The New York herald., 1921-06-09
MAGISTRATE HOUSE
STRIKES OUT RUTH
Puts Three Fast Ones Over for
Fine of 800 and a Day
in Jail.

Mr.. George Herman Ruth. alias Babe.
alias Bambino. alias King OF Swat the
most valuable piece Of baseball property
In the known world. almost didn't get to
bat at all yesterday. Had It not been
for the eventual favor Of the court his
name would not have decorated the box
score of yesterdays baseball game be-
tween the New York and Cleveland clubs
at the Polo Grounds
The Babe got all tangled UP with
the law. having overlooked the tiresome
fact-true even IL II Is dinned In ones
law is no respecter of persons. Long
before he numbered to the plate at the
Polo Grounds minions Of the law showed
Babe so much inside stuff that It made
him dizzy. Against the speed and con,
troll of the Magistrate the Babe was up
against he could do nothing but strike
out. Magistrate House got the putout.
Motorcycle Cop Yorst gets credit for the
assist.
On the evening Of June 3 Ruth was
breezing southwark In Riverside Drive
at the wheel Of his shriekingly new and
costly Packard roadster C'Set me back
$4,000, kid'). his intellectuals occupied
otherwise than with gauging the pace
Of his roaring car. Along came Police
man Yorst and pinched him ("Where'd
dye get that stuff? I wasn't more'n
crawling'C. Up before Magistrate
House. a Judge with q long memory.
Ruth couldn't make much Of a case for
himself yesterday. and House swung
three fast ones over the clate before
Ruth knew what was happening to him.
"Just because you are prominent is
no excuse for speeding, Mr: Ruth" the
r. 1,nA W.,
when you were before me on April 81
that you would have to answer the same
as any other person. Coming here again
on June isn't showing much attention
to the law. do not wish to force you
to take q suggestion, you can accept
Il or do as you wish. But when driving
on the streets Of this city. Mr. Ruth.
remember the law"
Magistrate House said a great many
more words In imposing a fine OF 500
and, horrorsi day In jail, but It was
the sentence to durs nee vile that Jared
to the heels the burly kid. Keeper
Shanahan led him to the detention room
of the Traffic Court prison at 900 Null
berry street. old Police Headquarters.
and there Ruth dragged out tho day
until 1857 P. NJ, when Magistrate
House, with very severe face but with
a CLINT of humor in his sharp gray eyes,
told the police to Iet Ruth go.
Submerged in wave upon wave or
wildly excited kids, his maroon, motor
boat shaped Packard, No, 47-b02,
equipped with trick wheels. cigar lighter.
spare wheels trimmed with tires big
enough for a mighty truck, cut glass
holder for violets-the whole works
waited, scarcely less impressive and
nearly as big as a revenue cutter. AS
the kids yelled and danced up and down
and waved their caps Ruth leaped into
the car, gave his companion, an official
Of the baseball club. a moment to settle
down beside him, walter until motor
cycle policemen, who was to safeguard
his journsy to the Polo Grounds, took
position on the runningboard. pulled a
thimgumajig, stepped on the gas and
shot the car northward, heading for the
Polo Grounds. eight miles away.
He got there safely enough and with
out being pinched again, due to the fact
that a motor cop waved him through
traffic, but the game was on when Ruth
got to the players bench.