Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-27
BASE BALL FACES
GAMBLING PERIL
Club Owners Should Exert
Every Effort to Sup
press Evil.

PHILADELPHIA December 26.-Such
OF the attempt to bride Umpires Klein
In order that New York should win the
! deciding game Of the champion season
from Chicago October last, that 1t is
likely To be many years before the offense
is repeated. The National League did
well to make public the facts in the case,
although the name of the man who tried
to bride the umpires was kept secret.
Unless the league officials have some
very strong evidence 10 present It is
doubtful If they viii be able 60 convict
any one IN the courts. Judging from the
amount reported to have been offered
X lem and .CO0-no one man
was connected with the attempted deal.
1t must have been a number OF gam
b,ers who had so much at stake, and II
this is the case they certainly would not
have selected for the job of Go-between
a man who would make any false moves.
Such an affair would have had 10 be
handled very diploma tically. 50 that II
the umpires made known that an effort
was made 10 bride them they would be
unable to have a scrap of written eNi-
dence or would be able to call upon a
third person TO corfoborate their tcstl-
rnony.
For the sake Of making an example of
the cuprit or culprits 1t is 10 be hoped
that the ,would-be briber made a sip so
that lie can be convicted
The result Of the affair Will he to i'm
press upon the minds of the club owners
in all the major and minor leagues that
they must 90 all in their power to stamp
out the gambling evil at base ball parks
There has been too much lenienCy shown
the betting fraternity, not only in this'
but also III other cities.
Efforts TO stop betting at the bail parks
OF the major leagues have been littl"
more than bluffs, or. If the CLUB owners
were sincere, the policeman assigned 10
Keep ali eye on the men who wager on
the contests or on the plays have been lax
in their duties. During the season OF i9o'
the officials of the Athletics made a min
iature raid on the bSttorS at Columbia
Park Four men were arrested and the
bettors have ever since been very wary
of making their waseIs openly
At the National League meeting re-
ccutly a resolution was passed that the
clubs should live up 20 the constitution
of the organization against gambling AT
the ball parks. Now that the peril has
been impressed upon the maSnates more
than At any time in tho past thirty
years they SHOULD take their cue ana
get right down to business.
Some years ago the Philadelphia Ma
ttonaI League club made vigorous CT
fort-on papeT-to suppress betting ON
Gals of the club told before the season
opened how betting would not be totcr-
ated and what dire penalties would be
inflicted for any violation OF tie RUE
The season had been under way
only a short time when the official OF
the club who had been loudest in his
denunciation OF betting OH ball games
escorted into the section adjoining the
scorers box several men who were well
known in the business and social life of
the city These men had no sooner been
seated than two of them pulled out their
rolls and made bet. 1t was merely a
friendly little wager. The remarks of
the men were loud enough TO attract at
tention from those nearby. The club
official stood a few feet away and saw
the bet made. His face grew as red as
the proverbiaI beet. The eyes of every
reporter were on him. He had told the
scorers In long interviews how no one, no
matter who he might be- would be per-
mitted TO make a wager inside the park.
Here was the test. The bet had been
made in his presence and the offenders
we're his own guests. Did the official of
the Phillies have the courage to back up
his previous statements? He did not He
acted as IL about to make protest and
then he turned on his heel and walked
away.