The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-10-09
Just How Protest Excitement
Was Stirred Up.
FACTS BY DIR. WILLIAMS
A Letter to Coach Booth of the
Nebraska Team.
ROGERS IS ENTITLED TO PLAY
to schools Comforting Col
IeGiate Degrees.

All controversy over the eligibility Of
Rogers, who has been practicing for left
end on the varsity football team, seems to
be at an end, so far as the university
management is concerned. 1t has given
to T h J o urn the papers in the case
which seems to show beyond question that
Minnesota has the best of the controversy
and that the whole trouble was stirred up
by meddlesome young man.
The following letter from DR.. H. L..
Williams to Coach Booth of Nebraska,
dated Oct. s following the publication of
the first report that Nebraska would re-
fuse to play Minnesota if the gophers in
sisted on playing Rogers, is self-explana-
tory and throws much light on the case:
My Dear Mr.. Booth-The incosed clipping
is from the Chicago Tribune of Monday Oct.
IL Precisely the same article appeared in the
Chicago Record Herald, the Minneapolis Times
and Minneapolis Tribune on the same day.
/ was naturally somewhat surprised to see
it and was at loss to account for it until
| received a letter on Tuesday from one
Frank Gay, which explains the entire matter.
On Friday afternoon of last week as the first
ana second MlDuGSOld Teams were IlQeQ up,
about to begin secret practice we noticed a
stranger in our midst. He was asked how he
got in and what he wished. He said that
he was the official western correspondent for
Outing and that he also represented a syndi-
cate Of papers in the west; that he wished
to take a photograph of the team and to have
an interview with me. He wore very con-
spicuOus Harvard pin upon his vest and car
! ried himself with a very consequential air.
l told him it would not be possible to let
him have picture of the team, as We had
decided to have no picture taken until the
close of the season, and that we had already
refused several papers the same request He
was very insstent and we finally told him
that he could not have it and asked him to
withdraw, as he was delaying the practice,
which already late He said he would
like to stay and see the practice and seemed
quite put out that the rule Of secret practice
should be applied to him also
I promised him interview however, at
the end Of the practice, and he withdrew. We
did not leave the field until after 6 o'clock;
the practice had been long and hard one,
and at its close I went into the armory with
the boys, but completely forgot all about the
reporter until about $780, when i remembered
him, asked for him and found that he had
waited until 6;15 and then gone-although how
it happened that he did not see me, as | was
around all the time, do not know
| thought nothing further of It until I
| received a letter from him from Lincoln,
Neb., copy of which I enclose, which ex-
plains itself, and also the articles in the
Chicago and Minneapolis Tribune and other
, papers.
OF course it is perfectly apparent that the
fellow was piqued that he had travelled all
he way from Omaha to Minneapolis and been
foiled in getting what he was after and that
ne is now trying to stir up trouble for Min
nesota AT the office Of the Minneapolis Times
l was told that Frank Gay had sent on the
dispatch (see clipping) from Omaha, and as
the articles in the other papers are identical,
he is evidently the author of the whole
| scheme.
Whether he has instigated Nebraska TO pro-
test Rogers, or whether you are considering
it, or will refuse to enter the field" as the
| dispatch states, I do not know, although
doubt very much if there is any more in the
matter than the dispatch itself
| l sincerely hope not, for it would certainly
| do nothing more than arouse bad feeling be-
tween the two universities.
| Rogers is perfectly eligible to play on any
| university team in the country. The Carlisle
| school is not college 1t is not even a