The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-11-10
JMPIRES UNI II||ESS and And CRIT
Courageous Acts Of the Men In
the Iron Masks.
A FINE DISPLAY OF NERVE.

" uss 1890 ~tNs -
When Billy Evans 5raved the On.
sIausht Of Chicago Mob and Won
out--A Notable Decision by o'Day.
An Umpire Who Saved Baseball.
''Umpires are brave men-at least the
great majority of them One Of the
bravest things ever saw was the act
of Billy Evans on the old White Soz
grounds in Chicago writes Hugh Full
lerton in the American Magazine. "On
that park there was a tier of seats
known as the 'stockyards,' In which
| gathered one of the most dangerous
crowds (for umpires) In the country.
| They were regulars who occupied the
same seats almost every day and who
fought for then, The seats. Of course,
were not reserved, but hundreds claim
| ed O title to certain places. They paid
their quarters, and If any one was in
the place and refused to move he was
tossed out and thrown over the heads
| of the crowd to the bottom. That
crowd started after Evans, who had
| given a close decision at third base
against Chicago Evans walked over
on to foul ground back of first base,
| and a, shower of bottles fell around
| him. 1t looked as If hundred men
| were throwing bottles at the umpire.
| One bottle touched his cap, several
bounded and struck him, one hit him
| on the arm. During this bombardment
Evans did not turn his head. He stood
watching the batter. For at least three
| minutes the bottles whisted around
his head. The people in the grand
stand shouted for him to run, fearing
he would be killed. The players beg
ged him to move into the diamond
| out of range. He stood still with back
to his foes until the batter made
base hit, then trotted down near Sec
ond base to watch for play there. AS
the opposing team took the field few
moments later Evans walked to the
same position back of first base, and
the crowd that had tried to kill him
stood up and cheered him. They rec
ognized brave man. One fellow
threw a bottle, and the crowd pitched
him down the steep steps, passing him
along until he bit the fence
y "The neryiest decision and one OF
the most important ever made was
that of Umpire O'Day in the worlds
championship game between Chicago
and Detroit on Oct. 8, 1907, the first
game of the series which finally ended
In tie in twelve innings. In the elev.
} enth inning Chicago actually scored the
winning rim only to lose 1t through the
! decision of O'Day, Chicago man and
, National Lacquer. Slagle was on
third base and started home with the
ball back of third In left field. The
ball was thrown home and arrived
after Slagle had crossed the plate and
was nearly to the bench Steinfeldt.
who had been batting, was excited,
and when the ball was thrown to the
plate, wild and wide, he jumped and
let 1t hit his shoulder and prevented
Schmidt from catching It, O'Day, In
spite OF the fact that Slagle had tossed
the plate and that there wasn't a
chance to put him out, called him out
because of Steinfeldts interference.
, "There was a close decision at Cleve-
land one day when Tim Hurst, widely
known as the 'scrappy ump,' was Of
: ficiating. Burkett was trying to score
| from second on hit. The catcher
q failed to touch his foot, but touched his
knee, and Cleveland claimed the foot
q reached the rubber before the bal
/ reached the knee. Hurst called him
out, and in the wrangle that followss
expelled Pat Tebeau, O'Connor ant
Burkett from the game Then he pu
a them Off the grounds. They left thu
q playing Enclosure, but all three hat
D their heads over gate shouting a
8 Hurst and urging the other players t
O avenge them. Tebeau shouted to goot
d old Deacon Mcguire, who was catch
a ing. Get after him. Jimr Hurs
! heard, but was not In position to reply
Q Mcguire heard and waited until b
|. thought Hurst miscalled strike. The
Q he rushed at the umpire at top speed
d Hurst stood still. When Maguir
o came near enough Hurst kicked hin
j, on the shins and poked his mask int
i his face Mcguire fell back, astonisf
10 ed If you don't like It, Jim,' sal
I. Hurst softly, give 1t to Pat I merel
y punched you vicariously'
d 'aThey are square men,, these un
Ie pires. forced to be bit gruff and I
q Fight, but their devotion to their wor
10 and their honest effort TO discharg
their duties mark them as men Q
high integrity And they are game
saw Bob Emslle once when a fot
ball struck him over the heart. Th
! pain was excruciating. His face gre
= white, and he set bis teeth togcthe
= and resumed work. Three balls wef
pitched after be was bit. he calle
- them all clearly. Then be collapse'
falling as II dead, and was carried 0
:. the field unconscious.
: .One night / saw politicians, wealth
- men, club owners, argue for houI
- with an umpire. All they wanted bill
y y to say was ! didn't see It. Upo
- those words hung the fate of q chan
! pionship, the future of a major leagv
2 = and the honesty OF baseball. The IN
T. pire replied. But, - 1t, did see u
~ And he saved baseball"
nd
His Last Residence.
IaRver TO Ritnessl--NoW. then. hl