The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-08-13

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 Chapman's skill; at copping the cushions has made him the great est base-running threat of the decade, since slim Sam Rice stole 62 bases in 1920.
 Chapman speaks in the soft tones of the south. He re- plies to questions with charming frankness. While he was being interrogated, Mrs Chahpman, his bride of a few weeks (the former Mary Elizabeth Payne, also of the south, sat on another bed nearby. listening closely to Ben's words.
 Born Christmas Day.
 'T was born on Christmas day, 19O8," he said, "at Nashville, but We moved soon after that to Birmingham. My father, Harry (Tub) Chapman, was profess sional ball player for 13 years. A catcher. I don't think he wanted me to play ball. Anyway he act- ed like 1t for a while.
 But was dead set on baseball. When was five years old I used to play with half g. bat sawed off for me so could swing it."
 How fast could he run?
 "Well, did 100 in 10 seconds once. But that isn't the secret of stealing bases. It's all in the lead you can get. In high school I was on the track team, but was g. shot-putter."
 Who was the easiest pitcher to steal on?
 "I don't like that question. Why don't you ask me who Is the hard est? We'll, that Walter Stewart is a hard pitcher to steal on. An. other is Eb Caraway of the White Sox. Both left-handers. guess left-handers can hold you closer to the bag because a righ handler has to turn around to throw.
 T think third base is easier to steal than second. Any kind of pitcher has to turn clear around to throw and the shortstop and sec- ond basemen are away off the bag.
 Long Lead Essential.
 "You have to start just right. I have stolen home eight times this season, four times on straight steals where the catcher threw to second trying to catch a run ner going from first. Just get a long lead and start just right"
 Had Chapman ever been caught
 "rwice this year. Harder of Cleveland, a right handler, caught me off once. Stewart caught me off once."
 What catcher was hardest to steal on?
 "Catcher doesn't mean a thing. If you get a step on the pitcher, no catcher can catch you. Cochrane is q great catcher. but you find they steal bases on him, too" Grove, Earnshaw, Walberg?
 Let's let that question pass. Of course, you might say that those fellows don't have to watch base runners as closely as some pitch CTS on other teams. The As make runs when they need 'em. A couple of stolen bases don't mean a whole lot to that team.
 ''Same thing with the Yankees. Our team bats runs in. l suppose more than half of the bases 1 steal aren't needn't an awful lot"
 Fans Pay to Sec Him.
 But the fans pay to see Chap man steal those sacks? Don't they cheer and whistle just as soon as he gets on base? And watch for him to go down?
 "So they say. But only go down when Joe tells me-"
 Chapman was an end in foot ball. One afternoon after he had sprinted 95 yards for touch- down for his high school eleven. the coach decided he was g. half back. It was as a halfback that he made the All-Alabama selec- tions for two years.
 During the interview, the pretty Mrs Chapman sat quietly on a bed listening to every word. It was only near the close of the inter. view that she Interrupted.
 When did Mir Chapman meet Mrs Chapman?