Judge, 1915-09-11 · page 19 of 28
Judge — September 11, 1915 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a humorous anecdote attributed to **Fritz Maisel**, a New York Yankees player known for stealing bases. The joke ridicules **spiritualist mediums**—popular fraudsters of the era who claimed supernatural powers to answer questions about the future and past. The satire works by showing how a gullible skeptic committee brings a "trance medium" a baseball box score, demanding she prove her abilities. She does—but only by pretending mysterious abbreviations (like "S'wth," "H'tz'l," "P'p'gh," and "W'g's") are actually shortened player names. The committee, unfamiliar with how baseball statistics are printed, believes her supernatural act has worked. The joke mocks both **credulous believers in spiritualism** and the **obscurity of baseball box-score notation** to general readers of the era. It's essentially a con-artist tale framed as sports anecdote. The rest of the page is primarily advertising (Wellington pipes, art lessons, the Keeley Institute for addiction treatment).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
f the Ball Players By ED A. GOEWEY Yams 0 Fritz Maisel, New York Americans ITTLE FRITZ MAISEL, of the L Urey who last scason led the American League in stolen bases, and who continues to be one of the best pilfercrs in the Johnson organization this year, is responsible for this one: “There was a woman doing business in a certain Western town who had gained a confderable renown as a trance medium. Presumably she would fall into a deep sleep, and while apparently unconscious of what was going on around her would tell the number on a five dollar bill, what the next tax rate would be, and everything in a person's past life was an open book to her. She could locate buried loot, tell you whether you would be happy with the girl you were going to marry or give the contents of a scaled letter. “But in her town there dwelt many skeptics, men who wore long whiskers and large eye-glasses, but who knew nothing of the deeds of Grover Cleveland Alexander or Ty Cobb. One of them, curious to know what was meant by the strange mixture of letters in the box scores of the ball games, accompanied by several friends, took a paper to the lady with the second sight and showing her a box score, asked her to do her best. “You have a chance to win us to your cause,’ he said, after placing the usual fee inberhand. ‘If your replies are convincing, we will be skeptics no longer.’ “The woman then went into a trance, and the seeker after information pointed to a bor score and said, ‘Tell us what this means,’ and he pointed to ‘S’wth. “That” answered the lady’s control, ‘i an abbreviation for Southworth, the name ofaball player. It has been cut down so as to get it in the column.’ “The reply sounded plausible, and the committee then pointed out ‘H’tz'l.’ ““Hartzel,’ the control translated, and the members of the committee looked at tach other almost convinced. Then they tied again, pointing to ‘ P’p’gh’ and ‘W’g's.’ “Those abbreviations,’ she said, ‘are for Peckinpaugh and Wambsganss.’ “At this answer the committeemen burst THE UNIVERSAL PIPE Note the well in the bowl that keeps the tobacco dry. It’s this true pipe principle that hes made the W ‘on the Universal Pipe among men. Get one. There’s a shape for every face. Made from genuine French briar—bowl guaranteed against cracking or burning through. At All Good Dealers’ 25c, 35c, 50c and up WILLIAM DEMUTH & COMPANY New York WANTED—AN IDEA! WHO CAN THINK OF SOME simple thing to patent. Protect your ideas, they may bring Newspapers, Etc. ’. Earn Big Money All Uranches of Art Taught RY MAI-orLoral Classes, ‘Write for lltustrated bool pupils. RSOCTATED ANE STUDIO“ 2124 Flat a you wealth. Write for “Needed Inventions” and “How to Get Your Patent and Your Moacy.” Randolph & Co., Patent Attor- peys, Dept. 129, Washington, D. C. FOR PERSONS ADDICTED TO DRUGS OR DRINK The drink or drug habit is a disease. ‘Treatment demands the attention of ¢: specialists. The Keeley remedies have relieved half a million in the last five years. Administered only in authorized Keeley Institutes. he FOR INFORMATION WRIT! aed FOLLOWING KEELEY INSTITUTES: Hot Springs, ark,