The Washington times., 1914-01-25

chance to forget about ii, I purposely
did not come to the bench when the De-
troit club went to the bat for the next
inning because l had been one OF the
last hitters in the previous session, and
, II would not be my turn. 1 hung around
the outfield and avoided getting within
earshot of the man. But on the way
to the bench in the following inning,
when / was due to bat, / was forced to
pass the left field bleachers, where he
was sitting. II seemed as If he had been
letting his imagination run profanely
wild during the time l was in the out
field, for he heaped a particularly vile
volley on me as l passed him.
Nothing could have stopped me then.
My temper has always been quick, and.
when younger. it got me in a lot Of
trouble, but, in later years, l have eXer-
cised great control over IL, realizing
that II was q handicap and dangerous
TO me. But now an old flash Of temper
seized me and no power would have
kept me out the stand, even if l had
known that every fan in il was armed
with a repeating rifle, and there was
not chance of me coming back alive.
This is not courage. and do not
think / am trying to create the i'm
preston II is, or claim any hero stuff
for myself. 1t was simply blind fury.
stirred in me by what this man with
tho loud voice who had singled Ie
out, said.
AS l sit ard try to recall the incl
dents of the next few minutes. they
are all vague and haZy to me. l re-
member starting for the front of the
stand. Taulting it, and struggling up
thrOl gh the group of fans until found
my ran, who was trying to shrink
away from me, because he never thought
that ball player would come into
the crowd. l next recall coming down
over the bleacher seats again while the
crowd around my man gaped at me in
amazement, with the spectators in the
other parts of the stands on their feet
in Wonder. not knowing what had hap
pened. and the Detroit players. headed
by Sam Crawford. standing in belliger-
ent attitudes directly in front of the
stand ready to help in case any one
tried to lay a hand on me. None did.
And the odd thing is that l have no
Iecollection of The important part of
the incident, that of beating up my
aOuser.
Is Barred From Game.
As soon as l got on the field the UNI
pire told me | was out Of the game,
which he had to do according TO the
rules of the league. He acted apuloSeti-
cally about it. The Detroit players, all
muttering darkly over the incident,
went back to the bench and laid aside
the bats most of them had been carry
ing. | heard Jennings SAY:
Il knew he was going to do ii. once
l got the look in his eye. | was sure Of
II. but there was no chance. of stopping
MIN. When he is that way, nothing
would stop him" jennings meant me
and he knew me-
or course. all readers of baseball n"WS
recall what followed that incident, the
strike OF the Detroit players and the
sensational stories that came out of
Philadelphia when none of the Tigers
showed up for the Saturday game with
the Athletics. Their the club VAS re-
lnstated. l was punished. and the in
cident was smOOthed over. l got back
nome with the club. and there CaTlc a
warning by letter from friend of mine
In New York that the friends of the
man l had attacked were preparing 10
get me. According to this infOrma-
tlOn. his regular Compa 1iOnS had bad
regulations, and their methods were
rough, some even having pictures in I
wen known gallery. | was told 10 be
on my guard the next time the Tigers
returned TO New York, and this written
warning came from no sensatioualist
but from newspaper man who had
been tipped of by a big league manager
The threat worried me. as il prob
ably would any other man. I rcCoE-
niIed that / was stacked ND against
a bad lot and I took certain means
TO protect myself when next was
dark streets alone. Only once did
believe man was following me, and
now i think this impression may have
been due to my imaC nation. II Was in
tn SuDwa.- one night and. instead ut
retreatinS. l showed my shadow" that