The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-12-14

the beginning OF the game to bribe
KLEIN and Johnstone, the umpires, to
render decisions favorable to the Gi-
ants. A committee was appointed to
Investigate and an intimation given
that criminal prosecutions would fol-
low. FEEL;
Few Close Decisions.
1t was made clear that there were
few close decisions in the contest
which gave Chicago the pennant, at
least none that effected the result.
The game was ordered played after
the regular season closed because OF
the tie for first place between New
York. and Chicago when the last Of
the regularly scheduled games had
been played. ''
Contributing to the excitement of
the situation, with the championship
hanging on a single game, was the
disputed tie game Of September 2S,
which New York lest because Merkle
failed to touch second base. The
echoes of that memorable contest and
the excitement In the baseball world
which followed It had died away to
great extent, only 10, be reawakened
by the sensation Of Friday.
Forty Thousand HaM the Game,
Forty thousand spectators saw the
great contest Of October 8. The stand
ing Of the clubs was the same, each
had won nipety-eight games and lost
fifty-flve. Chicago had already won
the pennant twice In succession and
was to meet the Giants on their own
grounds after . fatiguing Journey from
the west. Mathewson. the great, was
In the box to meet them, with q how
ling, jeering mob behind him.
Chance. the Cubs manager, put
Pfeister In the box and the Giants
promptly knocked him out Of it, scor-
ing one run In the nlrst inning. It
was bad opening for Chicago. It
was then that Frank Chance showed
his generalship. He called Brown
to the. box. Brown, the three fingered,
and the unsolvable riddles he put ov-
er the. plate held MH9rsM'a men to-
that one lonesome sscofes until the sew
enth inning: Meantime eTinklert and
Kings great stick work had piled
up four runs for the Cubs in the third,
the greatest inning ever SEEM on the
Polo grounds, which proved to- be all
they needed. New York's lucky
seventh. yielded them but one run.
After the game the Chicago players
needed police protection to get of
the field.
The Official Statement.
The following statement regarding
the charges OF attempt to bribe KLEIN
and Johnstone was given out by the
league officials Saturday night:
when the National league had ap-
parently transacted all Of its business
at its meeting Thursday, December 10,
1908, and after the league had receiv-
ed an official call from the representa-
tives of the American league, Mr.. Pull
liam called attention to q matter
which the undersigned consider not
only of the utmost importance to the
league, but 20 organized baseball as
we'll. He stated that Mr.. KLEIN and
Mr.. Johnstone, the umpires who had
ofhciated at the game played between
the New York and Chicago clubs at
the Polo grounds on October 8, 1908,
had submitted to him certain signed
statements that an effort had been
made to bribe them with respect to
their duties pertaining to that con-
test. In one Of these statements the
name of the person who approached
the umpire was given, as we'll as the
names Of persons whom he claimed
to represent. In the other statements
the names Of the persons who APP
preached the umpire were not given,
this umpire stating that they were
strangers to him.
1--WE are Of the opinion that a most
thorough and searching investigation
of this entire matter should be made
in order to maintain the high stand
ard and honesty of the game through
out the country and II possible to
punish all persons connected with
this disreputable proceeding.
ITO make such an Investigation as
the undersigned desire we deem 1t un-
wise to give out any names Of per-
sons claimed to have been connected
with this matter as we have grave
doubts as to the truth of certain state
ments alleged by the person who ap-
preached one Of the umpires; and it
is for that reason as we'll as having
IN mind the proper punishment Of
all guilty parties that all names are
withheld for the present. We desire,
however, to state that none Of the
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