OCR Text |
Show CONGRESSUN I BASEBALL fill WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 Democracy triumphed again today when Republican Repub-lican congressmen bit the dust some of them swallowed quarts of it on the baseball diamond in the struggle for the championship of the house of representatives. Score, 12 to 9-Charges 9-Charges may be preferred against the Democratic umpire, James F, Burnes, of South Carolina, who had a rabbit's foot in his pocket, and Republican ball players charge, a loaded half dollar dol-lar also. The game, played for charity, really was decided bv the umpires. William M. Wilson, Republican of Illinois, did all he could to stem the tide of party defeat, but on all close decisions, when infuriated members of both parties crowded the field and threat-enedened threat-enedened riot, the only solution was for Byrnes and Wilson to resort to the toss of a coin. Byrnes had tho coin and did the tossing. Byrnes won every time. "You're safe," he Invariably ordered, order-ed, 'reversing the decision of the other umpire. Thus were the fates with the Democrats, although they had no such gilt-edge ball players on their team as Nicholas Longworth of Ohio. Longworth, shortstop for the Republicans, Re-publicans, and their captain, played like a fiend in the field and bounded two two-baggers and a home run. The ball he knocked for a home run was stolen by a canal boat driver, who found it in the canal below the heights of Georgetown upon which the game was played. In the third inning there were only four innings because another would have meant physical defeat for all concerned, Representative Webb. Democrat, of North Carolina, had been neatly caught at first base, but in his desperation he had knocked down Representative Slem, who was guarding guard-ing the bag. Umpire Wilson called him out. "Stay where you are," shouted Umpire Um-pire Byrnes as he ran forward. Swallow Swal-low no such Republican dictation. He thinks he's Joe Cannon." There was a conflict of tongues and some serious threats, which startled the audience of Washington's social and congressional circles, until It was agreed to toss the coin on the proposition. The coin was tossed and the Democrnts won. Again, when Representative Murray, Democrat, of Massachusetts, had gone to second base and was near being touched out by Representative Kendall of Iowa, Republican, Umpire Wilson called him out. Byrnes again ordered him not to stir from his position of party regularity reg-ularity and to sit on the bag. Another An-other near riot, another coin tossed, and again the Democrats had won and three more runs crossed the plate. It was a hard game while it lasted, the Gopher battery, Miller and Anderson Ander-son of Minnesota, carrying off honors for the losers, and Webb of North Carolina and Kinkead of New Jersey for the Democrats. Others who participated par-ticipated for the Republicans were Lafferty, Oregon, center field; Slemp, Virginia, first base; Porter, Pennsylvania, Pennsyl-vania, who made three hits, third base, Reyburn, Pennsylvania, left field, and P'arr of Pennsylvania, right field. Supporting the Democratic battery bat-tery were Harrison, MissippI, third base; Reillj', Connecticut, who lasted one inning, and McDermott. Illinois, first base; Carter, Oklahoma, second base; Driscoll, New York, left field, Garrett, Tennessee, center field, and Scully, New York, right field. Scully knocked a home run, the ball landing In Congressman Copley's automobile. |