The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-03
DE PAW FOOTBALL ROW.
The Team Broken Up by Faculty
Action Against Williamson.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
GREENCASTLE, Ind Oct. 2.-The stu
dent body of De PAW is thoroughly
aroused to-day over the action of the De
Paw faculty senate in refusing to allow
W. V. Williamson, better known as Babe. .
to play football with the university eleven.
When the news of the decision became pub
lie shortly before noon, the students and
particularly those interested in athletics
were bitter and outspoken in their denun-
citation. 1t is said that Williamson, if he
desires, will be permitted to enter the uni
versity. but would be denied the privilege
of playing the team.
Some inkling of the matter began crop
ping out earlier in the week, and in a talk
at chapel one morning this week President
Goblin made some significant remarks con-
corning athletics. He dwelt especially on
football and gave his opinions of the game
saying in substance that the board of truss
tees of the university was opposed to the
game on account of the physical perils re-
sulting from it; that he himself had always
favored the game as a sport conducive to
manlness and fairness, but he added of late
he had been greatly discouraged by seeing
the manner in which it was being played.
All sorts of strategies and underhand
schemes, he said, were being resorted to
by the various college teams. The game
is on trial now, he went on to say and any
unfairness will come to the surface to its
discredit
The students will have to decide whether
they want to retain football or not, and it
will depend on them playing clean game
The action now of the senate in refusing
to allow Williamson to play precipitates a
clash. The officers of the athletic associa-
ton deny the charge of professionalism and
claim that Williamson's intentions are to
remain here all the year and to take full
course. On the other hand the authorities
hold against him the charge Of professional
ism. That is the one and only hitch but
it bids fair to be the end of football here if
some compromise be not made by which
Z Williamson can play on the team VILLAIN
son has been here about a week and has
been in active training with the team and
has been aiding Captain Roller in coaching
the new men. He is strong, fearless play
er and is regarded as one of the best tackles
in the West His work in connection with
that of Studebaker and Roller on the De
Paw team last year was Of a high grade,
and his return this fall was hailed by those
interested in the game with delight. The
that Roller will not captain the team nor
play on it; also, that Manager HamIick
will resign and in the end that football
will be at an end here. While some sort
of an argument may result in a conference
that may be held later, at present the out
look is decidedly blue for the game this fall.
The athletic managers claim the stand TAX
en- by the faculty, which has been inspired
by the trustees, will result ultimately to
the disadvantage and diScredit of the uni
versity, in point of attendance and college
spirit, if persisted in.
President Goblin is out of the city to-day
and could not be seen as to the faculty
side of the case, but the athletic people
state they have been given to understand
positively that Williamson cannot play.
The local team has been hard a. work the
past ten days and Is wearing neat new uni
forms About forty men have been on the
been high. Games have been scheduled with
Purdue for Oct 16 and InQlana University
on Thanksgiving, both games to be played
here. These dates are in jeopardy now,
however, as with the loss of Williamson
and Roller and Others who at present re-
fuse to play in the face of the faculty s
decision. no team able to cope with the
above strong organizations could be placed
in the field. A prominent director in the
association states this afternoon that the
decision would have bad effect on the
association financially. Last season the as
ISOLATION went in debt to the extent of
about 81 900, and about 500 of that indebted
ness still stands, secured by notes and that
with a poor team and refusal of the lead
ing players to assist, the association would
have the bag to hold financially One mer-
chant holds their account for $3.50, due in
thirty days, for supplies for the team.
Mr.. Williamson, the player in question,
is q Sigma Chi and is very popular with
the students and those interested in athlet-
les, and the talk tonight is that a set Of
the faculty senate to try to get the decision
reversed. Local trustees are being appealed
to and the matter is creating more interest
than any incident in college circles in years.