davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
DARCY REFUSES $I5,000 TO
 TACKLE GIBBONS IN SOUTH
Gets Offer From New Orleans Promoter But Says
 It Isn't Enough.

New York, Dec. 27.-Les Darcy ab- solhtely refuses to fight Mike Gibbons 20 rounds for $15,00O. The Australian battler turned down this alluring proposition yesterday on the ground that the amount proffered was not enough The offer was conveyed to Darcy by Billy Roche on behalf of Dominick Tortorich, the New Orleans promoter.
 There was no question as to the genuineness of this offer, for Torto- rich is one of the best-known and most reliable promoters in the coun- try.
 jTortorich wired Roche as follows:
 s"Offer Darcy $15OO0 to fight Gibbons 20 rounds February 16, with privilege of one-third gross. Fight should draw $50, 600 being Carnival date. Allow him to fight any other man in New York except Gibbons.
 'DOMINICK TORTORICH." Rocke got in touch yesterday after noon with Darcy and put the proposi- tion before him. Couldn't accept, for there isn't money enough in it." he re-
 piled.
 What do you demand?" inquired
 Roche.
 Couldn't say right off, answered Darcy. :
 That ended negotiations as far as ] New Orleans was concerned. Turning
 down this proposition will not aid Darcy greatly in getting along on our shores. The steady current of hostility that seems to- be growing against the Australian for taking a. run out from home will give his enemies an 1 Opportunity to declare he's afraid o1
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27

the St. Paul phantom.
 The offer appears rather tempting.
 as it is a certainty Darcy will not get
 more than that sum if he met Gib- bons or any other good rival in @ ten- round bout here or in any part of the country.
 Considering the Carpentier-Darcy bout as practically cinched, it Is no
 more than fair to the public that the men engage in contests with some
 good men efore they clinch. Darcy
 comes here very we'll recommended,
 ut in the case of Carpenter it is diff lferent The. Frenchman has been taking an active part in the war, and it is a question whether he is now fit for a scrap with the doughty Bush man.
 'Twould be an awful thing if the war hero and the war Stacker" mel and the valiant one went down to an early and ignominious defeat. At the present slant Darcy figures to have Q
 big shade on his prospective rival. Though Tex Rickard has turned his
 back on Jess Willard as Carpentier's s opponent, the members of Willard s cabinet are full of confidence that the
 champion will get whack at the
 F'renchman. Tn fact, the land looks
 so promising that Jess built himself 9 gym in his garage and began work
 yesterday to take off that 50 or 60 loose | pounds of flesh. sftl Willoard as Carpenters opponent
 mc ans $50,000 more to the gate, no
 matter whether the title holder is too
 towering or not. Darcy may be the
 best oppc -~+ as far as merit is con-
 cerned, but not as a box office attrac-
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27

I do know, however, that Darcy five
 days ago sat in my Stadium office dis cussing the details of his return
 match with George Chip. Darcy was
 to call on me the following day for his
 Melbourne transportations. He did
 not call, and after two days wait I got busy and had a search made. His mother, his sweetheart and his close personal friends knew nothing of his whereabouts.
 According to military regulations. Darcy or any other military eligible young men are prohibited from leav- ing the country. Darcy had applied for a passport from Australia to America and had been refused, so that the only conclusion to come to is
 that the champion has defied the law and his national duty as an Australian and has been smuggled or smuggled himself out of the country. The Aus tralian press has little to say up to the moment, fearing libel action. Australian libel law is much more stringent than your American law.
 Darcy was born in Australia, but his country, taking it's honorable part In the European struggle, was no place for Les. The gold for fighting OAHOAI, 1lODOuS UT SOIuSi lSSSGT llSIlt affected his heart more than the honor of fighting for his country. The sight of bulging bags of dollars just carried
 him away so to speak, at least that is the. present public view of his quick chance act.
 "A couple of days before his disap-
 pearance Darcy gave an interview to
 the Sun in Sydney. He told the re-
 porter that after his match with Chip he intended reporting to the military authorities, as by this time he would be of age (21 years) and ready for the
 dictates of the military officials. There is talk, supposed to be in high author itative circles, that something official
 will be done regard ing special order to have him returned to Australia, as ! they desire to make an example of a deserter who is so prominently before the public" 2 f
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
SIX DAY WINNERS
 GET $5,O00 FOR
 CAPTURING EVENT

New York, Dec. 27-The last piece Isix-day bicycle race, which terminat- ed Saturday night at Madison Square
 Garden, was transacted yesterday
 morning, when the riders who parti- cipated in the contest were paid off.
 This concluding feature of the event took place in the office of John M. Chapman, on the Twenty-sixth Street side of the Garden, and consumed con- sidera ble time before it was complet- ed. In all about $17,000 was distri- buted in prize moneys and bonuses among the fourteen teams which started in the grind, and everything
 was arranged with satisfaction to: all
 parties concerned.
 Egg and Dupuy, winners of the
 race, topped the list of prize winners
 with $5,000, while the team of Root and Madden came in for second money with $3,0o0.N McNamara and
 Spears got $2,000, Kaiser and Cam
 eron $1.000;l Hill and Drobach $500: and Walthour and De Baetes $400.
 The remaining sum of $5,000 was dis
 tributed among the other competitors
 in the race in the form of bonuses. The purse was the largest ever
 distributed for six-day bicycle race.
 The event this year was slightly
 more successful from a financial viewpoint than last years event. Al ] Brenda, the big Australian rider, who was injured during the last days of 1.-the race, was sufficiently recovered yesterday to be up and around. He broke his collarbone in two places, but it is expected that he will re-
 cover from the injury within three weeks. /
 Carman of the Carmon-Wiley team, who also received injuries in the race, was at the offices of the manage ment yesterday with a broken rib,
 which, it is expected, will be entire ! ly mknded in a short time. The next six-day bicycle race will be staged in Chicago, and the majority of the rid CTS yesterday expressed their willing I ness to enter this event. F/ //
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
MErzGER FOR COLGATE.

It is said that Sol Metzger, the Washington & Jefferson football coach, will take charge of the, Col gate eleven next season, succeeding Larry Bankart. who threhters to re- tire, although there is a possibility that he may coach at his alma mater, Dartmouth. Metzger is regarded as a fine coach who has good influence over the boys he directs. Like Ban kart he believes in clean living. It is said Bankart would never utter an oath or permit a player to swear.
 Related accounts of the game in Danburyy last weak in which the Blue Ribbon basketball players were vic torious by two points confirm the earlier reports that the mob scene was good enough for any melodrama. Manager Leayy of the Ribbons, says the Danbury fans not only tried to attack Referee Brennan but they also went after the Bridgeport players. An aged fan took crack at Leavy, who was afraid to defend himself for fear
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
MANY SEEK JOB Z COACHING HARVARD.
 BASEBALL { l ] } |. SQUAD ]

Boston, Dec. 27-The Harvard ath- ietic committee is considering 9 long list of names of candidates for the now vacant baseball coaching posi- ton at Harvard. Shodgrass and ReuIbach of the Braves are the sea- soned professionals whose names have been most frequently mentioned in this connection, but Fred Penney and Bill Sweeney, the Boston college coach. are also under conNderation as are number of others.
 While the Boston college authori- ties hope that Bill Sweeney will re- turn to coach the team at University Heishts. they have given him to un- derstand that they would not wish to stand in his way in case he should be the choice at Harvard, and as he Is not under any contract or agree } ment there is nothing to interfere ord both as a player and a coach. en- titles him to most serious conadera- t6on.
 Fred Penney has re1inquished his connection with the Newark club and is now a free agent. And when it comes to knowledge of baseball, in side and outside. there is no better informed or more exnerienced man than he. Moreover, hd has had con- siderable, coaching experience, in ad- dition to hds prestige as one of the great stars of the game.
 Penney came very near becoming Harvard's coach a few years ago. He hurt his chances at that time by his bluntness. <. Six men were being seriously con sidered. Four of them, including Penney, were Brown men. Tn the course of conversation Fred told a member of the committee that he felt that if he himself were Harvard man his chances of obtaining the po- sition would be excellent.
 Penney was only half in earnest, but he further suggested that possibly Harvard did not relish the idea of having to draw on Brown too ire fquently for baseball coaching The committeeman to whom Penney was talking turned little red and an- swered that Hayward was looking for the best coach it could get regardless of college affiliations.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
PITCHERS GETTING BETTER OF HITTERS
 lN' MAJOR LEAGUE

Chicago, Dec. 27-Major league pitchers are slowly subduing the batsmen, as the dope of this season shows by, comparison with that Of 1915. Part of this is due to the in creasing tendency of managers to yank slabman, even if he is star. at the first sign that the other fellows are beginning to get to him. Still, in dividual performances N in holding teams to few hits demonstrate that the hurlers are becoming more effec- tive. ',af t < In four games this year a pitcher blanked his antagonists without a safe hit. There were three no-hit games in the American league and one in the National. Last year there were only two no-hit shutouts, both of them in the National.
 George Foster and Dutch Leonard, of the Red Sox, and Joe Bush, of the Athletics, were the American league pitchers who added their names to the tablet of no-hit games. Tom Hughes, of the Braves, was the only National 1eaguer to attain that last ing fame this year.
 More pitchers held their opponents to one or two hits in the major leagues last year than in 1916, but the number of eight-hit games that were delivered this season outnumbered those of the previous campaign by considerable.
 Altogether there have been only 13 no-hit games pitched since 1909 in both major leagues, and four of those were registered in the 1916 campaign, leaving only, nine for the previous six years. The teams which were blanked without swat in 1916 were New York, Cleveland and St. Louis in the American and Pittsburgh in the Ma tional.
 Hitless Hurling Feats, Dates. The chronological list of hitless hurting feats follows: June 16-HughesN (Boston) vs Pitts burgh.
 June 24-Foster (Boston) vs. New York.
 August 2s-Bush Philadelphia, vs. Cleveland. E.A 1, August 3O-Leonard (Boston) vs.. St. Louis.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
Cleveland Recruit
 Cost Texas Magnate
 Only One Season Pass

New York, Dec. 27--Several years ago young pitcher named Hopper won quite a little renown because
 Roger Bresnahan, while manager of the Cardinals, traded him to Dick
 Kinsella for a birddog. Cleveland
 will introduce pitcher next season
 who was received by his former Tex
 as League employer in exchange for season pass. He is Jesse l.. Petty,
 left handler, drafted from San An tonic for $1,200.
 Petty's baseball career sounds more like something which may happen in reel life than in real life. H. J. Ben son, owner of the San Antonio club.
 spun the tale at the recent American
 League meeting in Chicago:
 "Early last season railroad engi-
 neer called at my office and request
 ed give him a seasons pass. I ask
 ed him why he should make this re- quest of me. He replied he had work ed with me some years back in a mine
 down in Mexico and suggested some day he might be able to do me fa-, vor in return. I coughed up the pass. and the man slipped entirely out of my mind until in midseason he bob bed up one day and asked me if
 wanted a good pitcher
 "As our pitching staff was all shot to pieces, told him could easily
 use a capable pitcher Several days
 later I received wire from the en- gineer that his pitching find was, on the way. Then several days more elapsed, and we had rather given him up, when one morning while was sitting in the Gunter Hotel he ap
 peared. I knew him the moment my eyes rested on him. He was a big, husky boy, and he held a battered old suit case in one hand and his coat and vest in the other, while big, wide suspenders held up his trousers. i've gave Jesse l.. Petty, a uniform
 and put him to work. the first day.
 He shut out Houston by score of to O, and Pat Newman, the Houston
 manager told me we had a wonder. He
 also won his second game, toaf, but lost his third, 2 to.1, on errors. By
 that time Petty was the town hero
 and his head swelled with it. He
 came from Bomarton, Tex, which is
 about 300 miles deeper in the sticks than any place in the country, and it
 wasn't long before he got the idea
 that he was the, greatest pitcher in the world. @ef3
 ."rhat is his only fault, His habits are excellent, but success went to his
 head. If he will just listen to what q
 man like Lee Fohl tells him he should
 become one of the pitching stars of
 the game"
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
MANY CLUBS ARE AFTER CHAPMAN,
 CLEVELAND STAR

New York, Dec 27--Starting the 1915 season Ray Chapman was con- sidered about the best shortstop in the American League, all points fig ured. Yet last season Chapman ran afoul of lot of tough luck that threw him into the list of discards for a good part of the season. Dig ging around to make the best of a tough deal Lee Foh1 discovered young
 Bill Wambsganss, who had been look ed on as rather failure in big lea
 que circles. Wamby was sent in to fill Chapman's shoes until Ray re- covered from his injuries.
 Wamby arose to the occasion with such vehemence that when Chap
 man finally rounded to form again there was doubt tf a serious kind in
 FohPs mind as to the advisability of
 removing Wamby, from the job. By the time Chapman was ready to go
 again at his best gait Fohl decided that it would be bad policy to break up his infield combination. Where fore at the end of the 1918 season
 the man who was considered easily
 the peer of American League s,urs- stops in 1915 was loafing for the want of a regular joo or. a team for
 which he had starred one short year before.
 Now Fohl is spicing the quiet of his
 off season days with a debate as to just what he should do with Chap
 man. Chapman in first class shape is a wonderful short stop. But Fo,1l can't hide the impression made by
 his infield of the past season minus Chapman.
 At the recent meeting of the Amer ican League in Chicago several clubs
 expressed willingness to accept Chapman in trade. But the chattels
 offered were not considered worthy
 of the exchange by Fohl The Cleve-
 land skipper declares that every club
 in the league except Boston and De- troit offered a deal for his short fielder. Chapman may be had, but Fohl isn't among those who under rate his ability.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27

New York, Dec. 23-Another foreign pugilistic wonder intends to visit this country shortly in quest of honor and the dough. The latest one to an- nounce his intention of coming over here is. Jimmy Wilde, the sensational fflyweight, champion of the world. Ac- cording to his manager, several Amer ican promoters have made alluring of fers to have the little fellow show his fistic wares in America. Wilde re- gently put the K. O. on the Young Zulu Kid of Brokolyn in eleven rounds in London. Pugflistic experts say the
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27

little Englishman is the greatest man of his weight in the world. His fight ing weight is ninety-eight pounds, but he can hit like 9 lightweight. It is said that the English recruiting bureau turned him down as not physically fit to enlist in the British army. Before he leaves for America Wilde will take -on Fancy Lee, the only man who ever defeated him. The latter is also a wonderfully clever boxes and will make the champion extend himself :. Photo shows Fancy Lee, who will meet Jimmy Wilde.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
Binzen Gets Through 1st Round Defending
 Indoor Tennis Title

New York, Dec. PIE. H. Binzen, of Fordham College, the title holder, had easy sailing in reaching the sec- ond round in the junior national in- door tennis championship tournament, which opened at the Seventh Reg1- ment Armory yesterday. He dis posed of both of his opponents with little effort.
 He first confronted w w. Hastings
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
Sporting Chatter

Hans Lobert of the Giants is spend ing the winter months in far-off Cuba. He is practising every day with Emil Palmero's Cuban tam and expects to be in the well-known pink when he joins the Giants at Marlin next spring.
 Lobert,> by the way, is to he re- tained by McGraw. The little Ma poleon'' still believes that there is plenty of good baseball left in Honus He will not play regulary next season, lbtu will be kept in case of injuries to Herzog, Fletcher or Heinie Zim- merman.
 McGraw is beginning to pack up his things, as he also will depart for Cuba next week for an extended va cation. The leader of the Giants will probably occupy most of his time on foreign soil by playing golf. His golf implements will be shipped either to- morrow or Friday.
 Jim Middleton, the, pitcher pur- chased by the Giants from the Louis vile club last season, is no youngster. Middleton will be next season and he has been playing baseball for the last eight years. Middleton pitched for foulr years in the Three-I league. and two in the American association.
 It was not until last season that his work attracted the attention of the big league scouts. He was finally signed by the Giants after McGraw turned over Rube Schauer and con- siderable cash to the owners of the Louisville club. Several other big league clubs were also after Middle ton.
 Bill Clymer, who piloted the Louis vile club to a pennant last season. is great admirer of the Giants new pitcher. Middleton is a great curve ball pitcher" said Clymer recently Besides he is big and strong, and practically at his best when in a tight place."
 Capt: Huston of the Yankees and a party of baseball writers left on Mon day night for Dover Hall, Ga.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
NAME BRANSFIELD
 NATIONAL UMPIRE

Philadelphia, Dec. 27-It was arl- nounced here yesterday that "Kitty" Bransfield, who played first base for the Phfl1ies several years ago, had been appointed an umpire in the Na- tional League by President John K Tener. 8t97 A,f
 Bransfield knows baseball and has ever been close student of the game, He has qualities too which indicate that he will be a success in .handl- ing games. He is forceful without be- ing arbitrary and is not easily excit- ed or aroused.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
BAKER IN DEMAND.

Howie Baker. the hard-hitting third basemap of the Bridgeport club. is in great demand for next sea son. Gene McCann wants him for his New London club and the Provi- dence team of the International league is the latest applicant The Grays have lost their third baseman and need a man who can hit. Baker would prefer Providence to New Lon don. The Giants own Baker, how ever, and will sell him to the highest bidder.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
Hitting The High Spots

he might seriously injure the old boy.
 The rooter kept boring in but Leavy
 backed out of the hall in safety as
 did the players. who kept good con
 trol of their stempers under the cir
 cumstances.
 Another incident of the Danbury
 game that aroused the home fans was
 a decision by Referee Brennan in al-
 lowing a peculiar goal by the Rib bons. The ball went into the netting
 but as it was falling through, Meenan, the giant Danbury center, reached up
 and pushed the leather out. There
 was a loud roar when the referee
 said the goal counted. Meenan is a When he plays center Leonard goes to guard. t7 Ii Manager Roger Bresnahan of Tole- | do believes in having experienced players in the infield. He has signed Roy Hartzell, the former New York
 American star, to play third.
 Walter Camps All-American foot ball selections have been we'll receiv- l.ed throughout the country. Putting on Harley of Ohio State and Baston of Minnesota, have made Camp pop ular in the west. It is said Harley | is in the same class with Pollard. Just imagine what Camps backfield | Anderson, Pollard, Harley and Oli- phant, would do to an opposing team Carl Sawyer, who amused the fans around the American league circuit l by his coaching antics last season, has gone into the movies and is drawing a big salary for his comedy stuff
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
Frank Chance Took
 Several Blows And
 Then Let Fight Go On
(Sporting News. }

When it. came to men sticking up for each other, the old Cub team, in the palny days of Frank Chance, took the cake. The fellows used to scrap among themselves occasionally, but forgot about it theI next hour. When another man tried to horn in and start something, the whole bunch of Cubs stood behind their mate.
 Several years ago Lew Ritchie and one of the inflelders began an argu- ment in front of a small New York hotel Inside of five minutes there crowd. Lew and his teammate were exchanging blows by this time and Frank Chance, the, manager, hap pened to be coming up with Davey Jones. an outfelder. Chance took in the situation and elbowed his way through the ever-increasing crowd, closely followed by Jones.
 Here, this has to stop, fellows!'' snarled Chance, and he grabbed the infie1der, pinning his arms to his side. Jones got hold of Richie. The latter managed to get one arm loose and swung at the infielder.
 The blow missed and caught Chance on the side of the jaw. The infie1der also missed and cracked Chance on the mouth. The manager was so disgusted he let go of his man "Go it then!" he snapped, and started to go into the hotel.
 He met the clerk of the hotel al he doorway and the official blocked l1is way. Here, you cant come in, he said.
 And why not ?" mumbled Chance his lips being swollen to twice their normal size.
 You've been fighting"
 T have not" replied Chance "But I will be if you don't step aside.'' The clerk let him in
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27

Harry Pattee, the former second baseman of the Brooklyn team, signed a new three years contract to coach the Brown baseball team. Pattee was graduated from the Providence unit versity in 10R
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27

of Ridgefeld school. who bowed to the champion in straight sets, 90, 6-1. In the next round, Binzen met James F. Ryan, of Christian Broth ers' Academy, and defeated him, 6-1, 60
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27
New York.

Score-First half. Bridgeport 13, New York 4 Fouls called on, Bridge port T.. on New York IS. Referee, Hill. J. E. Waters, official scorer.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-27

Capt: Huston of the Yankees and a party of baseball writers left on Mon- day night for Dover Hall Ga.