Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-12
THE DIAMOND.
Washington Hill and St. Joseph Game Must Be played Over.


 That Decision to Play It Over
 Was Reached This Morning-Rol-
 yoke Drops Another Game, This
 nine to Norwtch-ResuIts of Other
 Games.
 Perhaps the warmest session that the City Amateur league has ever ex- perienced was held last evening at the rooms of the St Joseph's society and every team was represented The meeting lasted until it was approach ing Il o'clock, and the ending at that time was not altogether satisfactory To-day new feature has entered into the controversy and in order to avoid any more disputes and to settle the matter at once and for all time the president has taken the bull by the horns and has rendered his decision as given further on in this article.
 The first question that came before the meeting was the disputed game between the Pastimes and the Merri- macs, which was played some weeks ago and which game was claimed by the Merrimacs, but was disputed by the Pastimes. The Merrimacs claimed to have won the game by the score of 5 to and the Pastimes claimed the game was tic when it ceased Last night both managers said they had score books to prove their statements. and they were ordered to bring in those score books at the next meeting and ter the managers examine the records
 A committee of the Foresters of America appeared before the managers and onered purse for the Washington H1ils and the St Josephs to contest for ar the held day of the .Foresters on Sat urday afternoon next. James H. Freney. who appeared for the Forest CTS. said that if he could not get the Hills and the St Josephs he would take the North Ends and the St JoseDhs Manager Kelly of the Washingto Hills and Manager Lydon of the St Josephs agreed to accept the proposition. but it was distinctly understood that the game should not count in the schedule. The teams might contest for the purse offered, but only as an exhibition game
 Tn order to avoid further disputes and arguments as to the calling of one game and the beginning of another the following rule was unanimously adopted: When two games are played on the same afternoon and on the same grounds the first game must start promptly at 2 o'clock If one team fails to appear on the grounds in time for that scheduled game said game will be 5forfeited to the team which lines up ready to play. If an inning is being played when the hour of o'clock arrives, that inning will be fin ished out, but no other innings will be played
 Then came the big dispute of the night. Manager Mark Leydon of the St .IOSeph's team protested the game of last Saturday which ended in a dispute and which was claimed by the Wash ington Hills by the score of to 8. It will be remembered that the game started so late that it was close to ' o'clock when the ninth inning started. The score at the beginning of the ninth l stood 9 to 5 in favor of the Washington HiIls. In the first of the ninth the Hills did not score. In the last half of the ninth the St Josephs batted in three 4uns and had two or three men on bases with no one out when the Hills protested that it was too dark to play and the game was stopped and an argu- ment which lasted fifteen or twenty minutes began. At that time some claimed that the umpire had called the game on account of darkness and oth- CTS claimed that he had not called the game, that he had rendered no decision and that he stated he would render no decision. that he would leave the mat ter to the president and managers of the league. \
 Last night Manager Leydon claimed the game on the ground that the Wash ington Hills deliberately interfered with the game and were afraid to con- tinue because they believed they were goiag to be beaten. He also claimed that if it was too dark to play then it was too dark to play when the Wash ington Hills went to bat in the first of |. the ninth. No protest was made then by the Hills and the St Josephs would have won the game had it not been stopped by the Hills.
 Manager Kelly of the Hills claimed the game because the umpire had called the game because of darkness. He also said that the Hills were not afraid of the StJosephs and would play them at any time for any amount Of money. They won the game according to the rules of base ball and they should get it.
 A vote was taken on the matter and fhe representatives of the St Josephs, the Brooklyns, the North Ends. the Pastimes and the Merrimacs voted to give the game to the St Josephs.
 Manager Kelly at this time sprang surprise. He claimed the game once more under protest because Began. one of the St Josephs' players, had violated a new rule adopted some time in June pr early in July. This rule was to the effect that any player in any team who went outside the city to play with any other team on any Saturday on which his team was sched- uled to play in the City league, would stand suspended, and any team who played such a suspended player until the suspension was removed would for felt any and all games played, on the claim of any rival manager. sThe rule was made strong for very good reasons