The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-02

and the courtroom broke into a riot of joy
 Judge Brown arose to his feet, ex- tended his hand to us and said:
 Gentlemen, you have been the victims of the old Marion seine joke. The men with you were not violators. They were practical joyers and were engaged by Fred Clarke to put it over on you"
 Then, turning to Fred, the judge shook his hand and congratulated him. Fred rolled all over the seats in wild de- light, so great was his satisfaction at putting the big joke over on me. I hope never have a. scare like that again.
 CLARK WAS STORMY PETREL
 Clarke was stormy petrel when he broke into the big league back in 1894, but there is good story on how the famous old Jack Stivetts turned the ta- bles on him one day in Boston. It was in F'red's first year. Stivetts, one of the great pitchers of that period, had been ressed into service as a first base man during a series with Louisville His work around the bag wasn't very flashy and Clarke made fun of him. First time up, Fred bunted down the first base line. Stivetts lurched forward awl1wardly to field the roller and Clarke tried to up- set him. Stivetts, however, gave Fred the hip and the foot at the same time and sent him sprawling 15 feet away.
 "I'll get you for that" threatened Clarke, as he picked himself up.
 Come ahead. old boy" retorted St- vetts. "I'll put you in a hospital next time.''
 On his next appearance at bat, Clarke was thrown out by the shortstop. As Sti- vetts took the throw, Fred again went into him and for the second time Stivetts sent him somersaulting down the line. Fred picked himself up and as he 1imped to the bench he turned to Stivetts and said:
 You win, you big elephant" l. From that time on Clarke ran bases very cautiously when Stivetts was play ing first Stivetts was a wonderful pitcher in his day. but money wasn't so plentiful then. When that great "$5000 arm," as they called it then, went back it was back to the mines for the star. Had he lived and pitched ball in this age, he would have made fortune.
 Where rowdyism often was the rule in olden days believe that the game has req ched it's highest stage of refinement. Each city has it's loyal following of fans with tho home club favored and the vis- iting club respected and subjected to fair treatment. I like the spirit in Boston,
 
 in the days when the Braves were tail enders anu when they played on the lit- tie grounds in Columbus avenue. Though they lost two or three out of every four games, the fans always stuck and re- warded every good play with applause. never begrudged the city of Boston their four worlds championships, be- cause I always figured that fans who are loyal to club in diversity can en- joy better than anyone efse the fruits of victory
 Cincinnati is another hot baseball town where fans grow impatient quite often, but cheer the home team at any and every opportunity. They fight their club out there, but 1t matters not if the Reds are seven runs behind. there is the wild est kind of enthusiasm if they get one man on base.
 I have been treated royalty and cor dially by crowds on alien diamonds all my life, and in this connection let me say that little old New York town is still the fairest in all the world. It may be because of it's cosmopolitan and tran sient population, but there is warm spirit around old Coogan's Bluff that cannot help but thrill me even now and I have been doing business there Il days year for the past 19.
 Copyright, 1916 by the Wheeler Sundi- cate, Inc)