“Everyone of us waved him aside, and the general order was: ‘Give it to the hospital,’ if it was a hospital for which the meet was held. I know I never accepted a cent, and none of the other college fellows did. That’s all there is to it.”
There was a short period of silence following the statement by the Big Californian. Then Tom arose in his seat.
“Mr. Chairman,” he said, “I move you that we take a vote of confidence in Frank, first of all, and then that we send word to Exter and Boxer Hall and Fairview, that the charges of professionalism are groundless in this case, and that Frank will take part in the games.”
“Second it!” yelled Joe Jackson.
“One minute,” began Holly calmly. “I appreciate the spirit in which that motion was made, and I’ll put it at the proper time. But, before I do, I’d like to know if anyone here has a copy of the A. A. U. rules bearing on professionalism. If he has will he see if they bear on this case?”
“I’ve got a copy!” said Dan Woodhouse, “and I know ’em pretty much by heart. I don’t believe that Frank would be barred under the rules. They make the ‘acceptance’ of money a bar, I think, and by his own evidence Frank didn’t accept it.”
“Not that I want to seem to believe for a moment this charge, but because I think we ought to be very sure of our ground, I make this suggestion,” spoke Phil Clinton. “Of course Frank didn’t take, or accept, the money. But might it not be said that by tacitly turning it over to the charity after winning it, that he had it? I’m afraid they’ll say—the committee I mean—that when he competed for a money prize he became a professional.”
“No! No!” cried several.
“Well, that’s one way of looking at it,” said Holly Cross. “That’s what we’re here to decide. Shall we fight this case, and have it threshed out in a general meeting, or——”
“Fight! Fight!” cried a number.