Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-25
S. u. I. Claims to Have Evidence
That Injury of Kirk in Ames
Game Was Deliberate
BETS MADE HE WOULD NOT STAY
Evidence at Hand to Show That Money
Was Waeered That Kirk Would Not
Last Thru First HaIf-Say injury
Lost Game to lowa-officaIs Not In
clined to Blame Coach Williams.
,,ec,al to rimes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Iowa Cty, Nov. 25.-The foot ball
season has practically closed in Iowa
with the state agricultural college re-
tanning the championship of the state
The state university ranks second
among the Iowa college teams, the
other teams ranking as follows: Grin
nell. Drake, Cornell, Coe, Des Moines
college. Morningside is not entitled
to rank among the Iowa teams on ac-
athletes are allowed to compete on It's
teams The real fight for the cham
pionship lay between Ames and Iowa
this year, as it did last, but there has
been considerable shifting of positions
among the minor college teams. the
most notable changes being Goes drop
from third to sixth place and the In
creasing strength shown by Cornell
college The game to be played be-
tween Drake university and Ames at
Des Moines on Thanksgiving day can
not change the ranking of the various
teams.
The championship game between the
state university and the state agrlcu1-
tural college has aroused the bitterest
feeling that has ever existed between
the two institutions. For the past
two years the authorities of the two
schools have made every effort to pro-
mote a feeling Of good fellowship and
when Clyde Williams, an old university
of Iowa foot ball star, was secured
to coach the Ames team, it was be-
lieved that, win or loose, the relations
of the two institutions would be on an
entirely different basis. Followers of
the Iowa team do not wish to protest
the outcome of the game. Whatever
else may be charged to the Hawk
eyes, no one questions but what they
are good losers and the conduct OF
the student body following the Ames
game last year, when the Aggles
snatched the championship by two
points, is ample proof of this fact.
But it is now charged, and ample
proof can be produced to substan-
tiate the charge, that a deliberate at
tempt was made to so cripple Kirk,
the Iowa star, that it would be I'M
possible for him to continue in the
game.
Three days before the team started
for Ames man telephoned from Des
Moines to Coach John Griffith that
bet had been made in the apital city
of 5000 to $50 that Kirk would net
stay in the game thru the first half.
While the team was in Marshalltown,
Iowa, on the day before the game, sim
liar reports We're brought to the COACH
es from Ames and upon arrival at
Ames the followers of the Ames team
were willing to bet that Kirk would
not complete the game, but very few
bets were offered on the outcome.
1t can be further shown that john
son. the man who succeeded Reppert at
end after the latter had been dis
qualified. is the man who has shown
up strongest in the practice work IN
that position and whom Williams mad
picked to succeed Stauffer there.
Early in the first half Reppert who
had started the game at left end.
made the play which injured kirk.
The latter signaled for fair eaten
and stood waiting for the ball with
both hands above his head. Reppert
ran fifteen yards and made clean
dive, striking Kirk in the solar plexus
with his head and both hands.
Without waiting to see the result OF
his work, Reppert leaped to his feet,
took off his gear and trotted to the
sidelines. Johnson. who stood on the
sidelines, Immediately ran onto the
field to take his place.
Kirk was knocked unconscious and
one rib broken. 1t was impossible for
him to raise his hands above his head
and for that reason it was impossible
to attempt the forward pass or any OF
the plays based on it's use. From that
time forward Iowa was restricted to
the use Of the old style plays and
Kirk played the balance of the game
with a broken rib, unable to draw a
long breath.
In view of the above circumstances,
all of which can be proved by verified
statements, the alumni and the stu
dent body of the state university
believe some one deliberately PLAN
ned and directed the play which
resulted in Kinks injury The cold
bloodedness with which it was exc
cuted, the certainness of the Ames
followers that Kirk would be put out
of the game and the action of Rep
pert in leaving the field without being
ordered off by either of the officials,
all speak plainly of a preconceived
plan.
Loath as the university students and
alumni are to believe that Williams
would have participated in anything of
that kind, they cannot believe anything
else in view of all of the circumstance
es. Absolute proof that Williams di
rected the play is of course, lacking
and it will probably never be known
whether he planned it or not. But With
the weight of the evidence so over
whelmingly against him, his friends
among Hawkeye people can be count
ed this morning by tens where there
were literally thousands before.
K. d. STEERE.