The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-28
THORPE TELLS IT
Played Ball Because He Liked
Game, Indian Says.
Not for Money, Because He
Didn't Need 1t.
CLANCY THE TROUBLE MAKER
He Started Row by Talking to
Reporter.
Prizes Won by Indian Will Be
Returned.

new DIRK, an. 2S--Ine confession OF
James Thorpe, the Worlds greatest
athlete, that he played baseball as
a professional during the summer of
1909 and 1910, will result in a sweeping
investigation of the standing of the
several other college men from the
north who Thorpe says, played in the
same league. James E. Sullivan, secre-
tary of the Amateur Athletic Union,
so announced today.
Mr.. Sullivan said he had written
Thorpe asking him to name the men
thus referred to in his confession.
LAS soon as we receive Thorpe re-
ply" Mr.. Sullivan said, I'VE will begin
an inquiry into the records of the
other men he refers to. If any of them
are holders of Amateur athletic union
records or prizes, We would have no
choice but to declare the records off
and order the prizes returned. We
would of course send them to the men
who were second in the respective
events.
Il have written also to the proper
authorities at the Carlisle Indian
school asking them to return to me by
express the trophies which Thorpe
brought back from the Olympic games.
1 also sent cablegram this morning
to Christian Helstrom the Olympic
games commissioner at Stockholm, ap-
prising him of Thorpe's confession and
notifying him that the trophies would
be returned"
Thorpe's Trophies Are Valuable.
Tokens of Thorpe's glory on the
OLYMPIC field which are thus stripped
from him. and will be returned to
Sweden, are a bronze bust of the king
of Sweden which Thorpe won with the
and the decathlon cup, a
model of an ancient
Viking ship.
The snarl which the union has to I'M
ravel because of Thorpe's professional
ism appeared today less complicated
than at first thought. While he had
won many prizes and eStapllSned new
records most of the events were III
college athletics, over winch the union
exercises no Jurisdiction. To expunge
the records of new marks set by
Thorpe the record committee, Mr. Sulil-
van announced would canvass the sit
uation shortly -,
''Thorpes case is at once one OF the
greatest tragedies and marVels OF anna
teur athletics" Mr.. Sullivan SAID. IL
seems incredible that he should nave
PLAYED for two years as professlohal
and no one has arisen until TINS late
dav TO say So of the thousands OF
persons who saw him play OF all the
sporting writers in the cities Where ne
nlaved and of all the stockholders IN
the baseball league where ne playeu'
if is passing strange that there was
not one person to say before this time
that he was professional.
Following is Thorpes letter;
Confession of Professionalism
Carlisle, Pa, Jan. 26, 1913.
James E. Sullivan, New York.
Dear Sir:-When the interview with
Mr.. Clancy stating that l had played
ba seban on the Winston-Salem team
was shown me, 1 told Mr.. Warner that
if was not true and, in fact, 1 did
not play on that team. But SO much
has been said in the papers since then
that I went to the school authorities
this morning and told them just what
there was in the stories
II played baseball at Rocky Mount
and Fayetteville n. c., in the summer
of 1909 and 1910, under my own name.
On the same teams 1 played with were
several college men from the north VINO
were earning money by playing ball
during their vacations and who were
regarded as amateurs at home
Il did not play for the money there
was in it. because my property brings
me in enough money to live on, but
because I liked to play ball. L was not
very wise to the ways OF the world
and did not realize that this was wrong
and it would make me a professional
in track sports. although 1 learned
from the other players that it would
be better for me not to let anyone
know that I was playing, and for that
reason I never told anyone at the
school about it until today
In the fall of 1911 1 applied for re-
admission to this school and came
back to continue my studies and take
part in the school sports and of course,
I wanted to get on the Olympic team
and take trip to Stockholm. I had
Mr. Warner send in my application for
registering in the A A U after I had
answered the questions and signed it.
and 1 received my card allowing me
to compete in the winter meets and |
other track sports.
Did Not Realize His Mistake.
81 never realized until now what a !
big mistake I made by keeping it a /!
secret about my ball playing and 1 |
am sorry l did so. l hope 1 will be !
partly excused by the fact that I was |
simply an Indian school boy and did /
not know all about such things. In !
fact. / did not know that 1 was doing |
wrong because L was doing what +
knew several other college men had .
done, except that they did not use
their own names.
II have always liked sports and 4