The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-28
speci.l to The Washington HeraIA,

| New York, Jan. g7.-Jim Thorpe, the
| greatest all-around athlete that this
country or any other has ever known
Jim Thorpe, the wonderful Indian foot
ball, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse
player: broad and high jumper. hurdler
and Splinter; laureled by a King and ac-
/ claimed by millions-has finally admitted
his sins against the laws of amateurism
| One small indiscretion of his athletic
youth has come forward at this late day,
after he had Won all the glories that
could be gained in his chosen field, and
he finds himself branded as a profess
sional.' the most heinous offense that
may be committed among amateurs
1t seems little thing enough that this
great Carlisle star did. In the summers
of 1903 and 1910 he played baseball for
| money with the Rocky Mount team, of
the Eastern Carolina Association. as well
as with the Fayetteville team of the
same league, a league that stands for all
the professional ball player means when
he refers, scornfully. to the bushes"
| To-day this league-probably never hale
and hearty in its most prosperous days
is defunct, but it lived long enough to
furnish means for the destruction of the
career of an amateur of the greatest
athlete of all times.
Trophies Returned.
All the material honors that Thorpe
gained in the Olympic games of igl2-
the trophies, and what-not, have been
stripped from the Indian holder and
they Will be returned to the conors
None Of his marvellous records will
stand. They will be wiped out COM
pletely, as If they never existed. all
though it is rather doubtful II this sum-
mary method will remove them from
the memory of the people who follow
athletic events
The destruction of these records WIN
work revolution in the athletic world.
Martin Sheridan will regain his all
around American record; Sweden VIII
move up in athletic standing; other
countries Will likewise profit, all be-
cause one pure-bIooded American played
a little baseball for hire few years
ago.
Thorpe says he did not play for the
actual money he gained. My property
brings me in enough money to 1--we on
but liked to play baseball he saws
In his letter. admitting the charges
against him L hope" he saws in an
other place in the letter Il Will be
partly excused Icy the fact that 1 was
simply an Indian schoolboy and did not
Know all about such things" This IS
inc note of pathos in the paragraph.
Clancy Starts Trouble.
One Clancy. of Rocky Mount team of
the bush league aforesaid. was the uni
conscious author of Thorpe's amateur
downfall. a Pawtucket reporter inter- |
viewing this man Clancy saw a picture !
of the Rocky Mount club and recognized |
Thorpe in the group. Clancy tried to back |
out of the situation. but the truth was |
out, and on top of the story as pub |
lished came hundreds of letters to the
Amateur Athletic Union from people who |
suddenly remembered having ,Anown
Thorp well as ball player.
In fact, it develops that down South /
where Thorpe played, and among his
friends and acquaintances there was no
secret made of the fact that he had
played ball for money: they didn't know
there was any particular harm in it,
During the Olympic games Southern
papers printed stories and pictures of
the great Indian lauding his prowess,
and constantly referring to his base
ball connection in the Carolinas, and no
hint of this reached the ears of the
amateur authorities.
An Investigation was proposed, but be-
fore it could be held, Thorpe himself
came forward with his confession. No
such turmoil has been created in the
athletic world since the time Arthur
Duffy. the great Splinter, was officially
expunged from the records
statement from the Amateur Ath-
letic Union of the United States says
that it never had the least suspicion
as to there ever having been AN act
of professionalism on Thorpes part.
The widest possible publicity was given
of the team selected by the Americana
Olympic committee and it seems strange
that men having knowledge of Mr..
Thorpe's professional conduct did not at
such time come forward and place'in the
hands OF the American committee such
as they had"
The committee. too. adds a word of
sympathy for the Indian. 'It should
be noted" it says, that Mr. Thorpe Is
an Indian of limited education in the
ways of other than his people"
Thorpe Condemned.
The report condemns Thorpe for con-
cealins the fact that he had profession
allied himself, but adds that the COM
mittee feels that those who know of
his professionalism are deserving of still
greater censure for their silence
The American Olympic committee, con-
sisting of Gustavus T. Kidby James E. |
Sullivan and Barlow S. Weeks, tenders
an apology to the Swedish Olympic COM
mittee, and through the International
Olympic committees to the nations of the
world for having entered Thorpe and /.
having permitted him to compete at
the Olympic games of 1912. 1t announces
that 1t will do everything in its power
to secure Nthe return of the prizes and
the reimbursement of points won by him.
At the close of the football season of
1872 all Eastern experts picked Thorpe
as the all-American fullback. In the
game against the Army at West Point,
as well as in nearly every game in which
he figured. he was the star.
Thorpe both pitched and played first
Il