The Anaconda Standard

PASCOE WON THE MATCH
An Interesting Wrestling Contest Early This Morning

DOWNED THE MICHIGANDER
The Milwaukee Beer Hall the Scene of Excitement--Joseph Jefford Badly Bested--Betting Four to One.

BUTTE, July 19.--Of all the matches that James Pascoe has ever wrestled and won he never engaged in a harder one than that which was awarded to him by Referee Nichols at 12:50 o'clock this morning. For an opponent Pascoe had Joseph Jefford, the young Michigander, who gave the old veteran all he could do and at times just a trifle more. The match took place at the Milwaukee Beer hall and it was exactly seven minutes past 9 o'clock when time was called for the first hitch. For 37 minutes they pulled and twisted at one another's jackets and then the hitch ended because Pascoe's jacket slipped over his head. A rest of two minutes was allowed between the hitches and at the second call of time both were ready to begin the struggle once more. In seven minutes the hitch ended with a turn for Jefford. Two more hitches ended in the same manner and Pascoe began to look fagged. For once he had found a man who could break his wonderful grip holds and as far as strength is concerned could handle him about as he pleased. Pascoe, however, did not appear to be alarmed and wore the same silent and sad look that he always assumes in the ring. At 10:10 time was called for the fifth hitch and in this Jefford scored his first fall by a neat body hold and back crook. The hitch lasted only four minutes. Betting, which up to this time had been even, now became livelier as the Jefford men were offering odds of four to three and found plenty of takers in former backers of Pascoe, who had never yet lost on their favorite. A rest of 10 minutes was allowed and time was called for the second bout. Pascoe, who all along had been on the defensive, continued his tactics and was evidently playing a waiting game, in which he showed good sense and judgment as he was lighter by about 15 pounds than his antagonist, and also considerably inferior in strength. Fourteen hitches followed and honors were about evenly divided, each scoring about the same number of turns. Several times Pascoe saved himself when in a tight place by adroitly slipping out of his jacket just in the nick of time. Some of the spectators manifested their displeasure at this by hissing, but the sad man paid no attention to the crowd. He was there to win the match and to do his best regardless of what the crowd thought or did. In this he was different from Jefford, who allowed cheers and encouraging yells from the spectators to urge him on to much needless hard work and many useless efforts, by which he lessened his strength to the advantage of his opponent. In the fourteenth hitch Pascoe secured his first fall by cleverly giving Jefford the toe and flopped him on his back in the sawdust. The Jefford men, who up to this time had been shaking money in every one's face, now became less demonstrative and would not bet at all, although bantered by the adherents of Pascoe to put some more of their bloody money even. Even more quiet did the admirers of the Michigan boy become when they noticed that he showed signs of distress and failing strength. To add to their sorrow he became sick at the stomach on account of the large quantities of water that he had been drinking between hitches. His second gave him salt, bromo-caffeine and other stimulants, but it was too late. He had loaded his stomach too heavily. Nine more hitches followed and the match ended in favor of Pascoe, whose generalship and rare good judgment had carried him through against great odds, as not only Jefford was much stronger and larger than he, but he also showed great science and skill. Had he pursued the same tactics that Pascoe did the end might have been the other way. As it was, he did not know how to wait, but depended entirely upon his greater strength for success, and there he made a serious mistake. Including rests the match lasted three hours and three minutes, and was the most exciting and also the squarest athletic contest ever witnessed in the city. Peter Tague, who backed Jefford and also acted as his second, at the end of the match offered to back his man again for another contest with Pascoe, to take place in three weeks. Pascoe was too tired to make another match then and said nothing to the challenge. It is barely possible that he may consent to meet the "kid" again, but it is quite improbable, as the odds he had to contend with to-night may make him chary of trying it a second time.