Charley Olson Kills Wrestler

I’ve frequently found the biggest challenge in researching early professional wrestling is separating fact from fiction. Even when the wrestlers competed in legitimate matches, they often inflated outcomes, built up apocryphal folklore around their victories and made up fanciful tales to explain away their losses. Professional wrestling sprang from the carnivals and retained the promotional instincts of this art.

St. Louis-based light heavyweight Charley Olson was a skilled wrestler, who killed one wrestler, maybe two, during his career. While these deaths would later be used by Olson and his promoters to portray him as a vicious wrestler, at least one of the deaths was an accident.

During January 1911, Olson was traveling through the southwestern United States under the assumed name of Tom Mays. Talented wrestlers would sometimes wrestle under assumed names to get matches in other areas, when other wrestlers were hesitant to meet them. Olson met Joe McCray, who was a champion in Colorado and was wrestling under an assumed name also, Stanley Lake. McCray was having a difficult time finding opponents in Colorado also.

Olson and McCray wrestled on January 28, 1911 in Amarillo, Texas. The men had an even contest for the first ten minutes but Olson was the more skilled wrestler. He eventually worked behind McCray and secured a half-Nelson. Olson tried to turn McCray onto his shoulders for several minutes without success.

Olson decided to turn the hold into a full-Nelson by slipping his other arm under McCray’s arm and bring his hands together behind McCray’s neck. This hold can put immense pressure on the neck. After less than a minute, a loud snap was heard. Olson’s face went white and he immediately released his hold. McCray’s body limply fell to the mat. Olson’s reaction demonstrated he wasn’t trying to break McCray’s neck. Però, McCray died on the mat from the effects of the hold.

Olson quickly returned to St. Louis afraid of being charged with McCray’s death. Però, when he returned to his home base, he was informed that the Texas officials considered the death an accident and would not be charging him with a crime.

According to a story told by newspaper reporters and Olson himself, he killed another wrestler in Montreal around 1908 by throwing him from a stage, where the contest was being contested. In the early days of professional wrestling, the matches would often be contested on a wrestling mat setup on a stage without ropes or the typical boxing ring.

If wrestlers became angry with their opponent or were particularly vicious, they would try to throw their opponent off the mat and the stage to the floor, which could be 4 to 8 feet below the stage. Wrestlers could be seriously injured by this foul.

Olson supposedly threw his opponent off the stage with a crotch hold, which was often used to turn a wrestler upside down onto his shoulders. If thrown in this manner, a wrestler could land on his head and be killed. I’ve not found a primary source confirmation for this story yet, so I’m open to the story being true but suspect there is some exaggeration in the retelling.

These stories did enhance Olson’s reputation as a dangerous wrestler, which would help sell more tickets and encourage betting on his matches. Always remember the exaggeration of these tales is meant to spur interest and make more money in future matches. Few athletic events used exaggerated promotion as effectively as professional wrestling.

Special thanks to Kemlyn Munn of Nouveau-Baritsu, who made me aware of these stories and led to me researching the incidents.

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Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Febrer 8, 1911, p. 7

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