Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-11-22
CHARGES PRO BOXER
PLAYED ON LASALLE
PERU H. S. ELEVEN
SPRING VALLEY MENTOR HURLS
CHARGE AGAINST COACH Eel.
Lows TEAM - BAXTER is A
PRIZE FIGHTER.

The Big Ten is not the only con
ference where professional athletes
participate in sports is the charge
made by the officials of the Spring
Valley high school Previous to the
La Salle-Spring Valley game last
Saturday, Spring Valley brought out
charges that "Spottsky" Baxter, stat
tackle of the La Sale eleven, was
professional prize fighter, having re
ceived money for services in differ
emit fights. Under state rules La
Sale could be ruled out OF the state
athletic association of the charges
were followed up and proven 10 be
true. But il would have to be proven
also that not only was Baxter pro-
fessional but that officials of the La
Sale school knew So
Rather than stop the game Satur-
day to fight Spring Valleys charges
Coach Fellows ordered his team TO
play without Baxter which it did,
beating the "Coalminers" by a 1916
count
This is the first time that the BaX
ter matter has bobbed into print but
not the first time it has been talked
about in this locality. Many Otta.
vans knews or at least thought they
knew about Bakers professional
prize fighting but it isn't sportsman
ship for one team to sneak up on the
other on the eve of a game with
protest against the eligibility OF its
players so Ottawa fans said nothing.
Spring Valley did not profit by their
trick at the last minute and made no
more friends by the affair nor would
La Sale increase its high athletic
standing if the charges are proven.
The following story taken from a
La Sale paper tells of the story from
a La Sale viewpoint:
"On the Fourth of July, 1921, Bax-
ter, a player on the local team, par
ticipated in a boxing match at Ladd
and received money in payment of
his expenses. Shortly after the box
ing match took place, Coach Fellows
Investigated the situation and found
Baxter had not received more money
than he was entitled to according to
the state rule and so has allowed
him to participate in athletics.
The state association has the fol.
lowing Interpretation concerning pro-
fessional players: "A paid player or
one who uses his athletic skill for
gain is interpreted as one who re.
ceiyes money in excess of the amount
necessary to cover actual hotel bills
and actual fares for transportation.
Baxter received ten dollars as a
financial remuneration which amount
was used to pay for taxi between
Peru and Ladd and to purchase six
meals, two each for himself and his
two seconds.
with these facts before him Eel
lows refused to accept the Spring
Valley protest on the basis of Bax.
ter being professional and offered
to play the game with Baxter in it
and allow the Spring Valley team to
carry the protest to the state board.
Melton. principal of the Hall school,
was not present at the time the writ
ten protest was entered but he had
instructed Coach krueg not to plav
the game in case Baxter was allowed
to participate
&When the written protest was pre-.
sented to Fellows it was two O'Clock
and both teams were on the field !
ready to start in the contest; how
ever, Spring Valleys intentions had
been first announced to the local /
coach by phone on Friday. AS a re.
suit OF the lateness of the presen.a. !
ton OF the protest, the large crowd |
OF spectators was forced to wait on
the field half hour after the time
for the start of the game. In order
to prevent any more waiting the local
management decided to play the /
game without Baxter and leave auv
further discussion of the protest to /
the proper officials after the game had
been played"
Now this is Coach Fellows story
OF the affair but it might he wise for
some Hall man to ask Baxter about i
some OF his other fights and espe- |
cially one that reports say he took
part in this summer III this sum
lAer nights Baxter is alleged to
have fought for SD while the other
nehter received the same amount for
his services.
me. hight was framed affair ac.
cording to boasts that Baxter made
10 certain Ottawa 1921 players dur.
ing the summer months. All the ;npn
that he made his alleged boasts to
were graduates or the 1922 class Of
the high school.
with professional prize fghti.g
oebbing into the grid iron sport ana
several teams under suspicion IN the
county for using men who would Nc
barred under the rules of the Illinois