Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-07-21
BASEBALL TALES
Of OLD UMP|RES
Encounters Of Brave Men With
The Mob OF Enraged
Fans.
HOW CONNOLLY GOT AWAY.
lie slid for the Hotel and Reversed
Ills Decision Through a Megaphone
When Mob Refused to Go.

When "One-eyed' Connolly was alive
he occasionally picked up a dollar UNI
piring baseball. lie had only a smst-
tering OF baseball knowledge, but be-
Ing a famous sporting character clubs
used him 10 advertise the games. Like
all umpires, Connolly enjoyed the sem
sations Of being mobbed. but one OF
the stormiest encounters was when the
entire population Of Hoboken turned
out 10 make mlncemeat Of his body. But
Connolly saw them coming, and away
he sped for the gate with the crowd al
his heels. Jumping into a milk wagon,
he tumbled the astonished driver into
the street. and standing w on the
dashboard no laid the whip 10 the horse
While milk cans toppled over and their
contents len white tran clear 10 Con-
nolly's hotel.
Dashlng into the hotel office, Connol-
" shouted TO the amazed clerks Mr..
Connolly is not al home 10 callers"
Then he took the steps two at time.
An immense crowd assembled about
the hotel, while Connolly had his din
ner behind the locked door OF his room,
At 1880 Tie crowd was still In the
street waiting 20 get a crack al the
umpire, and Connolly wanted 10 get
back TO New York that night. So 4
happy thought struck him. and making
a megaphone Of his hands. he shouted.
"The uripire reverses his decision.
The man vas safe at second"
ANOTHER EXPERIENCE.
Harry l.. Leach, the ex-nationol
league baseball umpire, known 10 the
levers OF square sports the country
ever, Is as full Of "reminiscences as an
egg is OF meat. Among his possessions
is a coin with history. IL was one OF
the first that was taken In at the wash
ington park track IN Chicago the day
that Modesty won the Derby, and he
has had Il in his pocket ever since.
In talking about baseball TO New
York newspaper, he had the following
10 say.
Some matters Of old baseball days
come 10 my mind, one was when l.
was my misfortune 10 think that
was a player. Through the Influence
| OF Capt. Arson, | undertook the game
as a matter OF livelihood and signed a
! contract TO play IN Birmingham, Ala,
| IN the days when that town was new
and wide open and everyone seemed 70
| have az element Of sporting blood IN
| them. In fact, that same remark may
apply 20 all the southern league cities
| IN those days
Working opposite me as my catcher
was a little fellow named Duffey, whose
| manners, appearance and features
| stamped him as typical pug and his
language showed very decidedly that
! he had no education. However, he vas
good hearted boy. and through ms
ignorance did many very unbecoming
| things, one Of which | call 70 mind very
| distinctly
While riding on a train from Bir-
| mlnsham 70 Memphis | was seated In
| chair car reading magazine. and
| lying beside my seat was my satchel
| and bat bag. Directly opposite me sat
a gentleman who. from his garb could
be readily recognized as minister,
and the gentleman spoke to me. apolo-
giving In words like these:
| "'You will excuse me, sir, but
| Judge you are a professional ball play
or, and seeing you sitting here. reading
this way, ! must confess my opinion OF
ball players has always been decidedly
wrong. because ! always had an idea
that they were all tough. uncouth. IL
literate and common. but | am very
glad, sir, TO see that my opinions were
wrong
Whilst the reverend gentleman was
talking 20 me my little companion,
Dufey. came from the smoking car.
put his hand on my shoulder. made
some remark about my curly hair. and
requested that | should give him the
deck OF cards which ! had In my
satchel. and the language he used. N
making this request. was ANYTHING but
becoming. Needless 10 say, felt very
much embarrassed, particularly so be-
ing IN the presence Of a minister Of the
| gospel"