The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-16
The News of Carbonda1e.

=,
an extra inducement TO draw an i'm
| mense crowd from this vicinity. Ar
rangements were made last night will,
the Delaware and Hudson for special
excursion rate. The single fare. fifty
cents, will prevail today, for the round
| trip. The train that will specially ac-
commodate the rooters will leave here
! at 1.43 in the afternoon.
| AS to the game In Archibald ycster-
day forenoon, q good deal might he
said, but in view of the fact that both
teams are to meet this afternoon to
fight out the battle in earnest, the less
| fighting on paper. the better, perhaps.
The game, as is known, broke UP in
the beginning of the second inning by
Captain McTierney taking his men from
| the field. after the Archibald manage
ment refused to remove Umpire Pat
rick Mahon, of Archibald, whose ncom-
petence was glaringly apparent and
| recognized by every fair-minded per-
son at the game. Mahon's decisions on
strikes were woefully bad. He repeat
| edly called strikes that We're over the
base, but also over the batters' heads.
In the second inning. Harrison was sent
back to home after hitting n ball direct
knew 1t was fair and tried to throw
Harrison out at first. Halligan, how
ever. dropped the ball. 1t was then
that Mahon sent Harrison back, de-
claring the ball was foul. that it hit
Harrison. The error of this decision
was apparent to every one near the
home plate, but more so to Catcher
Toy, who played the ball as fair. The
next bad decision, the one which broke
up the game. was when Mcdonald en-
deavored to catch Hopkins at second on
a double play. after Golden's catch of
Murray's fly. Hopkins easily slid under
Mcdonald, who failed to touch him be-
cause the ball was caught too high.
Hopkins made the base. which, to make
matters worse. was fully two feet away
from it's proper place.
This being the climax of Mahon's
poor work, Captain McTierney. who
was backed by the whole Carbondale
delegation. insisted on the removal of
the umpire before he would permit his
men to go on. Manager Phlbin was
half willing. but later refused; then Nc
Tierney and several of the team made
for the cars. The newspaper men en-
deavored to have Manager Phlbin
acquiesce in the clamor for Mahon's re-
moval, but 1t was not until the players
were on the cars that the request was
yielded to. Then it was too late. Man
ager Tappan didn't deem it prudent for
the team to return to the ground. All
through the game feeling ran high; on
the way to the cars young lads pelted
the CarbOndale players with stones,
hooted and jeered them, and altogether
there were signs that there might be
interference with the game If it be re-
sumed.
The only criticism that we would
make is that Manager Philbin should
have Immediately yielded in the request
for Mahon's removal. His lack of judg-
ment or his dearth of knowledge of the
game was quite apparent. 1t did not
require an N-ray to discover it. 1t was
evenly freely admitted by fair-minded
Archbaldians. 1t must have been ap-
parent. too, to Mr.. Philbn who. candor
compels us to say. is always irreproach-
ably just and fair. His only course
therefore, it would appear, would be
the removal of MahOn after the second
or third kick. He finally took this step.
but after it was of no avail. An addi-
tional circumstance looking to this end
was that Mahon was criticized, as we
We're informed, for his umpiring in Fri
days game.
In discussing Mahon's work, there is
no intent to make out that he was par
tial with malice aforethought. We
don't doubt that he was honest in his
purposes. What is here said refers to
his work as an official. We accord all
that is due him for honest motives: we
don't doubt that he meant to be fair;
but we are of the opinion, as hundred
others were, that umpiring ball game
is hardly in his line: his work through
out clearly demonstrated this This
qualification is made because of the
reputation for fairness that Mr.. Mahon
has among his friends and neighbors.