New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-13
BROWNS LOSE IN COURT
St. Louis Club Must Pay Jack
O'COnnor a Years Salary.
CASE HINGES ON BATTING
Former Manager Accused of In.
structing Players to Favor
Larry Lajoie.

ST. Louis May l2.-The ST. Louis
, American League baseball club must pay
Jack OConnor $1,000, the amount he
would have received in salary had he not
been discharged as manager prior TO the
opening Of the 1911 season. a jury in
the Circuit Court decided here tonight.
The trial, which had occupied the court
all day, came to a close with unexpected
suddenness. The Jurors were out only
thirty minutes
O'COnnor was called TO the stand in re-
buttal as the last witness. He denied
the testimony OF Sidney Cook and Julius
Cronheim that they had overheard O'Con-
nor give orders that enabled Napoleon
Iajoic. OF the Cleveland team. to almost
tie the batting average of Ty Cobb for
the 1910 season in one Of the closing
games.
Sidney Cook. who witnessed the final
double header between the Cleveland and
ST. Louis Americans i'm the season Of
1910. testified that while sitting in the
crandstand. just above the ST. Louis
bench. he heard Jack O'Connor. manager
OF the local team. instruct his players to
favor their opponents.
\ deposition flied by President Ban
Johnson of the American League stated
that Johnson ordered the dismissal Of
OConnor as manager Of the Browns. on
the ground that he had instructed John
Corridor. the third baseman. to play back
when Lajoie was at bat for Cleveland
thereby enabling him to improve his bat
ting record. II was in that season that
Lajoie and Ty Cobb. of Detroit, fought IL
out for the batting honors and an auto
mobile. in that game LaJoie made seven
hits I'm eight times at bat.
Mr. Cook testified that he heard
O'Connor instruct Malloy. the pitcher. TO
give bases on balls to certain Cleveland
batters, and in one instance heard him in
struct Malloy 10 hit Mcclure of Cleve-
land. with the ball. Malloy. the witness
said. hit Mcclure. The effect OF these
instructions. the witness said. was to
bring Lajoie TO bat every other inning
Cook also testified that he heard O'Con-
nor swear at Corridor for getting his
hand on a pail hit by Lajole, thus caus-
ing Lajoe to be credited only with sac
rfice
Richard Collins. baseball writer and
the official scorer for the local American
League games. testified that Lajoie's
batting was the unusual feature of the
game. that his bunting was unusual and
that Lajoie "choked' the bat. or held it
high up.
This he said, ordinarily would indicate
q purpose TO bunt yet the basemen
stood far back Collins said he explained
this at the time on the theory that the
basemen thought Lajoie was choking
the bat to fool them. and II they got
nearer he would hit the ball hard. Cor
riden. he said. helded the ball when II
came his way and tried to throw it 10
first.
Corrlden's deposition also was filed. lie
said O'Connor had instructed him when
L.aioie came to bat 10 play back. but
said that O'Connor had not intimated
that this was to assist Lajoie
Jack O'Connor in his testimony denied
that he had instructed his men to play
so that an opponent could make batting
record. and contended his dismissal was
without cause.
81 lost my health working for President
Hedges. of the ST. Louis American
League Club" said o Conner. land was
not interested in the batting percentage
of other players
Hedges told me-" testified O'Connor.
that he would not give $500 for any
ballplayer that ever lived. I told him
that his team would be a tailender as
long as he lived"
President Hedges of the ST. Louis team
denied that he discharged O'Connor at
the order OF Ban Johnson. He also said
that between 100000 and $4,000 had been
invested in the st. Louis Americans and
in the last three years 10000 had been
spent in strengthening the team.