Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 162, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1911 — BIG SOUTHPAW IS PRIZE SLUMBERER. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BIG SOUTHPAW IS PRIZE SLUMBERER.

Bill Burns, the former Washington twlrler, who was recently purchased from Cincinnati by the Philadelphia Nationals, after Detroit failed* to land him, Is probably the sleepiest athlete who ever held down a berth In the big leagues. Bill has all others backed off the boards when It comes to taking naps, and he is not In the least particular about the time he picks out for a snooze. It was because of this that Burns was put under suspension by Clarke Griffith and later soldyto the Phillies. During a recent game at Boston the Cincinnati twlrler in the box was not going good and Burns was sent for to warm up. He pitched three or four balls to a catcher and then went to the clubhouse and fell asleep. At Brooklyn he was sent out to warm up for Gaspar, and repeated the performance, -falling asleep on the clubhouse steps.

Even during a game in which he is working, and where every other player ia on edge because of the closeness of the combat, Burns does not change his tactics.

During his career with Washington he pitched a game in Chicago in which the score stood 1 to 0 for the Nationals, in the eighth inning. The players were on a tension watching every move, but while the Washington players were on the bench in the ninth Burns fell asleep and actually had to be aroused to pitch the final inning. Then, he was so sleepy that the White Sox pounded him for two runs and won the game.

Bill Burns.