Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 115, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1915 — TO PROTECT HUSBAND [ARTICLE]

TO PROTECT HUSBAND

Mrs. Charles Bennett Invented Contrivance of Cork.

Crude, but Very Substantial Shield Made by Sewing Heavy Material Together—Causa of Amazement to the Spectators. Charley Bennett, the noted catcher of the famous old Detroit team of 18861887, delights in telling the story of how he and his wife made the first catcher's -breast protector ever worn by any backstopper In the country. And he says that Gray, the patentee of the protector now in use, got his first Idea from the homemade affair of C. Bennett’s inventive genius and Mrs. Bennett’s skill with the needle. Tt was a constant source of worry to the then very young and very pretty Mrs. B. to watch her husband being made a target for the speed merchants of 30 years ago. And she fully realized the pressing necessity of some kind of armor to prevent the hot shot sent through by these speedy slabmen from caving in a rib or two that belonged to her handsome better half. So she and her hubby proceeded to contrive some means of saving the aforementioned ribs. After much deep thinking and considerable labor they gradually shaped out something that had a faint resemblance to the protector worn today. A crude, but very substantial shield was made by sewing strips of cork of a good thickness in between heavy bed ticking material. So after much hard work they had it ready for trial. Charlie didn’t have nerve enough to wear It outside his shirt for fear of the fans roasting him for being chicken hearted, so he wore it under his Bhirt. In a private trial it worked fine. After Bennett got used to his new appliance he wore It in a regular contest, and with the eyes of thousands of the spectators gazing upon him he would let a fast one hit him square on the chest. The ball would rebound back almost to the pitcher, much to the amazement of the fans and players who weren’t on to the hidden cause.