Alldrede is Defeated

Jas. H. Alldredge of Leon was defeated by "Doc" Fillmore of Rockford, Illinois, at the Mirror Theatre in Des Moines, Friday night of last week. The Des Moines Daily Capital has the following to say of the match:

"Doc" Fillmore of Rockford, Ill. conquered the Iowa wonder last night in a wrestling match. The match was to have gone to the winner of the three out of five falls, but Aldredge after the second fall, which he won, became sick and after going one more bout which Fillmore won, threw up the sponge.

The first bout lasted eighteen minutes and was nearly all play, neither man doing much but watch the other. Fillmore took the aggressive throughout the entire match and won the first bout by breaking the Iowan's head bridge and forced his shoulders to the floor.

The second bout was not quite so long, but there was more action in it. Alldredge won this bout in five minutes on a half Nelson. After this second bout was when Alldredge began to show signs of weaking though the man was in no condition to go into this match in the first place. He was fat and his lungs were in a poor condition on account of a bad cold. The third bout was easily Fillmore's; in two minutes it was over and the announcement was made that Alldredge would give the match to Fillmore as he was unable to do any more.

The audience did not seem to like this turn of affairs and made the fact immediately known, therefore it was up to some one to square it with them. Alldredge immediately came to the front of the stage and said: "Gentlemen, I am in no condition to go any farther in this match, so I must be excused. I have done no training for the past month and was totally unprepared for this match, but I am willing to meet Mr. Fillmore in four weeks from today at any place he may choose and I feel confident that the match will run to its full limit and I will give him all he is looking for. I thank you for the support you have given me this evening and hope to be able to arrange a match with Mr. Fillmore for some time next month."

"Doc" Fillmore then came forward and gave his challenge to any man his weight in the world, bar no one, for any amount forfeit they name. In reply to some remark made in the audience he said: "Mr. Alldredge is a good man. In fact he is much better than I thought he would be, but I knew he was not in the proper condition when he first stepped on the mat. There are now two challenges waiting for me in this city and the first man to put up his forfeit money will be the first to get a match. I will take on any wrestler my weight, bar none. Burns, McLeod, Jenkins or any other wrestler, I do not care how good he is. I am very sorry this match could not go the limit, but if my opponent cannot stand any more I am willing to let it go at that."

Item from Leon, Iowa, scrapbook, page 56, found at this link.