Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-22
SPORTS OF ALL SORTS
To Investigate Alleged
Crooked Base Ball Player.
NOTHING IN CHARGES
PRESIDENT HART OF CHICAGO TO
BE BROUGHT TO BOOK.
Sensational Bowling in Last Nights
Contests-Britt-N Nelson Fight
Receipts-Notes.

The case of Pitcher Jack Taylor, accused
some time ago by James A. Hart of the
Chicago National League Club of throwing
a game to the Chicago Americans in the
fall of 1908, will be investigated by the ma
tional base ball commission, If President
Ban johnson and Charles Comiskey of the
American League have their way, says the
New York Sun. Taylor was a member of
the Chicago Nationals when he took part
In the game referred to and was afterward
traded to st. Louis in the same league.
Last summer, in a talk with the Sun man,
Manager Selee of the Chicago Nationals
said that his team would play no more
games with the Chicago Americans, be-
cause there had been crooked dealings
Selee mentioned no names, but said that
one of his pitchers was under suspicion.
Later the statement came from Hart that
Taylor had been fixed and for a sum of
money had deliberately lost a game to the
Americans. ComiSkey, the owner of the
Americans, naturally felt that he was I'M
der suspicion also, and promptly demanded
an investigation. Taylor also came to time
with statement that unless Hart made
retraction he would bring suit for damages
for defamation of character.
Both Johnson and Comiskey backed Tay-
Tor up and declared that the matter was
worthy of the consideration Of the national
lor should be found guilty he would be
blacklisted, but that if Hart could not SUBJ
stant1ate the charges he would have to re-
tire from professional base ball. With the
controversy at the boiling point, Hart now
says that he never made any charges
against Taylor, and states that it will not
be necessary for him to appear before the
national commission. But Comiskey and
johnson will not allow the case to be drop
ped and intend to bring Hart to realizing
sense of the wrong he has done in black
ening the honesty of the national game.
Charges of crookedness in base ball have
not been heard, until this particular incl
dent, since the blacklisting of Hall, Devlin,
Craven and Nichols twenty-five years ago.
These men were caught redhanded, and the
National League promptly put them out of
the profession forever Even during the
bitter brotherhood of 1890 there was
never the slightest hint that the games
We're not on the square. But with the bad
blood displayed by both the National and
American Leagues in their recent warfare
came bold statements that We're made with
the intention of injurng not only the game
itself, but everybody connected with it.
Last June a malicious statement came out
of Pittsburg to the effect that the American
League race was fixed and that Grifith's
New Yorks could not lose the pennant. The
assertion was sent broadcast and thou
sands of base ball fans were inclined to be-
lieve that there was something in it when
the Bostons and New Yorks came down
the home stretch neck and neck. At the
wind-up of the big race, when the cham
pionship depended on a single game at the
local American League grounds, thousands
went to the scene of action believing that
there would be something doing. But when
the Bostons won the championship IN the
first game of a double-header the honesty
of the sport was more firmly established
than ever before. a man who liked
ball player would be indiscreet, to say the
least, for the ball player would practically
own him r the way of a hold-up salary for
years to follow. Whatever may have been
said about the faults of those in charge OF
professional base ball and the behavior OF
rowdy players on the field, no man can say,
with proof that the sport itself has not
been always clean and on the level.