The Ordway new era., 1911-07-28

out" would have been a quick pass
port to q darkened cell and the for
feiting Of privileges.
"Play ball!" shouted Casey. and
the white men took their positions In
the field. A bullet.headed negro. who
drew a life sentence for assaulting a
white woman in Reno ten years ago.
was the first to bat for the Shines"
In the pitchers box was Skinner. who
murdered Mona Bell. once queen Of
the New York tenderloin. Behind the
bat, dressed in mask and pad and
heavy glove. was terrible Sheridan.
who plunged a butcher-knife through
the body of his wife In Goldheld sew
eral years ago because she aroused
him from q drunken stupor to 60 to
his work.
Strike one!"
Strike two!"
Casey of the corner lots put life
behind him. and counted of the first
two efforts Skinner sent across the
plate.
The white men smiled. Skinner.
having tempted the negro to cut two
vicious gashes In the hot June air.
showed the satisfaction he felt at be-
ing able to come back" He COM
pounded his most bewildering selec-
ton Of astonishment for the final.
The negro poised his bat. and braced
himself to solve SINNERS mystery Of
speed and space.
"Pop!"
Spoiled Chance to Score.
CONSERVATION in the camp Of the
whites! The shine" had caught the
horsehide squarely with q Hans Wag-
ner smash. and sent 1t soaring into
right field. That particular part Of
the yard was in charge Of "Baldy"
Cunningham. who is at Carson City
because he tried to act as city treas
urer for his own benefit while he was
city clerk Of Reno. However irregu-
lar "Baldy's" past may have been. he
displayed one trait of good American
ism by getting under that fly. The
negro had almost reached first base.
"Y're out" shouted Casey: but the
dictum was unnecessary. The ball
already had been frozen" by Badly"
and was on its way back to the
pitcher.
Shines" was former Pullman car
porter. who robbed passengers while
they slept instead Of waiting for them
to get up in the morning. With the
same smile that had been such an ef-
fectual anesthetic in treating travel.
ers for hypertrophy Of purse. the for
mer porter picked up the willow and
cruelty assassinated a beautiful drop
over which Skinner had spent several
agonized moments. The ball went
deep into left field. and when an emf
nent footpad in that section made q
wild throw back to the diamond, the
shine" reached second base in safety.
At the close of the first inning the
score was four to three. In favor Of
the negroes. and then the game grew
fast and furious until the closo Of the
seventh inning, when It was called OF
and the Shines" declared victors.
The score was Is to IL. The whites
struggled bravely. but they were out
| played, and the result was similar in
its effect on the hopes of the white
race" to another famous racial con-
test in another Nevada arena a year
ago.
All through the strife the peg-legged
Casey stood firm as the stone walls
| around him and the solid rock be-
meath his foot and wooden stump.
| No one showed any inclination to
grumble at his decisions. even II the
restraint had been lessened or re-
moved. Just how we'll Casey was
pleased with himself and his work as
an umpire is not for US to know.
Every ball that passed the catcher
popped loudly against the walls OF the
| death-house.
cssey's Trial.
Unusual echoes filled the prison
courtyard when foul strikes and
missed balls dashed against the grim
walls. To the men on whom the death
sentence had not been pronounced