The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-02-21
RECEPTION
WAS.LOVELY
GAME WAS FORFEITED
Action OF Referee Riley in Removing
I'd. wAehtsr Without Prcvoeation
Caused Visitors 10 Leave Floor How
tho Boys Were Treated.

tho Boys Were Treated.
The second basketball game bc,weei
Rfaiileboro aud ~. Johnsbary for tbs
championship Of Vermont began in ~
Johnsbnry At si5 Wednesday evehins
before one 81 the largest crowds that
ever assembled Ia the hoi'bed Of the
sport. Just minutes later, with the score
standing 10 IN favor Of Bfaitleboro
II came 20 an abrupt termination, the
visiting team forfeiiing 2 10 on ae
count Of an obviously raw decision
from Referee Riley which deprived
Hrat,lebofo II the services Of I'd,
waehier What Night Have Been Is
an easy song TO sing, but the 20 OF
more royal fooiers who iourneyed into
the nclghborhood Of Jocs Brook 10
witness the struggle are unanimous IN
the opinion that Braiilcboro would
have won had the game been played
through. The trouble was due directly
20 Doyle who openly sluggcd I'd,
waehter without the slightest provoca.
ton apparently. wach,er naturally at
tempted 10 rcialiate but before he
could land, the oficious Riley summar'
ily ordered both Wachter and Doyle TO
the dressing room. The Bra,tleboro
management would not stand for this
decision for the reason that Doyle was
the aggressor aud the team at once left
the floor. After giving IL three min
utes in which 10 return Riley an.
nouneed the game forfeited 10 81.
Iohnsbury. Meanwhile the Brattle'
boro players had left the armory by a
side door and were well on their way
10 the Avenue House. After waiting
for - TO 90 minutes the 500 people be,
gan 10 get uneasy. Then they were
told by 81. Johnsbury attorney that
the Brattleboro players had sneaked
out instead Of staying and taking what
was coming 20 them, the speaker add
ing some highly uncomplimcntary re.
marks regarding the sportsmanship OF
the team. He then went on TO say
that on account of the great expense,
etc. no money would be refunded. and
the crowd left the hall in decidedly
ill.natured mood. Some people paid as
high as S. for reserved seats.
Trouble began for the Brattleboro
management the moment it reached the
armory. When Francis Murphy Of
Newport. n. H., who had been selected
by Brattleboro as official timer and
scorer, was introduced to Manager
GRAY the latter called him vile name
and attempted to hit him in the face.
This took place in an ante.room Just
before the game and it was some time
before Gray could be brought to his
senses. When the game did begin it
was evident that Riley was going TO
make trouble. The Brattleboro team
started with Hardman and Mueller
forwards, Ed. Wachter center, and
Lew Wachter and "Lefty" Lennon
st. Johnsbury's lineup was
the same as on the previous evening
Hardly had the ball been put IN play
when Riley called Lennon for coach
ing his team mates, perfectly legiti-
mate thing for Lennon to do, and then
told him .peremptorily not to run
around after any man who did not
have the ball. This was so absurd
that the Brattleboro team protested
and it was before this matter had been
fixed that the Wachter.Doyle episode
brought the game to an end. When
Riley ordered Ed. Wachter off the floor
his brother grabbed the official by the
throat and slapped his face. Fox had
scored one goal for st. Johnsbury and
Mueller one for Brattleboro and the
latter team had made one point on
fouls.
The attitude of the st. Johnsbury
crowd was hostile from the first and
many were the jibes, misses and taunts
flung at the visitors while they were
up. This was particularly
rue in the case of Mueller, who was
called "welcher," "quitter, 9 four
1ushern and other nice-sounding
names because it was supposed that he
nad been hired by st. Johnsbury:
When the team left the floor many of
he spectators so far forgot themselves
Is to use indecent language without
'estraint.
Although the game itself was very
,rief and unsatisfactory affair there
vas plenty doing all the rest of the
evening. A large part of the crowd
adjourned from the armory to point
n front of the Avenue House whence
,oots and Kisses were Forthcoming ev-
nv time a Brattleboro man passed in
ront of one of the hotel windows. One
young man entered
he hotel office and in loud whisper
old some of his companions that "two
rates of real rotten eggs were await.
ng the dirty Brattleboro cutters. -
his startling intelligence was OF
curse for the benefit Of the visitors.
soon afterward the hotel office began
o fill with disappointed fans and
What might have been small riot was
uelled only by the stentorian tones OF
he landlord who ordered the "mob"
o dispense About this time members
f the Brattleboro squad started from
he hotel to the depot to despatch
elegram. At the station they encoun-
cred several hundred loud-mouthed
zen and boys who jollied and jostled
he visiting pair until patience ceased
o be a virtue. At least that is what
ne of the visitors thought, for he
tarted in on one particularly annoying
fender and proceeded to wade
trough half a dozen or so of the
oise makers. This enraged the crowd
o that the two players with difficulty
managed to make their way back to