The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-08-22
ACTION WAS Just
AND NECESSARY
coneensus Of Opinion Among keo'
kuk Fans over Fridays Mix
Up at League Base
eaIl Park.
NO cENsURE FOR FERRIS
Old Sailor Did His Duty-No One AZ
tempted to Lay Hands
on Umpire Joe
Bush.

opinion among ke0kuk IduS tuf1t, ~
though Friday afternoons occurrence
at the baseball park was regrettable,
i the action taken under the circum-
| stances was just and right.
4 It was too bad that the game had
to be broken up, although this state
OF affairs was largely due to Ned
4 Egan who called his men In on the
4 field. Keokuk was willing to play
| even with the loss OF man and
4 Boyle tried every way in his power
Ito keep the game going. but It was
{ in vain.
Even though Bush did get the cold
Il feet and leave the baseball park, .
i substitute umpire was handy. and be-
] cause Hasbrook got what was prob
I ably his just dues. is no reason why
the game should have been stopped
1t was not the fans who stopped
the game; It was Egan. Although
1.-THE Keokuk fans were angry. and had
! a reason to be, against Umpire Bush.
i no one molested him In the least or
raised a finger against him and when
/ he left .the baseball park he showed
1 the white feather. All Keokuk wanted
was square deal and the team tried
to get It.
It VIII be Ned Egan's business to
start the cry that he and his men
were mpbbed here on Friday, but this
/; has no foundation. There was only
a handful OF fans out to the game
and Bush proba bly, became frightened
4 at score OF boys who gathered around
4 when it looked Ike something was
about to happen.
/ No one in the city has censured
John. Ferris for performing his duty
i on Friday. The old sailor WAS at the
park to keep order and he did 1t ac-
I cordiug to the way he saw his duty.
4 The umpire may have been supreme
1 in the. game. hut the law is supreme
over all and when the law Is Violated
\ 1t is time for someone to act.
The charge was that in the war OF
twords-and words only-that follow
! ed on the umpire's unjust fning OF
Penner and Brown and the chasing q
] Penner of the field. Hasbrook used
profanity. Ned Egan said he didn't,
hut where was Ned that he heard all
that was going on?
! The reason that suspicion Is point
ed at Hasbrook Is because OF the fact
that he had been warned before to
cut out profanity. not only this y.af
! but last year when he was here. and
/ that he was a transgressor In the
/ past.
/ There had been complaints to the
baseball association against such
things and the local body has been
trying to keen the roue1l stuff down
lat the baseball park II. was for this
reason mainly that the visiting play
T; ers' bench was moved away from the
grandstand.
Whether Hasbrook was guilty or
not guilty does not matter SO much
as the principle OF the affair. II 10
/ was reported to Ferris that II was
time for him to take hand, then It
i was time. Keokuk has had the repu-
J. tailor, for years of being peaceful
| city and that the pot finally boiled
over on Friday points at least to the
| fact that there must have been some
/! foundation for the mix-up that fol-
/ lowed.
Undoubtedly Bush started the whole
1 thing. But there was no mob on the
! grounds and the jumps was not threat
j ened Keokuk fans are not looking
l for fights. There merely want .
! square deal. The stories that have
/ been told OF the ARRAY are blacker
/ than they should be. and. although II
was a regrettab1e occurrence. the ac-
ton that was taken was mild com
pared with what might have happen
ed in some Of the northern cities.
4 1t is up to Keokuk to forget the
(. past and look forward to better times
Lin the future But one thing is sure
ily understood here. The umpirinG
/ must be better. An umpire should
/. have authority, but he should not be
an autocrat. Just because Penner
asked Bush for the corners, is no rea-
son why he should be put out of the
game. ! And this fining of players fog
+ trivial offenses should receive set
/ back. Keokuk fans feel that what
I has been done was necessary and
they are not afraid to stand up for
/, their side.
Hall to St. Louis.
S1IJnited Press Leased Wire Service.1
| CT PATTI Mimi Aug 21-CharYio