The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-02-17

lie Ledger was badly stung yesterday
morning by a dispatch from Washing
ton purporting to give the facts in the
case of G.. b. Haskins, the University
OF Pennsylvania champion mile run
ner. who was disqualified for fOuling
Pete Herring. of the Mt Washington
A. c., at the Richmond, Va, indoor
meet on January 26.
The story was so cock-sure and CEN
serious in its bald misstatements that
the impression is inevitable that it was
either inspired by righteousness or rank
ignorance, or, more probably, by both
Haskins' foul of Herring was one OF
the rawest pieces of work ever seen
in the South Atlantic, or any other as
ISOLATION of the Amateur Auanuc
Union. There is a host of witnesses 10
testify 10 his dirty work. and the sus-
pension OF six months imposed upon him
by the registration committee OF The
south Atlantic Association was perfectly
iustifable. The screed in the Pubic
Ledger about the suspension is as toI-
This Is the Story.
..yashington. Feb. &c B. Has
kins. the intercollegiate OIie-mile cham
pion Of the University Of Pennsylvania,
has been suspended for six months by
the South Atlantic Association Of the
Amateur Athletic Union. and what
makes the case amusing. the great
PENNSYLVANIA runner, who ran. in the
Richmond games purely as favor, was
tried and suspended without his knowl-
edge.
IN an SSO-yard race in Richmond on
January 26 Haskins landed the race
from the scratch mark from a large
field. one Of the runners 1ao had Il
long handicap cut inside the pole on
every turn, and finally when the Penn
syIvania runner caught him he began
To iostle Hasl1lns. The champion ran
a good, clean race and paid but little
attention to the distressed competitor.
who resorted TO all the tricks of the
game to win. On the last turns the
southern athlete cut inside the track.
an act Of unsportsmanship in itself. but
then he pulled out directly in front OF
Haskins. cutting only "A few inches in
front of the Pennsylvania runner
.'Haskins was maddened by the ac-
tions OF his rival and he proceeded 10
force him to give up the right Of way
and won the race.
..The officials and Haskins had an ar
gument IN the dressing rooms and he
asked them TO withdraw and settle the
case as they saw fit
Real Truth About Haskins.
The truth Of the matter is that Has
kins was protested by Coates, announcer
comDetitor before he ever started on
the ground that ne had competed
fau, months before in the colors or an
athletic club, and was. therefore IN
eligible to run In the colors OF the OIh-
-,-ersitv of Pennsylvania. When tue
baIf-mfIe was started Haskins early
fo,,Ied Coates. and would have been
disqualified for that. Later, he I"'c"
+ aeIIberatelv fnuled Herring, who was
giving the Pennsylvanian the race OF
his life. ard once endangered Herring
and the others when he reached out
and throttled the Mt. Washington man
II was a high-handed and ineNcusable
offense. which would have caused a
howl of objection II perpetTated in a
race down the road for pound OF
cakes in a backwoods settlement. Com
ms, from an experienced university atm
lete it was nothing less than astonish-
ing.
DIR. William Grant. of Baltimore,
chairman Of the registration committee
of the s. 4. A, who refereed the games.
was IN washington yesterday afternoon
ana discussed the case freely. lie was
extremely angry over the report and
said that II the Atlantic Association did
not take action and follow the 5. \. A
in suspending Haskins, he would carry
the case TO the general registration com
rnittee of the A. \. L.
Insulted Officials.
DIR. Grant said the officials did not go
TO the dressing room 20 quarrel with
HasEins after he had been suspended,
but that the young man appeared on the
floor half an hour after the race, ready
TO start in the mile, and was told to go
away, as he could no longer compete
Haskins then. according to the doctor,
became very fresh and used enough Ian
guage TO cause him to be suspended
even if he had not done wrong in the
first place.
Some OF the officials Of the Atlantic
Association. including George OrtOn. are
inclined to take the suspension Of Has
kins to heart and intimate that It
was a piece of spite work on the part Of
the S. A. A. There they are entirely
mistaken. Haskins Ike a great num-
Der OF other fresh young persons who
come down into this country from the
big Northern clubs and colleges. had it
in his head that because he was star
performer he was on a pedestal and
could do as he pleased. This idea has
afflicted others. and now is as good a
time as any to squelch it once for all.
Atlantic Up to Old Tricks.
The South Atlantic IS one Of the
youngest. but also Of the most progress
sive associations in the A. a. L. II was
born as the result of a long and bitter
war with the officials of the old Allan
tic Association, who had their head
quarters in Philadelphia. and who were
expelled en- masse from the A \. L
for their violation of the rules. and for
displays Of utter Indifference to de-
cency and fair play in amateur ath-
letics and business relations. It's nice
work now for the Atlantic Association.
which was only recently readmitted on
the ground that it had rid itself OF its
grafters and dead ones TO be coming
forward with a baby cry as soon as one
OF its bad actors is brought up with n
short turn Such actions brought on
fba rahplliOn which rpsultp5 in TbiIo