The Wrestling Match That Ended in a Near-Riot
A high-stakes wrestling bout at Turner Hall descended into chaos when the Japanese contestant collapsed, leaving the crowd baying for answers.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The wrestling match between the Japanese wrestler and the white contestant began at 8 o'clock. By 9 o'clock all the doors were locked and the crowd was pouring in, until there were fully 1,500 people to take chairs. The Japanese wrestler, Matsada, was the first to mount the stage; he was followed by his opponent, Paddy Maher. The conditions of the match were as follows: Japanese style, two falls to three, for a purse. Referee McCann said, 'This is a Japanese-Roman match, best two out of three, no holds below the waist allowed and two shoulders constitute a fall.' The match commenced; the Jap at once got a body hold, but the Victorian was too quick, and in an instant, Matsada was thrown upon his two shoulders. The Jap, with a mighty effort, bridged, and despite the herculean efforts of the white man to break the bridge, managed to wiggle out. The Jap had been coughing all the time during this bout, and the canvas was stained with blood that came from his mouth. Later, the tall white man seized him with a full cross-buttock hold, picked him bodily from the floor, and threw him down head-first. His head struck, and he made no effort to bridge. At the expiration of the ten minutes allowed between bouts, Matsada did not appear. Dr. J.H.M. Smart announced: 'I have just examined the Jap and find that he is not in a condition to wrestle.' 'Humbug,' 'Fake,' were the cries that went up from every part of the house. Paddy Maher stepped forward and claimed the match, saying, 'I can throw him when he is well for any money, and I have money to back what I say.'
“The Jap had been coughing all the time during this bout, and the canvas was stained with blood that came from his mouth.”
Turner Hall was a cornerstone of Seattle's social and athletic life in the late 19th century, a venue where the city's diverse and growing immigrant communities gathered for entertainment. Today, Pioneer Square retains the same high-energy, rowdy spirit of spectator sports, though the venues for wrestling and boxing have migrated to modern arenas and bars.
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