Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-02-15
FOUR PAGES
Thorpe Loses
Amateur Rank
Worlds Best Athlete Confesses
to Professionalism of Long
Standing and Loses
His Medals


mitted that he is professional. That
means that he has accepted money
for his services in athletic eompe
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
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
Sac and Fox Indian, student at the
Carlisle school for Indians. Within
little more than half year Thorpe,
al 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 professional since 1910;
that, technically, at least, he had
taken Olympic honors under false
pretenses. His confession was con-
tanned in letter to the registra-
ton committee of the Amateur Ath-
letic Union, which organization has
general supervision over the eligibil-
ity of all athletes who are not in
sports for livelihood. This board
was in session in New York City at
the time, converting to decide
] Thorpes 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
baseball for pay These. said Thorpe,
were regarded as amateurs, and he
/ 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.
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
| Union at Celtic Park, New York, last
September, stamped him as the most
marvellous athlete of modern times.
Tn addition, his prowess as a football
player during the season of 1912
brought to him the honor of being
4 given place on the All-American
football eleven, "paper" team
picked by leading sporting experts
from among the best in the great col
lege game.
Thorpe will be required to return
all of the medals and insignia Of
honor that he has won in competition
with amateurs since the time HI
played baseball for hire. Foreign
sporting men, however, are reported
as believing that Thorpe should b
allowed to retain his medals. oven i
he won them under pretenses of beini
an amateur. This, too, means tina
the points won by Thorpe for Americ'
NAV not be counted for this country
Their loss, however, does not tax
victory from Uncle Sam. The cor
rected score gives the United State
70 points. with Finland second wit
20.
In the pentathlon in Stockholm
Thorpe finished first in the runnin
broad Jump. first in the 200-meter
run. first in the 1500-meters ruT
first and third in the javelin event
In the decathlon, which consisted 0
the 100-meters dash, running broa
jump, shotput, running high JUMP
4O0-meters run, 110-meters hurdles
discus throwing, pole vaulting, javeii
throwing and 1500-meters run, Thorp
had a percentage of S412.955, agains
7724.495 by Wieslander Of Sweder
his nearest opponent.
Thorpe first was heard of severa
years ago as football player wit
the Carlisle team. Later he special
lied in weight throwing, jumping an
running He also became noted as
lacrosse and baseball player and L
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 re
fused to sign contract, declarin'
that he wished to remain an amateur
After the Olympic games in Swe
den last year King Gustavo sent TO
Thorpe to congratulate him on M
prowess. At first the Indian timidl.
declined to meet the monarch, bu
later, when several Of the American
committeeman insisted that he do so
Thorpe went to the palace. There tn
king took the Indian by the hant
and smilingly said: "You are the