1897 - CAPITALS PUTS DISGRACE BEHIND THEM
The N.L.U. entered the season minus Montreal A.A.A.. Lack of
competitiveness led to the Winged Wheels dropping out. A Victoria Day
exhibition contest showed that the Triple A's executive had made the
prudent choice. They were hammered 7-1 by Toronto. The other Toronto
club also withdrew from the league. Tecumsehs returned to the C.L.A.
and won the senior title. They also claimed the Queen City
championship by twice defeating Torontos 7-2 and 5-2.
The defending N.L.U. champions started the year fast. Harry Westwick
scored 30 seconds into their opening game. They went on to top
Shamrocks 4-3, followed by a 6-0 shutout of Cornwall. Yet the Capital
Express derailed on Dominion Day. Toronto, with only one league win in
the previous three seasons, handed the titleholders a 7-5 loss!
Rumours immediately circulated that the game had been thrown. Three
days after the defeat, Ottawa shocked its fans by suspending four
players: Harry Carleton, Jimmy Devine, James Murphy and Mick Shea. To
protest the suspensions John Powers resigned. Much of the press agreed
with Jack, that the quartet had been unjustly punished. "Where's the
proof?" they all demanded to know. The proof would soon come out.
It was a bewildering July for all lacrosse fans. As word spread about
a mysterious Prescott man, a suspiciously large bet on Toronto and
bribes to certain players, Ottawa took the field for their next contest
without three perennial top ten scorers and two starting
defenders.Toronto soon added to the confusion by picking up Shea and
playing him in a 4-3 victory over Cornwall. They claimed that Capitals
had released him, however the rules clearly stated that a player could
not switch teams in mid season. Cornwall protested. Rumours next had
all four suspended players joining Toronto. Before that could come
about the league supported the Colts, threw out the Toronto win and
ordered the match to be replayed on the 31st. Thus the month ended
with Cornwall winning the second contest 5-2.
The Capitals' situation was what concerned people most. The answers to
their questions, the few questions which would be answered, became
public in an Ottawa courtroom in October. On trial for fraud were two
entrepreneurs(gamblers?) Joseph Troy and Frank Bissonette, a former
Capital. The key witnesses were the Prescott man and the four
suspended players. How matters appear to have transpired were as
follows: George McCrea, from Prescott, bet $3,000 on Toronto on behalf
of the accused. McCrea said he had heard that some of the Ottawa
players were not expected to be in top form for the match. For his
troubles George received $100. As for the bribes, Carleton claimed
that he had been offered $50 by Bissonette but had turned it down.
Shea admitted to taking $50 but later returning it. With none of the
players confessing that they had taken money TO THROW THE GAME the
court case went nowhere. Still, in an age when a player's amateur
status was life and death, even to be suspected of accepting cash to
lose was unacceptable. The four Capitals were tainted. None would
play in the N.L.U. again.
As for the Ottawa club, their July 10th match was the second leg of
consecutive games with Toronto. The Queen City squad led 3-0 and were
up 3-1 when their star Ernie Burns was sidelined for the day. Capitals
scored five more unanswered goals to win 6-3. George Carson and Ed
Murphy both counted a brace to highlight the rally. For Murphy it was
his senior debut. Two weeks later John Powers returned to the team and
scored four in a 7-3 victory over Cornwall. The titleholders were far
from dead.
Shamrocks were their chief threat. The irish began with only one win
in their first three starts, then they lost centreman Dick Kelly with a
broken finger. During his three game absence they suffered their third
loss. Luckily the league was playing a 12 game schedule so there was
time to recover. On August 28th they defeated the champs, handing them
their third setback. The game was a thriller. Ottawa had built up a
3-2 edge thanks to Powers' two goals and assist. Bob Wall's third
counter, against the run of play, tied it. In overtime Albert Dade
scored the winner in 9 1/2 minutes.
In August the experts began to doubt whether Ottawa could overcome the
loss of four valuable veterans. The month started as it had ended,
with a loss. A large group of Ottawa rooters paid $1.50 train fare for
the return trip to the Factory Town. They were disappointed to see
Cornwall win 5-4. Colts used four different goalies in the game.
Starter James Broderick was not 100% so John White began the contest.
The big indian was of greater value on defence so he was replaced by
O'Callaghan. He eventually gave way to Bob Degan. Degan completed the
first half and lasted through the third quarter. Finally Broderick
dragged himself off the bench and, like a baseball fireman, preserved
the win. One of only four the third place Colts would manage on the
year.
The pennant race went down to the final month. The green shirts got
the jump in early September by beating Cornwall 8-3, on the 4th, and
Toronto 8-2 a week later. John Tucker scored four against the Colts
and Dade had hattricks in both games. Wall also potted four, against
Toronto, giving him 20 on the year. Meanwhile Capitals were
preoccupied with two exhibition games against Tecumsehs. They lost in
Toronto 5-2, before beating the indians 6-1 at home. Thus they went to
Montreal for the big showdown with a 7-3 record, compared to Shamrocks'
8-3 mark. With Ottawa still to play Toronto(only 2 wins on the year)
the game on the 18th was for all the marbles.
Capitals played a junior goalie named O'Dougherty in place of Alex
'Bowery' Robertson. Shamrock stopper Stinson had beaten the
titleholders a month earlier. History would not repeat itself. Ottawa
disappointed the 8,000 irish fans by doubling Montreal 4-2. From the
moment Premier Laurier started the match Capitals played like
champions. Powers led the offence with a goal and two assists. The
victory was a bit of a surprise to the Ottawa fans in attendance.
Little money changed hands as few were prepared to bet on the visitors.
Upon their return home, the team was greeted by a big crowd, then
escorted to Russell House. There Mayor Bingham made a speech.
There was still some unfinished business regarding the championship.
Capitals had to win their final game to clinch the pennant. With
'Bowery' back between the poles they blanked Toronto 7-0. Powers'
hattrick allowed him to catch Toronto's Frank Nolan for top goal
scoring honours. Both counted a record two dozen.
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