River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-08-16
Fight Features Red
Cross Benefit Game
Ticket Sales Nets About $40 TO Local
Red Cross d--caterpiIIars
Win from Crests to z.

The Red Cross Benefit game,
staged by the Caterpillars and the
White Crests Of the Old Sp "
League last Thursday evening, was
certainly a grand exhibition in every
respect. Five of the six innings were
classy baseball, the small score and
clever playing keeping the crowd IN
frenzy Of excitement all the time
At the end of the prescribed i've in
nings the score was a tie at 2 each,
but in the extra round the Cats got
to Finn for 5 runs, while Wigens
held the Crests scoreless.
But the rough and tumble, knock
'em down and drag EN- out fight,
between Captain Lusk and Captain
Wiger, in the fifth inning was the
big item of the event, and caused
more intense excitement among fans
and players than any similar Incl
dent in the history Of local baseball.
Bob Hurd slammed out long
drive over the sidewalk along the
left field foul line, and had reached
third base, but Jumps Rosenberg
called it foul. The Cats arose in
earnest and vigorously protested,
but had been sent back to the bench
when Captain Lusk marched out to
the center of the field and commenc-
ed, with frenzied gesticulations, to
harangue the umpire. Captain Wi
ger hurried in from the side-lines
and horned in on the argument.
Then the fight started!
With faces liveid with rage the
two Captains hammered and pom
melled each other back and forth
across the pitchers plate to the &C
compartment of rapid fire of tort
and retort, while players and fans
rushed in in an attempt to force or
reason them into cessession of hos
tilities. Soon Captain Lusk's face
was DER spread with a goreish red,
and down he went for the count.
Nelson, Haugen and Krauth, of
the Crests, had tried in vain to sepa-
rate the combatants. while in the
''bleachers" men were commencing
to get down and help the players
stop the fight. Geo. Chinook, Jr.,
with an exclamation of disgust at
every step, was one of the first to
start, while Doc Gendron was al
ready advising Cap. Lusk to use cob
webs on his bloody nose. One lady
became so nervous and excited over
the fracas that she collapsed hysteri-
cally into the lap of her companion
IN an auto. One autOist Speeded
from the grounds. to come down
town and spread the news Of the
fight.
Then came the big blow-off.
When Captain Lusk went down,
out onto the field rushed Doug. AL
lard and Fred Baldwin, dressed in
white with monster Red Cross signs
on backs and arms, and bearing a
stretcher, in which they roughly
loaded the vauquished Captain and,
carrying him to the side-lnes, I'm
tremendously dumped him onto the
grass. At the same time Chief Ram
berg, brandishing his club, ran out
and arrested" Captain Wiger, es-
corting him off the diamond.
Then, for the first time, the play
ers and fans 'came too" realizing
suddenly that they had been sold, !"
and sold right good and proper, and
the resulting merriment was so
bolstrously tempestuous that it was
with difficulty that the game was re-
sumed.
The exciting bit of farce comedy
was originated by and staged under
direction of Judge Knowles. and to
him and to h e participants the
people who were present at this
game owe thanks for riot of fun
and the honor of being taken in"
on a whopping big IS e l." Mr..
Knowles also furnished the grease
paint for Captain Lusk's bloody"
nose.