The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-27
SWEAR UMPIRE BET
ON COLUMBUS GAME
Startling Charges Made Against
Umpire Owens, Egged at
Nicollet Park.
Highest Baseball Authority L
Placed in Possession Of All
the Evidence.

clarence owens, an umpire IN the
American Association Of Baseball Clubs,
charges. The accusations were made
by City Clerk T.. a.. Lydiard, who is
also secretary Of the Minneapolis Base
ball & Amusement company. Aft
davits Of betting commissioners that
they placed bets for the umpire on the
outcome Of the game between Colum-
bus and Minneapolis. on July Is, were
man Of the National Commission of
Baseball Clubs, and duplicate copies
were forwarded to Joe d. O'Brien,
president Of the American association.
Owens was mobbed by an enraged
crowd at the close Of the game of July
18, and on the following day was egged
by the stands despite the efforts Of the
police and baseball management to pre-
vent it, The first game Of the, series,
a narrow margin in which questiona-
BILE decision by Owens figured in the
outcome, and the second game was for
feited by Joe D. o 'Brien, under cir
cumstances well known to local follow
ers Of the game. On the night Of July
City and sent Egan here In his stead.
Lydiard Starts sleuthing.
Not satisfied that all was right re-
garding the work Of Owens, Secretary
Lydiard started upon hunt for evil
dence. He says that it was soon forth
coming. Three men were found, well
known as followers Of sport, and accus-
toned to place Wa!gers upon the out
ing story to Lydiard, who. lost no time
in having the men appear before Attor-
ney NJ. Il. Boutelle. The stories were
placed in. the form Of affidayits and
| sworn to before notaries. Today they
went to Cincinnati, to the high court
The drst affidavit is that Of well.
Charges Charges with fR0 the statement a That he has
beeen resident Of Minneapolis for if.
teen years and admits that he has en-.
gagged in following various lines of
/ sport, and in wagering and betting
thereon. He AYERS, in the affidavit
that on the morning Of July ID he met
Owens at The, Hotel Brunswick at which
time he ayers Owens represented to him
that Columbus had a cinch' and sug
4 The out come Of tho game and. on the
fact that Columbus would be the win
ner. He alleges that Owens offered te
] advance money to bet on the game anc
proposed that in the event Of winning
he (Owens) would pay him a commits
sion Of Is per cent ,e Of the Winnings
Icept Owens money, but that he acte6
upon the umpire's advice and made
| bets; that he won and paid to Owens
Is per cent Of all his winnings.
1 -. Told to Back Columbus.
! Another affidavit is that Of a well
known .tsport who swears that h,
Emet Owens at the Hotel Brunswick ii
| 1ulv oonnon,
with another man, whose affidavit cor
'..roborates the story. He AYERS tina
+ Owens directed the two men to bet a
! odds Of 10 to z that Columbus Woult
win, and gave the betting commission
ers each the sum of 500 to be used b,
them in making such wagers. That i
consideration Of placing Of the SAIL
bets Owens offered a commission
IS per cent 4of the winnings.
These men declare under oath tina
they took the money and bet, and tina
the winnings were turned over to tOw
ems less the 25 per cent as agreed upon
The third affidavit is corroborativ
of this charge and is made by a well
known follower Of professional sport
: and man in the habit OF gamblin
upon the results.
These affdavits will probably startl
the baseball world. It has been year
since such grave charges were mad
against anyone in authority in base
ball and backed up by affdavits. Tn
men who make the charges assert tina
they are willing to go before the ne
tional commission and tell the entlr
detail of the affair.
The outcome Of the case is in doub
President O'Brien will probably be OF
0 dered to suspend the umpire and COZ
duct rigid investigation. The gam
will, if the charges are proved, have t
be played over.
Owens made no secret Of his dislik
FOR Minneapolis players, it is alleged
and affdavits along this line will b
gathered, Mr.. Lydiard says, and 70:
: warded. Owens is also alleged to hay
8 delivereds himself Of a profane TRAD
: against Minneapolis newspaper writer
: in front of the National hotel, on th
!, night of his departure for Kansas Git,
9 Owens is a native of Chicago, and tn
:. is his second season as an umpire
the American association.
Z MTG cor nnn ZEE