs. Herb Hale,
Result Unknown
october 1898
OCTOBER 24, 1898 (MONDAY)
YMCA Basketball: Colts Vs. Vets
New YMCA Gymnasium, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Member of the Twenty-Eighth Battery Vs. An Association Wrestler,
Result Unknown
OCTOBER 28, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Fort Wayne Athletic Club, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Attendance: "Not Largely Attendaed"
Referee: Charlie DeRome
1 - Two out of Three Falls
Harvey Parker Vs. Herbert Hale (of Indianapolis),
Two Falls to None (F1 00:16:00 - F2 00:06:00 - C 00:12:00)
Notes:
Parker is listed as the World Lightweight Champion.
Was to feature boxing also but Supt. Gorsline forbade it.
Parker left the next morning for Indianapolis to try and get a bout with "Murbarger, the so-called champion of the state."
november 1898
NOVEMBER 17, 1898 (THURSDAY)
Empire Theater, Indianapolis, Indiana
Referee: Tom Cannon
1 - Catch-as-Catch-Can
Sam Murbarger (of Indianapolis) Vs. Harvey Parker (of Erie, Penn.)
Draw (04:30:00)
Note:
It was stated that it'd be cruel to keep the men on any longer.
NOVEMBER 19, 1898 (SATURDAY)
Empire Theater, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Mixed Styles (Graeco-Roman/Catch-as-Catch-Can) - Two out of Three Falls
Tom Jenkins def. Tom Cannon,
Two Falls to One
NOVEMBER 23, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Battery Boys' Armory, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Harvey Parker def. Al Roberts
(00:27:00)
Note:
Roberts declined a second fall
december 1898
DECEMBER 9, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Indianapolis, Indiana
"A number of people watched Parker's 'Unknown' work out...The man, whose identity has been kept under cover, wrestled three men in thirty minutes, and was at work all of the time." - Indianapolis News
DECEMBER 14, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Tomlinson Hall, Indianapolis, Indiana
Tickets: $0.15, $0.25, $0.50 & $0.75
Referee: Jack Rush
1 - Catch-as-Catch-Can - 153lbs - Two out of Three Falls
"Harvey Parker's Unknown" def. Sam Murbarger (of Indianapolis),
Two Falls to None (F1 00:08:00 - F2 00:35:00 - C 00:43:00)
Notes:
It was revealed in the Indianapolis News on the day of the match that the "Unknown" was Ed Adamson of Chicago.
During the intermission between falls, Hali Adali and Duncan Ross were introduced to the spectators in preparation of their match the following night.
DECEMBER 15, 1898 (THURSDAY)
Promoter: Colonel Jim Fennessy
Empire Theater, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: "Large"
Tickets: $0.25, $0.50, $0.75 & $1.00
Announcer: Colonel Jim Fennessy
Referee: Ed Adamson
1 - Mixed Styles (Graeco-Roman/Collar & Elbow/Catch-as-Catch-Can) - Two out of Three Falls
Hali Adali "the Terrible Turk" def. Duncan Ross,
Two Falls to One (F1 00:04:00 - F2 00:03:30 - F3 00:05:00 - C 00:12:30)
DECEMBER 23, 1898 (FRIDAY)
Twentieth Century Club, Mishawaka, Indiana
1 - Catch-as-Catch-Can - Two out of Three Falls
Al Zimmerman Vs. Thomas Quinn,
Result Unknown
Notes:
Zimmerman is listed as the Western Catch-as-Catch-Can Champion.
Quinn is listed as the Pacific Coast Catch-Catch-Can Champion.
DECEMBER 28, 1898 (WEDNESDAY)
Rushville, Indiana
Referee: Billy Lotz
1 - Two out of Three Falls
Sam Murbarger (of Indianapolis) def. Tom Sullivan (of Rochester, N.Y.),
Two Falls to One (F1 00:10:00 - F2 00:05:30 - F3 00:12:00 - C 00:27:30)
Basketball: New Albany Vs. Indianapolis YMCA
YMCA, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 - Ben Farlee Vs. Judson Mahevin/Mahurin,
Draw
Notes:
Also featured a cake walk.
The wrestling was after the basketball.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
All research has been completed by the Professional Wrestling Historical Society or by a trusted contributor.
Information came from contemporary newspapers unless otherwise stated.
Results from Indiana, United States of America: 1898.
Updated: June 3, 2020.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
All research has been completed by the Professional Wrestling Historical Society or by a trusted contributor.
Information came from contemporary newspapers unless otherwise stated.
Results from Indiana, United States of America: 1898.
Updated: June 3, 2020.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
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