Evening star., 1917-01-24
GRIFFITH PREDICTS DAVE FULTZ
WILL RESIGN AS UNION HEAD
Expects Fraternity President to Throw Up
(. Sponge. With the Alibi That the
Players Quit on + him.

gatherings OF fans in Washington
winter league circles. is answered py
postscript, signed with the name OF
David L. Fultz. which accompanied
confidential letter sent to various mem
bers of the Players. Fraternity within
the last few days. Here it is
"P S-The magnateS have been
sending out contracts accompanied by
the threat that if you do not sign you
will have to sign later at large re
duction of salary. Do not fali FOR thls
stand pat. and when we have won you
will receive the biggest saiaIv Sou
were ever offered.
One of the letters was eNhib1ted py
ball player who cannot see ,ne WIS
dom or the common sense IN the pro
snectiye strike and it is contended IN
some quarters that the postscript
shows the kernel of the nut. the main
idea of the strike.
The twenty-first member of the Chi
Albert "Reb" Russell, who yesterday
signed 1917 contract. according 10
President Comiskey. The Whlte Sox
owner did not give out the names OF
the other players signed but II is un-
derstcod that the entire regular OUT
fell and infeld. with the exception OF
First Baseman Jack Ness, have signed
up for this season.
Talk of strike is not worrying
me- Comiskey said am having no
trouble in signing my players
Another big league player to sign
contract yesterday was Larry Chap
pelle, the former sensation OIL the amer
lean Association, who cost Comskey
$4,000 when he obtained him from the
Milwaukee club several seasons ago.
Chappelle has signed with the Boston
National League club. according to
Business Manager Walter L. Hapsooo'
who says that six members OF the teaHl'
now are under contract for next sea-
son.
State-regulated boxing soon may be
come reality in west virginia, "A
favorably in the house of delegates,
and it is freely predicted that the leg
islature will pass the measure Ihe
bill provides for a state athletic COM
mission with power to issue permits for
boxing exhibitions, 5 per cent of the
receipts of such exhibitions to go to
the state. Supporters OF the measure
say that such law would net $4,000
annually in revenue.
Base ball has the deserved reputa-
ton of being a square. clean sport. 1t
is to this that its great hold on the
public may be attributed. Occasionally,
however. some one identlned with tne
game casts aspersions on it: makes
charges which, if sustained, would
bring it into disrepute and cause 1t to
lose it's great popularity with the rams.
The efforts OF Horace roger, FORMER
owner of the Philadelphia Nationals.
to besmirch the reputation of the sport
presented a notable example, and the
latest instance recorded is that OF
Edward r. Maier. former owner of the
Vernon club of the Pacific Coast
League. Maier, in statement made
public in San Francisco. charges that
last years pennant race was fixed
so the Vernon club could not win. Maier
was expelled from the league last
September. Base ball is just as well
off without men Of his stamp identified
with it.
Freddie Welsh, who holds the title
of champion lightweight boxer, has
been summoned to appear before the
Wisconsin athletic commission at Mil
waukee February 5 to answer charges
preferred by the commission that he
stalled and slammed in his recent
bout with Richie Mitchell in that city.
Welsh has been widely criticised in
the last year or SO, not only for his
ring tactics and for side-stepping for
midable opponents, but also for passing
up marathon battles and sticking to
the six and ten-round affairs in which
his chances of losing his crown were
at a minimum. If Welsh does not
mission he will be barred from further
participation in bouts in Wisconsin and
if he does appear he probably will be
barred anyhow. Welsh apparently is
nearing the end of his string in the
matter of milking the public by taking
its money for fights in which his chief
concern seems to be the protection of
his biggest moneymaking asset-the
title.