The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-02-14
Thorpe Loses
Amateur Rank
Worlds Best Athlete Confesses
to Professionalism of Long
Standing and Loses
His Medals

| VINO IOil0W atniellc eNbhbs-hds au
mitted that he is professional. That
means that he has accepted money
for his services in athletic compe-
tition. That means that he is for
ever barred from taking part in track
| meets, football games or baseball
| games in which amateurs figure, and,
most especially, that he may not
4 again show his wonderful prowess in
the Olympic games, that great inter
national congress of athletes. Thorpe
is, undoubtedly, the greatest all
around athlete in the world. He is a
Sac and Fox Indian, student at the
Carlisle school for Indians Within
little more than half year Thorpe,
at Stockholm and in competition
against the world, established new
record and showed his supremacy. He
was recently charged with having
played professional baseball with the
Winston Salem team in North Caro-
lima. When the charge was brought
home to him Thorpe confessed that
he had been a professional since 1910;
that, technically, at least, he had
taken Olympic honors under false
| pretenses His confession was con
tanned in a letter to the registra
| ton committee of the Amateur Ath-
letic Union, which organization has
| general supervision over the ehgibil-
| ity of all athletes who are not in
sports for a livelihood. This board
| was in session in New York City at
| the time, converting to decide
| Thorpe's case. In extenuation of his
conduct, Thorpe said that he did not
know that he had done anything
wrong, as on the same team with him
| in 1910 were several college men who
were spending their vacations playing
i baseball for pay These. said Thorpe,
were regarded as amateurs, and be
H could see no reason why he also
should not retain his standing. Also,
the Indian stated that he did not play
for the money offered him, but be-
cause he loved the game.
II His record is remarkable. His win
ming of the pentathlon and decathlon
events at the Olympic games in Swe-
den and later his wonderful perform
ance in winning the all-around cham
pionship of the Amateur Athletic
II Union at Celtic Park, New York, last
sSeptember, stamped him as the most
ltmarvelous athlete of modern times.
In addition, his proves as football
! iplayer during the season of 1912
!. drought to him the honor of being
3. lIpiven a place on the All-Ameriean
! ifootball eleven, a paper team
!, Epieked by leading sporting experts
= sfrom among the best in the great col
= Slege game.
Thorpe will be required to return
Eall of the medals and insignia of
: honor that he has won in competition
with amateurs since the time he
played baseball for hire. Foreign
sporting men, however, are reported
as believing that Thorpe should be
allowed to retain his medals. even If
he won them under pretenses of being
an amateur. This, too, means that
the points won by Thorpe for America
may not be counted for this country
Their loss, however, does not take
victory from Uncle Sam. The cor
rected score gives the United States
10 points. with Finland second with
90.
Thorpe finished FIRST in the running
broad jump. first in the 200-meters
run. first in the 1500-meters run
first and third in the javehn event
In the decathlon, which consisted OF
the 1o0-meters dash, running broad
lump, shotput, running high jump
400-meters run, 11o-meters hurdles
d;scus throwing, pole vaulting, javehr
throwing and 1500-meters run, Thorpe
had a percentage of s412.955, agalnsf
7724. 495 by Wieslander OF Sweden
his nearest opponent.
Thorpe first was heard OF severa
wears ago as a football player WIT
tho Carlisle team. Later he special
lied in weight-throwing, jumping AM
running. He also became noted as
lacrosse and baseball player and Il
the latter branch Of sport severa
of the major league teams tried :
procure his services. Only last yea
Pittsburg and Washington endeavore
to secure him, but the Indian rs
fused to sign a contract, deeiarln
that he wished to remain an amateur
After the Olympic games in Sw'
den last year King Gustave sent fl
Thorpe to congratulate him on h
prowess. At first the Indian timidl
declined to meet the monarch, br
later, when several of the America
committeeman insisted that he do $
Thorpe went to the palace. There q
king took the Indian by the han
and smilingly said: nYou are Il
greatest athlete in the world