The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-16
BASEBALL
WITH A GUN.
Prof. HintOn's New GunpOWder
Pitcher Tried.
Straight Over the Plate Went
the Balls.
THE GUN A SUCCESS.
The Wide Curves Kept Batters
on the Guess.
Mrs. Cleveland Cheered the
Game.

Inc New YORK W ORD gives the TOl-
lowing account of the first ball game
at Princeton college where a gun was
substituted for human pitcher:
The rain, which has been bombarding
Princeton's ball grounds for the past
three days, submerging the diamond N
a lake of water, let up at last today,
and all the town turned out to see the
great match between the Vikings and
the Tiger Inns. It was not so much the
Vikings or the Tiger Inns that lent in
terest to the occasion. A new star was
being introduced to the baseball field,
and the game was the game of Hinton's
Gun Dolly, or Every Batter Has His
own Pitcher.
Princeton's new lady, Mrs Cleveland,
graced the performance with her pres
ence and gave much comfort to the col
lege boys, who greeted her with the
Princeton "Rah' and seemed to cOnsid-
er her part and parcel of Old Nassau'S
glOrieS- She was surrounded with pro-
fessOrs and professors wives.
At I p m Professor Hinton wheeled
his pitcher into the box 1t was not so
attractive looking as the great RuSie.
nor SO deceptively winning as the giant
Meekin- In fact, it looked very like
light artillery, and made the prospective
batsnan think of the expression, Hoist
with his own petard-"
But Professor HintOn'S smile was so
very winning and the cheers of the
other professors, who did not have TO
face its delivery, were so full of hearth
ness and mIrCh, that the Vikings and
Tiger Inns pretended that they liked it.
or at least tried 10 look unconcerned.
I have set this at low tension. young
gentlemen" said the inventor, so that
the delivery VIII be slow. I could send
you the balls SO fast you couldn't see
them, but I would rather have you do
some batting, so as 10 furnish amuse-
ment to the spectators" And Professor
Hinton winked softly to himself. as
one who would say, I've a good joke
up my sleeve"
Capt. Cochran, of the foot ball team,
was captain of the Tiger Inns, and Dan
Altland took charge OF the Vikings.
Most Of the players were football men
and accustomed to getting killed A
human player was set in the field just
back of the pitchers box, with second
ball in his hand His duty was to guard
the bases and catch short flies, and
load the mechanical pitcher. When the
batsman fired the gun. the ball in the
humans hand was out of play. It
mixed things up a little until the play
ers got used to the arrangement, and
after that all went smoothly.
Stevenson went first to bat for the
Tiger Inns. He had played before the
cannon before. and was not at all afraid
of its delivery. He squared off with the
air of a man who has contract with
Destiny to furnish a three-bagger,
and the gun went off, by request of the
electrical connection.
Zip went the ball Whiffl went the
bat through the air. as the ball came
whirling over the plate as true as ever
a pitcher of living kind could put it.
And stick and leather kissed as loud as
ever the young woman who played the
part of Carmen
of guile, and there were plenty of them
The three bag ger failed to connect, and
the ball, though hit, went curling back
to the catcher and rested IN his hands
Great applause from the grand stand,
Mrs. Cleveland leading. Professor Hin
tons smile a yard wide and all WOOL
Then came Howard BrOkaW, a nervy
lad but not up to the tricks of a pitch
er that goes by gunpOwder instead of
salary. He touched off the home plate
all right. The electric current which
sets off the gun performed its duty
But the batSman lodged the one
strike ball which came over the plate
His second attempt was no more sue
cessful and when he struck out, the
professors led the reclamation and Pro-
fessOr Hinton smiled like a boy with a
Pardee missed twice and then got in
a good crack at the ball It proved that
the dummy pitchers curves were not
infallible. All you wanted was plenty
Of sand backed up by quick eye and
muscle and you might make runs even
with a cannon in the box Two more
runs were secured and then a batSman
struck out and the Tiger Inns came to
the bat
- Owing to slow delivery the game was
not a rapid one. It stopped at three in
nings. at which time the Tiger Inns had
scored and the Vikings = The Rem
ingtOn Arms company have offered to
manufacture a repeating pitcher for
Professor Hinton. SO as to make the
game more rapid and it is probable
that before the season is over their
product will have a chance to show it
saIF IN rha baTTfaI7