Fred Beell
Encyclopedia
Fred Beell was a German
-born American
professional wrestler and police officer
.
, Germany
. At the age of three, his family migrated to the United States
, settling in Marshfield, Wisconsin
. He attended Immanual Lutheran School as a child, and at the age of fourteen he began working at the Upham mill in Marshfield. Beell joined the United States Army
, serving in the Spanish American War. After his military discharge, he married Anna Scheren, also of German descent, on August 6, 1902.
Beell first became a professional wrestler in the late 1890s, during a time when professional wrestlers would fight numerous exhibition match
es each month, keeping them on the road constantly. He defeated Soren Hansen in April 1899, and later defeated John Berg that same year, both notable wrestlers of the day. On February 3, 1900, Beell defeated Ed Adamson, winning $238.50 for the match. On April 9, 1900, Beell defeated William West to become the Northwest Wrestling Champion. It was not until 1906 that he gained national attention, when he defeated Frank Gotch
, the reigning American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion
. He eventually quit wrestling in 1919 and became a police officer in his adopted hometown of Marshfield, Wisconsin in 1921.
On August 5, 1933, at around 3am, Beell and his partner George Fyksen investigated a break-in at the Marshfield Brewing Company. Suspects were still on the scene. Beell, according to the later report published in the Marshfield News-Herald, and a more in-depth report in a 1933 edition of True Detective Mysteries, waited near the patrol vehicle to watch the exits, while Fyksen entered the building. As he entered, the suspects began firing on Fyksen, who dropped to the ground and avoided injury, while returning fire. Beell, hearing the shots, left the vehicle to go to Fyksen's aid. As he rounded the front of the car, the suspects exited the building, firing as they ran. Four buckshot from a shotgun blast hit Beell in the head, without his being able to return fire, killing him instantly. The suspects then stole the police vehicle, but abandoned it less than a mile away. They had stolen $1,550.00 in a safe
burglary
.
Marshfield police chief William Paape organized a posse with Wood County, Wisconsin sheriff
Martin Bey. One of the suspects, Edward "Speed" Gabriel, was hit by shots fired from Fyksen in the initial gun battle, his body being located in a shallow grave
alongside a roadway in Minnesota
the next day. Two other suspects, Joe "Sleepy Joe" Hogan and Elmer Digman were captured. Hogan received 25 years in prison for his part in the murder, while Digman received a life sentence.
Currently, every year on the anniversary of Beell's death, the Marshfield Police Department holds a ceremony in his honor. To date, he is the only Marshfield police officer to have been killed in the line of duty. At the time of his death, Beell was 57 years old, and had been with the department for twelve years. He is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Marshfield.
Beell Stadium, home of the Marshfield Tigers football
team, is named after him. He is also credited with popularizing the famed 'Beell Toss' wrestling maneuver. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
in 1972.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler and police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
.
Biography
Fred Beell was born in West PrussiaWest Prussia
West Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773–1824 and 1878–1919/20 which was created out of the earlier Polish province of Royal Prussia...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. At the age of three, his family migrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, settling in Marshfield, Wisconsin
Marshfield, Wisconsin
Marshfield is a city in Marathon and Wood counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the largest city in Wood County. The small portion of the city that extends into Marathon County is part of the Wausau Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,800 at the 2000 census. Marshfield is...
. He attended Immanual Lutheran School as a child, and at the age of fourteen he began working at the Upham mill in Marshfield. Beell joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, serving in the Spanish American War. After his military discharge, he married Anna Scheren, also of German descent, on August 6, 1902.
Beell first became a professional wrestler in the late 1890s, during a time when professional wrestlers would fight numerous exhibition match
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
es each month, keeping them on the road constantly. He defeated Soren Hansen in April 1899, and later defeated John Berg that same year, both notable wrestlers of the day. On February 3, 1900, Beell defeated Ed Adamson, winning $238.50 for the match. On April 9, 1900, Beell defeated William West to become the Northwest Wrestling Champion. It was not until 1906 that he gained national attention, when he defeated Frank Gotch
Frank Gotch
Frank Alvin Gotch was an American professional wrestler of German ancestry, the first American to win the world heavyweight free-style championship, and credited for popularizing professional wrestling in the United States...
, the reigning American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion
American Heavyweight Championship
The American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first Heavyweight professional wrestling championship in the United States. The title existed from 1881 through approximately 1922.-Title history:-References:* at Wrestling-Titles.com...
. He eventually quit wrestling in 1919 and became a police officer in his adopted hometown of Marshfield, Wisconsin in 1921.
On August 5, 1933, at around 3am, Beell and his partner George Fyksen investigated a break-in at the Marshfield Brewing Company. Suspects were still on the scene. Beell, according to the later report published in the Marshfield News-Herald, and a more in-depth report in a 1933 edition of True Detective Mysteries, waited near the patrol vehicle to watch the exits, while Fyksen entered the building. As he entered, the suspects began firing on Fyksen, who dropped to the ground and avoided injury, while returning fire. Beell, hearing the shots, left the vehicle to go to Fyksen's aid. As he rounded the front of the car, the suspects exited the building, firing as they ran. Four buckshot from a shotgun blast hit Beell in the head, without his being able to return fire, killing him instantly. The suspects then stole the police vehicle, but abandoned it less than a mile away. They had stolen $1,550.00 in a safe
Safe
A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...
burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
.
Marshfield police chief William Paape organized a posse with Wood County, Wisconsin sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Martin Bey. One of the suspects, Edward "Speed" Gabriel, was hit by shots fired from Fyksen in the initial gun battle, his body being located in a shallow grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
alongside a roadway in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
the next day. Two other suspects, Joe "Sleepy Joe" Hogan and Elmer Digman were captured. Hogan received 25 years in prison for his part in the murder, while Digman received a life sentence.
Currently, every year on the anniversary of Beell's death, the Marshfield Police Department holds a ceremony in his honor. To date, he is the only Marshfield police officer to have been killed in the line of duty. At the time of his death, Beell was 57 years old, and had been with the department for twelve years. He is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Marshfield.
Beell Stadium, home of the Marshfield Tigers football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, is named after him. He is also credited with popularizing the famed 'Beell Toss' wrestling maneuver. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame is a promenade in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, dedicated to honoring distinguished members of Wisconsin's sports history. New members are honored at a biennial banquet.-History:...
in 1972.
Championships and accomplishments
- World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time), 1911
- American Heavyweight ChampionshipAmerican Heavyweight ChampionshipThe American Heavyweight Wrestling Championship was the first Heavyweight professional wrestling championship in the United States. The title existed from 1881 through approximately 1922.-Title history:-References:* at Wrestling-Titles.com...
(1 time), 1906 - Northwest Championship (1 time), 1900