The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-09-24
PRISON nine WINNER
IN FRAME-UP GAME
SaIaried Ball Players Wear
Prison Uniforms
Expenses and Salaries Were To Be Paid
and No Questions Asked. Butte
Backers Cleaned Up Consid-
erahIe Money.

The Mirror is in receipt OF let
ter from Edwin B. Catlin. of Ana
conda. Montana, concerning frame
up'' base ball game played between
the Deer Lodge Prison team and
Dillon City team. He will be re-
membered by most of the Mirrors
readers; as from time to time we
have published the clippings he so
kindly sent to us.
The following clipping speaks for
itself in regard to what is being ac-
complished in the way of bringing a
little sunshine to those who by some
act of indiscretion, have been taken
away from more congenial surround
ings.
Professional ball players wearing
the uniform of the Montana State
Prison nine, played side by side
with some of the prison players in
a frame-up" game played at Greg
son Hot Springs. Sunday, when Dill
Ion day was observed at the resort.
Spectators from Butte wondered at
seeing Jack Halla, veteran player
of 16 years, and leading pitcher in
the Union association until the as
sociation blew up. pitching for the
prison nine. Four players of the
Montana state prison nine were pro-
fessionals and the others were doing
time. Yesterday the story of the
game leaked out and Frank Conley,
warden of the penitentiary. was
given the credit of being John Nc
Graw, Connie Mack or better still a
Hughie jennings, when credit is
given for scouting ability.
Dillon has claimed the champion
ship of Montana and challenged the
prison team to game on Dillon day.
Warden Conley asked the prison
team about it and the prison men
said they would play. 10 date the
prison team has cleaned up about
everything in Montana. Warden
Conley learned that some additions
were being made to the Dillon line
up. The grapevine route told him
that Dillon was going to use pro-
fessionals. Among the recruits to
the Dillon team was Alexander Rem
meas, formerly of Detroit and now
under contract to the Denver club
of the Western league. Warden
Conley held a conference with the
stars of his prison zine, and they a
greed that the penitentiary did not
contain stars enough to beat the
strengthened Dillon nine.
Right then and there Warden
Conley played the Hughie Jennings
act. He telephoned to some baseball
friends in Butte and told them to
get the best ball players in the state.
He wanted them in rush. Their
expenses and salaries were to be
paid, and they were to ask no ques-
tions. The warden gave lnstruc-
tjons that whoever was obtained
should appear at Gregson Sunday
without UNIFORM.
The honor system prevails among
the warden's prison team, although
one of the stars of the club is under
a 17-year sentence for forgery.
There are several players on the
prison nine that could play in or
ganized baseball if the warden did
not have an ironclad contract on
their services. Among them is an
old Detroit third sacker, who was
arrested on Denver ball field for
passing bad paper. He was in the
prison lineup Sunday. When the
teams took the field, Alexander Rem
meas was pitching for Dillon. The
Beaverhead aggregation thought the
game was cinched and bets were
made literally. A crowd of Butte
sports, who were in on the frame-up
began to take the even money offer
ed on Dillon, and when the prison
team took the field the Dillon fans
got a real shock.
Jack Halla was in the pitchers
box. The Butte fans tried to recall
when Jack went to the penitentiary
They decided he didn't belong there
although Halla had on the prison
uniform. Earl Tucker who thas
played third base IN the Union as
sociation, came to bat and laced out
a triple. Tucker had never been
sentenced as far as the fans could
recall. Then Laughing Bill" Lus-
81, the hard hitting first sacker of the
Halana club came To hat Rill,a