Evening star., 1908-12-21
'AlLEGE ATTEMPTS
To bR|bE PH|LL|ES
"Sure Thing" Bettors Said to
Be After the Quaker
Nationals.

N0IJVlJ0jOs
Followers of organized base ball re-
| ceived a jolt ten days ago, when it was
announced by National League directors
| in New York that Umpires Klein and
Johnstone accused certain 'unknowns'' of
| attempting to bribe them to throw base
! ball game between New York and Chi
cago, says the Philadelphia Press 1t
was a comfort to the fans" to know tina t
| the umpires in question were honest, and
even $10,OO0-more than their salary
amounts to in one year-could not tempt
| them.
Base ball fans generally do not know.
however, that the Philadelphia National
League players were approached during
the series between the Phillies and
Giants" just prior to the close of the
season. when the games meant so much
to Manager McGraw's championship
hopes. 1t is a we'll defined rumor that
the committee of the National League
which is Investigating the alleged bribery
charge made by the umpires is also in
yest1gating the alleged attempts to in
nuence players on the Phillies' team.
Phillies Cannot Be Bribed.
said that not one instance is known where
they even listened to the threats and per-
suasion of the clique Of gamblers who
caused the trouble in New York. And
| to show their true sportsmanship they
went In and tried even harder to defeat
the Glants' and kill their championship
chances. While not even q breath of sus-
pic1on can be attached to the New York
players, 1t IS generally known that the
men suspected are 'tin-horn sports who
usually occupy seats reserved for news
paper men in the front row of the stand
behind the home plate
PRESIDENT Shettsline and Manager Muir
ray, when seen yesterday, would not dis
cuss the alleged attempts to influence
thelr players or the report that the Ma
tlonal League committee intended making
thorough investigation of that affair
And players who are in the city were
equally reticent about 1t, merely saying.
1ts all forgotten now"
See Players at Hotel.
But it is said upon good authority that
the agents of the gamblers came to the
hotel where the Phillies were stopping
and made yelled insinuations and some-
times threats
You can't win anything if you do
Deat the Giants. We can win the pen
nant II We beat you. Why do you want
to beat us?'
That is said to have been a favorite
argument used to try to persuade the
Phiiiies to at least not fight against
odds to win. Where q man was known
to be willing to take a drink invita- tions
to the bar were In order. Wine was Of.
fered as bait, the New Yorker realizing
that "big head and bediInmed eyes
are not conducive to the best ball play
ing:
While it is known fact that at least
ho rNlr16 la
1t is not believed the National League
will push them to the limit. They have
convinced themselves that not only the
players on the philadelphia club and
several on the Chicago club, who are
said to have been approached, refused
to listen to the bribers, but that the UNI
pires are honest and can be depended
upon. 1t is, therefore. likely that the
Of the attempt New York gamblers are
believed to have made to land the pen
nant in Gotham.
Three of the series of eight games be-
won by the Murrayites. 1t was Coveles-
kie the young ''southpaw" who won all
three. Nut Charlie Doolin, the heady
backstop. had much to do with it. Char
ing HMM fact. he probably would
have given the first man who tried it a
Knockout smash TO the jaw. But he
was angered by several unsportsman-
ukc ACTIONS OI1 Tic pdTI Ol pIdycIS ana
spectators and became possessed of a
determination to win. His work helped
not a little.
1t has been stated by the National
blame for the scandal to either the New
York players or club. But the base ball
'moguls" realize that at some time an
umpire or player who is not beyond
taking a bribe might be approached. Ii
it became public 1t would do big hurt to
organized base ball. while the recent
scandal only served to strengthen 1T. be-
cause the fans" know that the bribers
failed in their purpose.
Enforce Anti-Gambling Legislation.
At the recent meeting In New York the
National League passed resolutions re-
questing every club to enforce even more
strictly the legislation against gambling
on games. They stated at the time that
it was believed gamblers We're RESPONSE
BILE for every attempt to influence players
and umpires with money. and to eradicate
the gambling evil would do away with
bribe scandals.
league meeting in New York that some of
the men suspected Of having approached
umpires and players were among the first
to make affidavits that Merkle touched
second base in that memorable game be-
tween New York and Chicago which
ended in a tie and was repiayed. That
forty of these sworn statements OF the
play were received by the national COM
mission. but differed so widely in the
facts OF the play that they were thrown
aside, is we'll known. Speaking of that
play recently in New York, Johnny Evers,
the Chicago second baseman, said:
"Merklc never came near second base.
and he 80 testified and admitted after
ward. Yet, in the face Of that, those
men In New York swore they saw him
run to second and touch the bag before
I received the bail. Umpire O'Day was
looking for Just such a play. and when
I received the ball I held 1t up so he
could see me complete the put-out. Mer-
kle by this time was in the crowd moving
toward the clubhouse, and O'Day nodded
L. hco fn Siu f1r to ma q