The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-03

in the rough little jail near by while
the twelve good men and true DELHI
Grated in the hot back room under the
tin roof of the court house.
II guess my hands are a little too
soft to play" said the judge good ma
turedly, feeling qualm as to the APP
propriaseness of his Joining actively in
the sport; "but I'll be umpire if you
want me.
The two teams were quickly formed,
the 'ComancheS' against the sioux.
The Sioux won the toss and took the
field. and the Comanches were struck
ont i'm one two. three order. When
the sides changed, Hardy, the prose-
cutting attorney, took the box, and
Blake. the junior counsel for the de-
Tense, caught him. After much urg-
ing the judge had consented to preside
over first base, since Mr.. Hackett had
positively refused to play and had
been made umpire by general acclaim.
AS soon as his Honor found hlmSelf
coatless and on the field he threw
himself into the battle with the great
est enthusiasm.
There was many an evidence of
"softness" in the condition OF the
players, and q noticeable tendency 10
let swift balls go by rather than Crap
pie them with fingers unused TO the
hard impact. Wild throws to bases
were not infrequent, and in conse-
quence there was much base Stealing
and hilarious sarcasm from the play
ers on both teams. The official reia-
tons of these men were, for the time,
lost sight of; they were merely
healthy, enthusiastic Americans, feel
ing the joy of tinglng blood in their
veins, the Zest of friendly competition
and of physical exercise.
The runs were frequent and the err
rors numerous. and at the end of the
third inning SO many hands were sore
and so many arms growing stiff that
it was mutually decided by the teams
to call the next inning the last. The
score stood eleven runs for the Com
ancheS (the team made up of Judge
Hitler, Hardy, Blake, the keeper OF
the Eagle Hotel and one of two other
witnesses), and nine for the Sioux,
the battery of which was formed by
the court clerk and the sheriff, whose
heavy long boots, extending far up
inside his corduroys, detracted some
what from any grace of movement
he might have had as he lent his en-
tire soul and mind to the clerk err
ratio curves, ably backed up by the
assistant prosecutor, the stenographer
and several witnesses.
At the beginning of the fourth and
concluding inning the deputy sheriff
had come up With the prisoner, who
was not nand-cuffed. and they became
interested on-lookers. Copperthwaits
nerve had been superb throughout the
trial and he seemed to take an in
tense interest in the game.
just after play had commenced
Hardy knocked a hot grounder to
short" who fielded the ball swiftly
to first base. The baseman caught
it, putting Hardy out, and then quiet
ly remarked:
THAT settles me. Look ut this
thumb"
--.'See here, old man." Hardy painted
examining it, it's broken"
We'll. never mindiIlet somebody
take my place. Here, some one-you
Mulligan. Come and take the base.
I'm out of it,.
Guess not +" said Mulligan, the
deputy; 81 amt played ball since
eco on with the camel" cried a
dozen others eXcitedly. "Some one
any one take the base"
There Copperthwait, play first base;
we've only got to hold 'em down this