St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-02-26

negotiations, was in the dressing room
during the whole proceeding, and al
III ugh he tailed To make himself KIN '>n
"A, NAT time, II was he who called
Director ewett next morning in regard
to continuing the series. Nor should we
forget the local man, who acted rs
emissarv from the rotund Shea. and
came with full authority 20 act for the
visitors
hut we must not forget the game,
bret as il was, tor here began the real
trouble
Referee Riley gave them the word at
rs and the largest and most enthusi-
astlc crowd in the history of the game
sat up and began to take notice 1t was
the fastest three minutes play ever
witnessed here, and gave promise of
being a game that would long BIZ re
membered.
Company d got started on the team
work that won for them the game at
Brattleboro and the thousand fans are
confident that had the game continued
the locals would have won by more
comfortable margin.
Bonnie Vaughn got the tap OFF on
Wachter and after some clever passing
Jack Fox dropped the sphere into the
south basket for the first score and the
crowd went wild Then ensued two or
three more scrimmages in which two fouls
were called on either team, before the
Big Chief took the ball down the hall
and dropped in a pretty one Brattle-
Oro's only count
Aftar the uayt SCritnftlatyp the In II ~
tossed up between Ed Wachter and
DOYLE with the result that led up To the
final disturbance. There is some diver
sity of opinion as to whether Wachter or
Doyle was the first to offend, but no one
questions the fact that b til were scrap
ping, nor does any one question Rileys
authority in ordering both men from the
! floor Lew Wachter here stepped into
the spot light and tried to reach the
referee in the center of the hall, but was
restrained by his team mates. He was
not to be outdone, however, and fol
/ lowed Riley t. thc stage, where after an
/ encouragement by the latter that the
| game could be started over, he dellber.
ately slapped him IN the face and thus
/ put an end To what might have been
/ the greatest game of basket ball ever
| played His entirely uncalled for action
was quickly followed by the disappear
| ance of the visiting team from the floor
| and from the hall
There were all kind of rumors afloat
| the next day as to how it all happened
and the underlying cause, but it re
manned for the Brattleboro papers to
/ furnish material for rational working
out OF the matter.
Great stress is laid on the fact that
Referee Riley was kept in Obscuritv after
his arrival in town, but nowhere do we
find the cause Of this uncomfortable
desire on the part of the visitors to see
the referee before the game, nor do we
find any account of the meeting on the
corner between the referee and Mr.
Murphy, when the latter tried by every
means to induce Mr.. Riley to accompany
him to the Avenue House, but was in
formed in no unmistakable tones that
he was ION the square and that the
game was not for sale.
ThiscOsed one avenue ofescape from the
almost certain defeat that was in store
for the Brattleboro contingent, but there
was still one working chance. properly
/ leIt IN charge Oh Lew " dCHleF, whose
unsavury reputation has long been a
byword in the sporting world. A Brat
tleboro paper tells us that he wagered
$50 on the outcome and we also hear
from reliable sources that this bet and
all Others were placed by Brattleboro
supporters with the provisO that in case
of a forfeit game all bets were of. When
the man delegated to land Riley reported
his unsuccessful Campaign, the ring realiz-
ed that it was up to the leader OF the
gambling coterie to finish the game and
save them their money. He made good
and the only too apparent trameup was
worked off in a way that suggested a
master hand at the business The
question as to which team would suffer
worst by the decision OF Referee Riley, is
properly not to be considered but by
what method of reason the Brattleboro
crowd could arrive at the conclusion that
Company d would not be handicapped
by the removal of Doyle, who has played
in every game since the season started.
and was referred to by Ed Wachter that