Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-16
BASEBALL WRITER'S
WILL CONTINUE TO
ride n. Y. LEADER
FOUR REPUTABLE NEWSPAPER
MEN DEEPLY WRONGED WHEN
M'GRAW CHARGED THEM WITH
WRITING "SCURRllOUS Ar
TlClES."

John ]. McGraw has taken leap
out Of the frying pan into the fire. The
manager of the Giants, who apparent
liz cleared himself with the National
league recently, is In about a. tight a
little fix as he has been during his en-
tire career. McGraw's attempt to
clear himself by passing the buck to
the correspondents travelling with the
Giants is making no great hit with the
members of the fourth estate who
write baseball throughout the country,
In sweeping reputation McGraw
branded all alleged interviews IN
which he was supposed to have attack
ed Tener the National league and its
umpires as ''scurrilous articles That
may have cleared John j. with Tener,
but perhaps this time McGraw has bit
ten Off more than he can chew.
That McGraw now feels he wr0nged
the four reputable newspaper men.
Sam Crane, dean Of the New York
baseball writer's; Sid Mercer, Frank
Graham and ]. =. Sinnott, to whom he
gave the interviews which have caused
such stir in the baseball world, Is
evident from a statement issued In
Boston to one Of those branded as a
falsifier Of news.
McGraw's statement proves the con-
tention of New York baseball writer's
that the alleged" interviews We're cor.
rectly quoted. The statement further
proves that McGraw branded the
newspaper men as liars to save fur
Their trouble in the National league.
His statement, given to well known
newspaper man, follows:
Il had no desire or intention to go
back on the New York newspaper men
l thought was doing the best for all
hands when was advised to sign the
statement to the directors, for was
told by my friends that President
Tener had decided to file libel suits
against several newspapers unless re-
pudated certain interviews accredited
to me.
''The pressure brought to bear on me
was that would cause great injury
to the National league, the New York
club and baseball unless | made n
statement satisfactory to the board
mnde strong objection to certain
wording Of the document and gained
my point by having less pointed words
inserted instead.
president Hampstead, my employer.
begged me to end the controversy for
good and all, and | listened to his ad-
vice. | think my action will IN time
be proved to be for the best interests
of all concerned, although acknowl-
edge the settlement was not entirely
satisfactory to me-"
Newspapers of New York do not
propose to pass so lightly over the
manner which McGrnw has chosen to
extricate himself from the perils into
which statements credited to him in
interviews had thrown him.
An informal discussion held by the
New York chapter of the Baseball
Writers association developed the
facts that action would be delayed until
the writers travelling with the Giants
returned home. AS soon as they ar
rive they will be asked to sign alli.
davits setting forth just exactly the
authority given them for writing inter
views sent to their respective papers
These are to be turned over to the
National league, with the demand that
the league take the matter up and call
Tor full hearing OF the facts in the
case. 1t Is even limited that In the
event the National league fails to take
action suit for damages will be filed
by one or more writer's aud the matter
taken into court, where a thorough air.
Ing OF the nluss will be forced, 80 TINT
the writer's Of 'scurrilous articles will
be put right before the public.