100 years ago in Spokane: Champion wrestler goes to the mat with police

From our archives,

100 years ago

Frank Glahe, a 115-pound American amateur champion wrestler, had to apologize to several police officers for an impromptu wrestling bout the night before.

Officer W.G. “Happy” Davis was riding home on a streetcar when he saw what appeared to be a lifeless man lying on the street at Washington Street and Sharp Avenue. Davis went over to help, because he thought the man had been hit by an automobile.

He had not. Glahe had apparently been “mistreated by a mob” and thrown from a streetcar a few minutes earlier. He was dazed.

Glahe awoke to find Davis, a 225-pound man, standing over him, and Glahe sprung into action. He began employing some expert wrestling holds on the officer. After a “lively contest,” Davis was finally able to assert his 90-pound weight advantage and sit on top of Glahe until the patrol wagon showed up.

When the other officers arrived, Glahe was still a bit confused about what was going on, so he grabbed policeman James Kenevan, a 200-pounder, and spun him around “like a boy.” Finally, it took three men to subdue Glahe and get him into the wagon.

He was taken to the station and charged with disorderly conduct. The next morning, the “midget wrestler” tearfully apologized to the officers and paid for repairs to Davis’ torn coat.