Evening star., 1915-05-30
Saw Suspicious Indications,
But Could Find No Proof
OF Guilt.
SIGNAL BUREAU UNCOVERED
IN NEW YORK IN YEAR 1909
Morgan Murphy Worked Clever
Scheme With Buzzer on
PhiIIies' Grounds.
By !. ED GRILLO.

hat a suspicion exists to the
effect that the Chicago White
SoN have been stealing their op-
ponents battery signals at Co
miskev Park in Chicago is CON
hrmed by Manager Bill Donovan
of the New York y ankees.
Donovan says he was caution
ed by letter from d friend, who
seemed to know what was going
on at the White Sox grounds,
and knowing that Bill was fight
ing for the pennant wrote him
letter in which he said that the
Sox were getting the battery sig
mails OF the visiting teams and
flashing them to the batters by a
signal which showed on the
scoreboard.
Donovan got his letter upon
his arrival in Chicago, and nat
urally watched everything close
ly.
!. 4 don't know whether there is any.
thlng wrong or not, but L was sur
prised to find several members of the
White Sox stepping into the curve
balls, in manner which would indi-
| cate that they knew what was coming.
l don't want to mention any names,
but there are two players in particu-
lar who have always been fish on curve
balls. Naturally when we hit Chicago
| consulted with the old pitchers on my
team and they agreed that the proper
way to pitch to these two was to
curve the ball as much as possible, as
this was their weakness
We'll. we were surprised in the first
game when these fellows did not go
after any curve that started for the
plate. and would murder one that
broke over. ] had my suspicious about
that, of course. but as / said before L
don't know that there was anything
wrong. | did not get chance to ex-
anime what is behind the scoreboard
nor did l find anything in the way of a
signal bureau. but there were a lot
of accusations going the rounds, and
time will perhaps tell the truth Of the
charges"
That the Detroit club also has sus-
picious is not secret, but, like the
Yankees, they were unable to find any
thing which would indicate how the
trick is done.
Back in 1909 signal bureau was dis
covered on the New York American
League grounds. The Detroit Tigers
there
Hughey Jennings, who had been tip
ped eff here in Washington as to what
the Yankees were doing, went there
prepared to bag the culprits. Harry
Tuthiil, the trainer Of the Detroit
team. was put on the job. and while
the game was in progress he bagan a
scouting tour around the park He
soon made the discovery that the cross
bar in the "H' in hat sign turned
from black to white at frequent in
tervals. This was plainly a signal. Tut
hili figured, and he continued his In
vestigation to find out how 1t was
worked Going behind the fence some
twenty feet from the sign from which
the signal was given he discovered
Gene Mccain, an employe of the New
York club at that time. armed with
n pair of strong field glasses with
which he looked into the catcher's mitt
and could read what sort of a ball the
pitcher was being asked to throw. This
Information he would at once flash
to the batter by means of the contri-
vance on the hat sign already referred
to, and the result was that many q
great pitcher got an expected wallop-
ing when he apparently was in his best
form.
The Yankees would never work the
signal until during the closing innings
of the game. McCann would familiar
ize himself with the catchers signals
first before he took any chances. Only
after knowing them thoroughly and
having them verified by seeing the
pitcher deliver what was asked for,
would he tip off the batters. This. of
course. produced some late batting rail-
lies which were never explained until
the signal bureau was discovered.
American League influence. however,
was opposed to public investigation
of the discovery. Tuthill was forbid
den to make any statements regarding
the signal bureau in New York, and the
league at its next annual meeting
passed resolution to the effect that
any one resorting to the practice of
tipping off battery signals by means of
a device would be ousted from the
game.
Incidentally, George Stallings who
was then managing the New York club.
son. though the club knew of the EN-
ployment of Mccain. who drew 5000 a
month for his part in the scheme.
Morgan Murphy, the veteran catcher
l of the PhlIl1eS some years ago, was tnt
operator and originator of one of thc
most clever signal bureaus, which the
Phillies used to advantage for nearl,
an entire season. In those days tn.
| Phillies had of the most wonder
| full hitting clubs the game ever pro
duced IT really did not need to tax
advantage OF a signal thief. but man
| Of the players did not know II was il.
operation. so cleverly was 1t worked.
Morgan Murphy's chief assistant wa
Petite Childs. a player who only brok
| into the lineup occasionally, but wa
an almost constant occupant of tn,
coacher's box at third base. Under that
coacher's box an electric buzzer was
planted and Childs while standing in
| the fox would also have his foot over
this buZzer.
Morgan Murphy was planted outside
of the center ffeld fence. where he oc-
cupied window in a house from where
| he could see the catcher's signals with
the aid of a pair of powerful glasses.
When he had them he buzzed once OF
J twice. as the signal might require. and