The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-19
REFEREE LET OUT.
Prof. Hetherington, of Missouri
University, Displaced.
Will No Longer Settle Athletic
Disputes in West.
HE MAY GOTO CHICAGO
Place Is Offered to Prof. o. j.
Thatcher.
No Change Is Made in Confer
ence Rules.

Prof. Hetherington of Missouri State
university who has acted as athletic
referee for all the colleges Of Kansas
whose athletic events are conducted
under the Topeka conference amateur
rules, was rather unceremoniously dis
placed from this position at the meet
ing of the conference at the Copeland
hotel Monday. He will be succeeded as
referee by either Prof. o. ]. Thatcher,
of the University of Chicago, or
Fudge Heffelfinger. the former Yale
celebrity who is now a professor at
the University of Minnesota.
Opposition to Prof. Hetherington
seemed to come chiefly from the Kan
sas State Agricultural college and OF
tawa university delegates, and seemed
to be based on the ground that Prof
Hetheri Rgton was too friendly with the
Kansas State university and Wash
burn college.
Prof. j. o. Hamilton, who represented
the State Agricultural college at the
meeting, declared that Prof. Hether-
ington did not give a fair decision in
the case of Omar Mehl, the well known
Washburn full back, who was charged
with having played professional base
ball. Prof. HetheringtOn heard the
evidence against Mehl, and decided that
the evidence was not sufficient to sus-
tain the charge. Prof. Cline of Otta-
wa university, also expressed himself
as being very much opposed to Hether-
| ington, on the ground that both Kan
SaS university and WaShburn now have
both football and baseball games
scheduled with Missouri university,
and that the man who acts as referee
for Kansas colleges should be some one
entirely removed from the state, and
outside of the list of colleges with
whom the members of the Kansas con-
| ference have contests.
| Since there seemed to be such siren
uous opposition to Prof. Hetherington,
the delegates representing the Kansas
| State university and WaShburn made
no protest against a change in referee.
Prof. Wilson Sterling, of Kansas uni
versity, even expressed 1t as his OPINION
that Prof. Hetherington would be glad
to be relieved of the thankless duties
of the position.
prof. Hetherington only consented to
serve he said. "out of his interest IN
| the cause of pure athletics.
Prof O. j. Thatcher is in charge OF
the history department of the Univer-
sity of Chicago, and is close friend
and assistant of Coach Stagg OF the
| football team. IF he is unable to ac-
cept the position of referee, Prof Hef-
felfinger will be invited
| The duty of, the, referee is to hear the
| evidence of any violation of the Topeka
| conference rules, and decide whether a
| case has been made. 1t is frequently
put upon his shoulders to make deci-
| SiOnS of great importance, touching the
| eligibility of star players such as MehI
| of Washburn, who was given the posi-
ton of fullback on the Missouri val
ley team selected by Coach Mclean OF
! Missouri university.
The following delegates were present
at the conference: Kansas university,
Prof Wilson Sterling; Washburn col
lege Prof H. L Woods; Ottawa uni
versity, President ]. d. S. Riggs; Baker
university, Prof. c. s. Parmenter; Kan
sas State Normal, Prof. E. c. Brook
| ing; Kansas Wesleyan, Prof o. Hunter;
| Bethany college, Prof. Ernest Pielblad;
Kansas Agricultural college, Prof. j. o.
| Hamilton. Prof. r. E. P. Cline of OF
tawa and Prof G. E. anderson of
| Bethany were also present.
The following officers of the con-
| ference were reelected: President. J..
! d. S. Riggs, of Ottawa university; vice
/ president, w. A. Harshbarger of Wash
/ burn college: secretary and treasurer,
Prof Wilson Sterling. of Kansas uni
| versitv.
There was a long discussion of pro-
posed changes in the conference rules,
but all the proposed amendments were
| defeated and the rules will stand in
| their present form for another year.
/ Two amendments to the rules were
proposed by Prof. Parmenter of Baker,
but neither one was favorably acted
upon. Prof. Parmenter wanted to
amend Rule 1 SO that a man would have
to be in school at least so days before