Putnam patriot., 1916-02-25
IN THE CITY COURT
Jack Buckley, Old Base Ball Player. Gets
 Sympathy of Court Officials
Two Other Minor Cases Disposed of at
 Mondays Session

Three cases were disposed of in the city court Monday morning, one of them taking an unusual turn and elic- iting the sympathy of the court off cials.
 Carl, alias Gustave Swanson, was charged with being intoxicated and plead guilty. He was fined S5 and costs taxed at S9.09. He asked for a week in which 10 pay. Clerk Bradford said he knew the man and would guar antee the payment of the amount and Swanson was allowed to go.
 Peter Gregoire plead guilty to being drunk. He has long court record and was sentenced to 30 days and costs.
 John Buckley was also charged with intoxication and plead guilty. The case took most unusual turn, the judge, assistant prosecutor and clerk agreeing to share in the expense of get ting the man to Willimantic. The sympathy of the officials was forth comiugfN hen it developed according to the mans story that he was "Jack" Buckley, old time outfielder with va rous National league base bail clubs. 8uekley told the court that he was working in a paper mill in AndoVef. Friday night the mill caught fire and le with other men helped in putting put the hnmes. One mill building was saved and "Chris" Case, the finest lit tie man he, the accused, had ever worked for, took the men who had helped put out the fire to Nilimantic where he wined and dined them }uckiey took too much stirn ulant and became confused, getting on train for Putnam and landed here without q ,ent. He had hay recollection that he conductor marked his ticket s0 he could get back on it but the tick | was missing. He had not previous " taken a drink since Decoration Day when he was arrested and fined So.
 Buckley then told his story. His wife was dead. he said, and he had q son and daughter in college near Bos ton. lie contributed about all of the money he could mnke to assist them in getting their education. His son helped work his way by waiting on ta- ble. II was then that he went a little farther back into the past and stated that he was an old National League base ball player. This opened the flood gates for story of old times that flowed from the mans lips,in a style and grace of one that knew whereof he spoke and occasionally tear dimmed the takers eye.
 He said he had worked with most of the National clubs on the circuit. His last big league appearance was with Connie Mack's Philadelphia outfit. When he was relegated to the shelf he managed team in Nebraska. It was here that tirade against the life sur prised those in the court room.
 "The life is an incubator for buns, said Buckley. "They most all go broke. Why Pop Anson hasn't got a cent, and have heard that even Con. nie is hard up, although 1 cant credit that story. The life instills spirit for gambling that one never gets over. The money saved through the prosper ous time driboIes through the fingers in the stock market in after years. Why, you remember old so-and-so? He's driving brewery wagon. And -, he's bar tender. Can you tell me, is John Anderson on the Worces. ter police force?"
 Buckley claimed to know all of the big fellows. Mike Don!in, Larry Me Lean and Danny Murphy of Norwich he knew particularly well Jack Nich- ols, the Willimautie player lsnew him and would help him if he could only get to the Thread, City Buckley went on for few moments longer and when he stopped the judge asked him how he could get to Willimantic if he was al- lowed to go. Buckley said he would have to walk. It was then that one court official said he would pay half of the money to get the prisoner out of town. The clerk said he would pay the other half. The judge said he would like to get in on il and it was agreed that each pay a third. Buck ley promised 10 return the loan as soon as he reached Willimanlic. He had nothing but his word as surety for his promise but he said he always kept it.
 N neither the man was what he claimed is not known to Il certainty. He certainly had an intimate knowl- edge o, base ball and base pail players. But his story made good and whether be does likewise remains to be seen.
 
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