Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-27
CHARGES
AGAINST HENRY
A. A. U. COMMITTEE WILL TAKE
UP MATTER FRIDAY
SWIMMING SECRETARY COURTS
FULL INVESTIGATION
Accusations Against official and Sew
eral Southern Athletes viii Re-
ceive Final Consideration at
Meeting Next Week

Three meetings to be held this week
and next probably will result In
clearing up of the tangles surrounding
the charges against Leslie Henry, sec
rotary of the Southern California
Swimming association, and score OF
members of the various water polo
teams of Southern California, the IN
tricacies of which have thoroughly
aroused and unsettled matters In south
of-the- Tehachapi athletic circles. The
local members of the A. A. U. COM
mission are now prepared to give the
matters relating to the charges made
by George Freeth against numbers or
the swimmers on the polo teams, and
preferred against Henry by Chester
Lawrence, a member of the commits
sion, a searching hearing and in all
probability next week will see all ac-
cusations faced and settled, pro or
con.
A meeting of the special committee
appointed by the commission to look
into the Henry charges, the committee
consisting of Prof. Franklin of the Los
Angeles Athletic club, DR.. Beach OF the
Los Angeles high school and Father
Martin of st. Vincent, will be held
either Thursday or Friday night Of
this week, and at this meeting, which
will be an open affair and will be held
at the Los Angeles Athletic club rooms
on South Spring street, the AFFAIRS or
the Swimming association, which II is
asserted have been improperly con-
Quoted by Henry, will be investigated
Thereupon a report will be made to
the commission at their next meeting
Wednesday evening, May 8, and 1t Is
probable that the report of the special
committee will be adopted by the COM
mission.
Interests Northern Swimmers
Henry has recently returned from
San Francisco, where he went to in
terest the northern swimmers in coast
championship tournaments, which he
plans to hold at a beach resort on
July 4, and for which he already holds
the sanction of the A. A. U. While
in the north he conferred with Presi-
dent Sidney Peixotto. head of the west
ern branch of the amateur organ1za-
ton, and the latter is known to have
written several strong letters to the
members of the southern commission,
making recommendations in regard to
the handling CT the matter that were
decidedly in favor of Henry. However,
Peixotto is not disposed to Interfere
with the running of the local amateur
affairs, though his word in the matter
will certainly carry weight in the fnal
disposition of the case.
The accused secretary has openly
courted an exhaustive investigation
ever since the charges were filed. AL
though it was reported yesterday that
they would be dropped, he insists on
exoneration in an official manner.
Henry will ask every swimmer In
Southern California who is interested
in the matter to be present at the
meeting. 1t was at first proposed, to
hold it tomorrow night and then
Thursday night was suggested. but
both dates were impossible for Henry,
so probably Friday will be selected.
Will Probe Charges
Next Tuesday night the charges made
by George Freeth, the professional
lied swimmer against a score of south
ern athletes accused of every high
crime of professionalism, including
diving for nickles at Catalina in their
sand-lot days, will be brought before
the registration committee of the A.
A. u. These, likewise will be fully
gone into, and a report, which is con-
the meeting of the commission the
evening following, when both this mat
ter and the Henry affair will receive
final attention by the larger body.
In case the charges against him are
dismissed Henry will go after the
Fourth OF July meet in earnest. He
has offered the committee all assist
ance in the investigation, and seems in
hurry to get the matter over with,
and go forward with plans for the
swimming tournament. Numbers of
the northern swimmers have given as
surance that they will be glad to COM
pete in the coast events, and will make
special trip south for this purpose.
Henry also will make APPLICATION for
a sanction from the A. A. u. for
a Southern California indoor swimming
championship tournament to be held in
May. This will be a tryout to choose
the men who Will represent the south
! land in the July events. Had the pres
ent row not started this would have
been held early IN the spring.