The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-27
THE DEVILS BOOMERANG


ooH. Dut ne COutu MI UH0 uOWh AUout
his knees as good as any fellow that
ever walked up to the plate,
John intended to keep the ball high
and In close, but II wont low and I
heard the bat crack. l took q glance
into tho air and l saw she was COM
ing on. to me. eve played bare
handed in those days; wa didn't wear
mits like they do. now ! saw she
was coming toward me and I whirlcd
and went after 1t with all the speed
could summon.
=, s"s, aa'ts ss "s ,..,,s, s, ,zs
s sss, =, .n.t ss9 ~, ,s y. "v o n,p n 1
taking into account the upper current
of air, and SO / whirled and away I
went. and the people overlooked the
grandstand and the bleachers, and
they werH out on the playing ground
and l saw the bali was going to drop
over in the crowd and said: 'Eet
out of the way" and they opened up
like the Red Sea did for Moses.
ran as fast az I could. and as
/ ran ! said something don't just
remember, but as ! near as do it
was something like this; "Oh, God.
am in awful hole, and IL, you ever
helped a mortal man in your life
help me get that ball and you haven't
got much time to make UP your mind"
Well, current OF air was holding
the bali up somewhat and I srabbed
in the air for the ball and It stuck.
Up came Tom Johnson He used
to be mayor Of Cleveland Up came
Tom. and ne threw his arms around
me and showed me 4 t1oo bill In my
hand and said, ''Bill, 30 buy You a
suit, the best in town" He said,
That catch won me II. 500"
L b. n cH7S ttv0f
/ told that tale out in Iowa. and
good old Methodist steward came
up to me, and stroking his bird-tail
whiskers, he said: William. you didn't
take the $lUa or the new suit, did
your
said: You bet your life did!"
Now. wait a minute. The Chicago
ball club sold Mike Kelly to Boston
for $4,000. Mike got half OF the
purchase money. He showed tho
check under my nose and said: Bill.
put your eyebal on that" The Bos-
ton club gave him 5000.
John l.. Sullivan, the champion
prize fighter. went around and COL
lected money to buy Mike house.
q didn't get to see II when I was in
Boston. wanted to. There were
two places didn't get to see In
Boston. and that was one OF the two.
i am going to- take a trip to Boston
some day to put bunch Of flowers
on Mikes grave.) They raised
$4,000.
Greatest Ball Player.
Mike was the best aIl-around play
er that ever crawled into a uniform.
He spent all the money he had and
had a mortgage on his home, and
when he died the Eiks had to bury
him.
Mike sat on the corner OF State
and Van Buren, streets with me thirty
years ago when said: Il bid you
good bye. am through
A. G. spaulding took a bali club
around the world. do you remember
that. l was the second man he ask
ed to sign a contract-Cap Arson
was the first. l was sliding into sec
ond base one day when ! cut liga =
ment loose. was in danger of be-
ing a cripple, and they called in a
doctor. He said:
bill. II you will keep off that leg
this winter you will be as good ass
ever. hut IL YOU take that trip YOU
will be cripple for life"
! took his advice and didn't take
the trip,
Edward Williamson, our old short
stop. never weighed less than zoo
pounds. He was the most active big
man ever saw in my life. He
and they were crossing the English
channel when storm arose and the
captain said: She'll never make 1t.
she'll go down"
Everybo had on life preservers,
and was all ready for anything that
might happen.
Williamson threw himself on his
knees and said: ooh, God. l haven't
lived right. and IL you will spare the
ship and my life / promise you I'll
cut out the booze and quit gambling
and I'll be true to my wife
He had Just said this when the
Lord heard his prayer and he stilled
the tempest and the ship went into
harbor. He came back TO Chicago.
He started a saloon on Dearborn
street just north of Madison in a
basement. l used to go in there
giving out tickets inviting men to
come to the Y. NJ. c. A. meetings.
Ha would take me back In his ganlb-
ling room. and he'd turn the lock and
say: BILL. pray
And we'd both get down on our
knees with our arms around each
and I would cry, and he would say:
TOO Far Gone.
"Bin, there is no use, You are
right. l am wrong. but / am too far
gone
He went TO Hot Springs. where
he died. They put him on the operat-
ing table They cut him open and
took out his liver. II was so big they
couldn't get it in candy bucket.
They took out his kidneys. They had
shriveJed till they were like two
stones They rolled them across the
table and they fell on the moor like
He stood on the corner OF State
and Van Bureau streets with me.
drunk. thirty years ago when said:
II bid you goodbye. ! am through,
am going 10 Jesus Christ"
Frank Flint was our old catcher
He caught before they ever had
masks, before they ever had gloves,
before they ever had chest protectors,
before they ever had these shin
guards. Every bone in his fAce was
broken. His cheek bones and his nose
were broken, and his shoulder was
broken, where foul tips had hit him.
He caught for nineteen years and his
salary was $500 q year. Chicago
released him, and he got q littte
bunch Of saloons In Chicago where
he used to go around and panhandle
for a handout
have gone many a. night and