Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-29
A marryr 10 Base BAH.

Philadelphia RecoId.l
In the bulk window of a Chestnut
street auction house is exposed a mag
ui6cent mahogany mace, tipped with
deliberately worked silver. For over an
honr a very seedy individual, with red
hair and a broken nose, fingered about
the window with such a mysterious man
ner as to lead the officer on the corner
to believe that his intentions were not
good, so he took him il" on general
principles.
When the officer related to the court
bis grounds for the arrest, and finding
them not tenable, the magistrate quizzed
the prisoner ss to who and what be was.
What we're you doing there2' quer.
ried the court.
Nothing, ledge, simply admiring and
meditating.
"Admiring what2"
The bat, Jedge; the beautiful base.
ball bait
You are evidently an admirer OF the
gamsot base ball interposed the court.
No more, Squire. Was once. I'm
a martyr, l am. I'm no good any more.
It's gone down now, has the game. How
| could scoop in a sky-scraper. Shy
that inkstand at me, Jedge. Toss her
sharp. Bounce her now. hot, me boy,
and I'll show yer how to stop 'er, No,
they wont have me no more; I'm played,
they say. Gimme something. Bust off
that table leg and gimme a smack at
that inkstand. Fire her this way hot,
and If | don't show yer a homer yer can
send me down for good"
Ten years ago | vas a big crab on
the field; short-stop, you know. All
broke up now. Couldn't get a Job now
scraping the stick. l could skin over
the bases like creased lightning runs
Throw opsn thai door oncel Just hold
her open two minutes, and see me get
up and git. But, / reckon, I'm no ac-
cosnt now days, though"
You don't look as though you would
bring a prize" put in the court.
Not tor beauty, no. But for scars,
Jedge; for scars, I'm prime cheese; head
Of the heap. I'm a martyr, l am, but
nobody would guess it,"
"A martyr to what p said the court.
To sky scrapers, Jedge; daisy.cut.
tiers. Homers, yer know. Taking 'em
hot, right off the tip OF the bat. Oh yes,
I'm a martyr. Do you see that haud?"
and he exposed q palm about as bro I'd
as a deal table, with FIVE horribly dam.
aged fingers sticking from its edges.
Them tells the tale. All OF them busted
time and again. Had EN- druv in clear
up to the second jint and pulled out with
tweezers dozens Of times. Every finger
broke in six places; FIVE times six, thirty:
thirty breaks on the right hand, thirty
busted on the left. Twice thirty, sixty;
FIVE twelves sixty. Five dozen broken
fingers in this cause, and niu't worth q
continental Pulled in for gazing and
meditatlng on a prize bat. This is too
hard"
1T is, indeed, hard" said the court.
DO you see that smelling apparatus
on my countensnce. Looks as though
il was too big for the face, don't It? |
sacrificed her. Once it was the beauti.
fullest nose as ever your eyes sot on,
but q ball took her on the fly, with
three fingers. But I'm no good. Oh
no. don't understand the game. CAM
even gaze on a prize bat, or mediate,
but sm run in. All right, Jedge. Sock
'er TO me Send il hot. I'm on the home
run, aud you might as we'll pnt me out.
He was put out in the street, and wal
heard 10 say, as be went through the
door, that be knew he would be called on
TO die for the cause some time, to save il
from diagrace.