The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-28
THORPE ADMITS IT
Indian Athlete Says He Played
Baseball for Money.
Records and Prizes Won by
Him Do Not Count.

New York, Jan. 2s.-James Thorpe
the indian athlete and Olympic cham
pion, admitted that charges OF PROBES
sionalism against him were true am
formally retired from amateur dun
letics Thorpes confession was coh
tanned in a letter to the reglstratioil
committee of the Amateur Athletic
1,nion which met to investigate his
case.
The letter admitted that Thorpe mad
played baseball for u salary on pro-
fessional team three years ago WINE q
student of the Carlisle Indian Schooi'
but that on the same team there were
several northern college men who were
regarded as amateurs and Thorpe uIu
NOT realize his participation was WronS.
Thorpe added that he did not play Io1
the money he earned, but for the love
of the game
He Loses All Honors.
rhorne's winning of the Pentathloh
and Decathlon events at the ClS
games in Stockholm ana laler ne -.
derful performances which won LOT hiih
tho aII-around championship OF the "A.
At at Celtic park last September hau
STAMPED him the most marvellous al.
round athlete of modern lluiea-
addition. his prowess as q tootpdii PlaS
er had earned for him last season ~
nnapin,ous choice of leading sporunS
"
annual aII-American football team.
An the DriZes and the honors winch
rrtorne has gained since 1909-the Date
from which his standing as d proIe9
sionaI begins-muSt De lrdliSiet
+hroueb +he officials of the Amateur
A+b1etic 1nion to the men who hnlsh-
Cd second to the Indian in every event.
r,his will mean that the trophies anu
Points won in the Pentathlon anu
Decathlon must be given respectlvely'
70 r r. Bio, Norway, ana ID. WIGS
lander Sweden, and that j. j. Iona
hue, United States, and u. LoIhpets'
sweden will take second places. Jonh
Rredennus. of Princeton, finished sec
ond TO Thorpe in the American all
ro,1nd championship, and Bruno Brouu'
of the Irish-American Athletic clup'
third. and, therefore, now must be ac-
corded the honors
The loss of the six points scored by
r.h1rpe in the Olympic games still
leaves the United States winner by
wide margin, however, the total stano-
ing: United States, 10, with Finland
in second place, with %.
New England Paper Starts 1t.
Charges that Thorpe had played pro-
fessional baseball in Winston Salem
N c.. were first published in Wor-
cester Mass, newspaper last week
James E. Sullivan, secretary, and oth-
err officials of the Amateur Athletic
union, Immediately began an investl-
CATION. which eliminated in a meet
ing of the officials of the A. a. u
and the American Olympic committee
in this city.
The committee, which met to in
vestigate the charges against Thorpe,
after having read the confession of the
athletes issued d statement in effect
that Thorpe was selected as member
Of the Olympic team without the least
suspicion of his ever having been
professional. They justify in some
measure Thorpe's position by saying
it should be noted that he. is an In
dian of limited experience and educa-
ton and lacking in the knowledge of
other than his own people.
The statement says that while Thorpe
is deserving of the severest condemna-
ton for concealing the fact that he
had played professional baseball, the
committee feels that those who knew
of his professional acts are deserving
of still greater censure for their 81
lence.
The Amateur Athletic union an
hounceS that it will do everything in
its power to insure the return of prizes |
and the readjustment of points won by |
Thorpe and Immediately will eliminate |
the records of the Indian from its /
hooks.