Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1911-07-27

NN ed lelOn, nearing DOlI SnOt
MIX behind him in the door OF a
SAZ@1 death cell, hopes TO feel and
W breathe the open air again,
save for a few terrible mo-
ments when he marches out TO the
scaffold, to die. Never does he dream
that he will again see the gayety of
life and freedom expressed in scenes
of strength and skill, or that he will
he permitted to participate in them,
writes a special correspondent of the
st. Louis Post-Dispatch. That is why,
in all the annals of baseball. there is
murderer Casey of the Nevada state
prison--who went from death cell
to judge a baseball game between two
teams of his fellow convicts.
Patrick c. Casey, whose wooden leg
and sobriquet of "Pegleg" tell one
chapter in the story of his misfortunes,
was fan of fans in a time gone past.
That was before he wandered into the
land where "six-shooters" and Bowie
knives set the Darwinian theory aside.
That was before Goldfield had sprung
up in the desert to lure men on to
hardships that might yield luxury or
death, and before Casey, in that turbu'
1909, deliberately sauntered down a
street of the mushroom city. slew
Mrs. Thomas Heslip on her own door
step and dangerously wounded Mrs
Thomas Mann. guest at the Heslip
home.
Between Casey. the prison umpire
and Casey, the boy. wrangling with
other boys on a corner lot where
coming champs" were wont to put
their hopes TO test a series of event
full years had interposed record
which was long and not too good. and
In which Casey had played the game
with lead instead of the horsehide
spheroid of the diamond
But the years had not made Casey
! forget, and the hayward life of the
mining camps had not stamped out oil
his soul the spirit Of sport. and his
old-time love of our national game
When he was led TO the. warden's of
fee a few weeks ago and informed
that his plea for new trial had re
leased him. for a time, at any rate
from the death cell he had occupied
since December Z. 1909 his first re
quest was that he might take some
part In the baseball games then be
ing planned for prisoners whose sen
fences stop short of the gallows. AnC
| ny nyx ha 4 -. a
ate at the first of the prisoners
baseball games. there was no tremol
or doubt In the voice that cried: BAT
ter up; play BALI"
Surely a Remarkable Game.
In order to see the ball game
Casey gave the warden his word o.
honor that he would abide by all the
rules governing the prison yard. He
promised that he would act as a fai,
and impartial Judge. He swore tha
he would make no attempt to escape
or to cheat the gallows by destroyinl
himself while he was at liberty in the
yard. In word, Casey, the GoldfielC
murderer, whose life was being de
manded by all the people of Nevada
was strictly ION his honor" to b,
good one afternoon.
Surely that was a unique and per
haps remarkable game of ball Their,
was no velvet green with soft brown
paths Of earth. The diamond wal
black strips OF paint laid on the hare
face OF the prison yard, which I.
blasted and quarried out OF solic
rock. in the heart OF which the exca
vators found mastodon tracks and foot
prints OF prehistoric men.
One team was composed of Shines.
as the negro prisoners are called
and the other white men whose crime,
ranged from petit larceny to murder
Around the diamond sat 200 other fel
lows, above whom rose the walls O
the prison yard. With them wa,
Warden Baker, who took charge O
the prison last January. and imme
d!ately began working out q system
of reform In which baseball plays n,
small part
Completing the picture we're tn,
guards. patroling the top of the wall
In sharp relief against the blue skie
OF freedom, and constantly countin,
the men in the yard lest any attemp
at escape should be made.
umpire's Decision Went
Nobody dared question a decision
from the peg-legged lord of the game
To have cried loudly for Judgment
on a close play at base, or to hav
complained strenuously when Case
announced strike" safe" or "y'r