Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-27
THE POOR UMPIRE
GETS MANY A JOLT
George Burnham Was Always
Getting Into TroubIe-Joke
on Ned SWartWood.

on Ned SWartWood.
BY HUGH g. FULLERTON.
Muggsy McGraw's recent outbreak
against umpires and his attempt to Danish
tombstone from the polo grounds recalls q
lot Of other incidents. tombstone isn't an
extraordinary umpire. but In this case the
only offense charged IL that he gave a de-
cision against New York. There was no
question as to whether or not the decision
was right or wrong-it was wrong because
1t was given against McGraw.
Muggsy has for the last dozen years
played out his string of bullyragging UNI
pires to the end-and won pennants by 1t.
There is no doubt that the old Baltimore
club owed at least two pennants to the fact
that McGraw bulldozed umpires until they
didn't dare give q decision against his
team. and in those days he had able assist
ants. He kept up the same tactics in New
York until he finally came to grief because
Pulliam stood firm and because. at heart
even New York crowd loves fair play.
The umpire Is legitimate bait for a crowd
OF fans. He accepts the job with that I'M
Outstanding. He knows what he Is going
against-and he goes. 1t takes a man OF
seem. the smaller the league the harder
the umpire's job grows President O'Nein
OF the Western when he read Of McGraw's
action remarked:
break into the grounds In our league" Out
there they are trying to break out. An UNI
pire Is luxury except in Omaha. and If he
doesn't give Omaha all the decisions Sandy
Griswold drives him out of the business.
X X
Poor old George Burnham was one UNI
pire who bred trouble for himself that
lasted to the end of his base ball career.
George was umpiring In Cleveland in the
old twelve-club league and doing fairly
well 0or him) until one morning he de-
cided to purchase watch. He went to a.
Superior street jeweler and bought the
watch. and then, as an afterthought, told
the merchant to send the watch out to the
ball park that afternoon and present 1t to
him at the home plate
The idea Of an umpire receiving a mag
niftcent gold watch as q testimonial from
his admirers appealed to George.
That afternoon. just as the game start
ed. uniformed messenger from the jew
elry store marched out to the plate, bear
ing tissue-paper wrapped bundle The
players gathered around. and Burnham.
who was-busy busting of the plate, barred
his head to receive the testimonial
linen Cnefe was q nltCl, ana dIlef b Lu1n-
ute roar from the players who had gath
cred around The messenger. after mo-
ment. bore the box away and the crowd
was mystifed.
It developed afterward that the messen-
ger had been sent with the watch with c.
o. d. orders.
And ever afterward George Washington
Burnham was known as watch"
\ i
Tim Hurst uho ie now 1lYpDirjnQ had for
fair ball in the American League, used to
be one OF the cockiest, scrapiest. nerviest
umpires in the business. He has settled
some. for he has reached the years of dis
cretion and common sense, and no longer
does he go searching for trouble. He has
enough as 1t Is.
When Tim was in his prime he went gun
ming for 1t. I remember one day in Pitts
burg Tim had given close decision
against the Pirates at the close Of a game
and the mob was chasing him OF the field
Tim didn't like to be chased. Every few
yards he would turn and advance upon the
crowd and 1t would STOP Finally when
he had reached the head of the stairs to the
dressing room and was safe. he turned.
made sudden descent into the crowd.
mixed with q score or more OF them, and
was rescued by the police.
What in thunder did you want to go
back for, TimT' inquired, while they were
putting court plaster over the wounds.
There was q large man with g. lump Of
Stag in his hands" said Tim, and I re-
marked to him. IT you throw that I'll come
and get you"
"Well?' asked.
He threw 1t all right" said Tim.
In the old days In Kansas City. when
the stockyards crowd together In the left
field bleachers in Exposition Park, the
crowd had q cheerful habit of climbing
out upon the field and descending upon the
umpire en- masse. The crowd never Of
fered him any violence. They simply went
out to inquire Of him why he made a de-
cision. The habit grew until 1t was a
regular Saturday and Sunday feature Of
the game. Sometimes when the umpire
had been good to the home team the crowd
went out. 1900 strong, shook hands with
him, told him how good he was, and, thank
ing him; retired to the seats again and let
play proceed.
While Jimmy Manning had the club there
came along an umpire named Smith. a new
recruit who never had umpired in Kansas
City. His decisions were good. There was
no trouble and everything was pleasant
until the fifth inning. when the crowd de-
cided to have its demonstration. Just as
Smith called a Kansas City runner out, and
he was out by twenty feet. the crowd start
ed. Smith gave one wild look toward the
advancing column. sprinted out toward left,
scaled the ten-foot fence. and. dropping
into the adjoining lot, disappeared from the
grounds-and from base ball.
*k
Ned SwartwoOd, the popular old umpire.
was the victim Of Joke put up by bunch
of the old Chicago players In 1897. Swarty
was umpiring series in st. Louis and
there had been some talk about stopping
Sunday baseball there. Saturday night q
crowd Of the Chicago players discovered
that Swarty and his partner. AL Warner,
were stopping at the Lindell. so Just to
make things pleasant they sent him
phony telegram ordering him to report at
Belleville ILL.,. Sunday afternoon and UNI
pire q game between Chicago and st.
Louis.
The telegram was signed N E. Young
and bore all the evidences OF genuineness,
SO Swarty supposed that the teams were
preparing to play Sunday game whether
or no.
No one knew what happened, but five
minutes before play was called on the St.
Louis grounds Swarty. hot and mad,
showed up and went to work. Along about
the middle of the game the Chicago play