The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-30
nleOlin So1es
Trade MsIk Rax. y. s. Pat, on,
HAL CHASE ON TRIAL
FOR "THROWTNC" CANES
Unique Case in Baseball History Is Be-
ing Tried at New York--president
John A. Heydler Will Sit
as Judge

New York, Jan. 30.-The unusual spec
tacIe of baseball player on trial upon
the charge Of endeavoring to influence
the result of game, viii be presented
in this city to-day when the case Of Hal
Chase VS.. the Cincinnati club is consid-
cred by the National league. President
John A. Heydler will sit as Judge for the
league and in all probability will be as
sisted by one or more legal advisors
Chase, in the role Of defendant, will be
represented by counsel while the Gin.
cinnati club which brings the charges,
will have the plaintiffs side of the case
GRATED by attorneys,
Unless there is an llth hour change in
the program for the hearing. the case
viii be tried behind closed doors and
President Heydlar's decision may not be
announced until he has had an opportu-
nifty to consider the evid6dce submitted
by both sides. Much of the evidence is
said to be in the form OF afiidavits sub
mitted by officers Of the Cincinnati club
and players of that and other teams.
Chase, who did not finish out last sea
son with his team and who has suit
pending for back salary, predicts that he
will be acquitted Whatever the out.
come of the trial it is conceded that he
viii not play with the Cincinnati club
in 1919.
No similar case has involved major
league player since the early days of the
professional game. In 1877 the Louis.
willie team of the National league began
its last eastern trip with lead which
permitted them to lose half Of the re-
manning games and still clineh the pen.
nant. In view of the playing strength Of
the team the result Of the race appeared
to be a foregOne conclusion.
Their first opponent was the Hartford
club. playing in Brooklyn. Notwith-
standing the apparent superiority Of the
Louisville combination the poolroom odds
favored Hartford to win. There was
heavy wagering ON the chances OF the
latter by so.called insiders and Hart
ford won the series, The poor play of
the Louisville team continued with the
result that but two OF the IL games
Of the trip were won and Louisville lost
the pennant by a margin Of three games.
Many of these defeats were due to er.
rors OF easy chances made by Graver,
Hall, Nicols and Devlin. With the arriv-
al OF the team in Louisville the storm
broke. Charges of crookedness were open
ly made and one of the players called
upon the club president to deny any par.
ticipiation in the alleged throwing Of
games He was severely. cross examined.
This led to a report that certain players
were to be punished for their suspected
part in the affair.
Both Hall and Deylin confessed to the
charges and implicated Nicols The ex.
animation led to a search Of the mes
sages filed by players with the telegraph
company and this evidence convicted all
four Of being guilty, beyond a doubt OF
deliberately losing games in order to win
wagers in the poolrooms which permitted
wagering upon the results Of baseball
games in those days, Devlin, Craver,
Nicols and Hall were Immediately black
listed by the league officials and never
took part in another professional league
game although several attempts were
made to restore enc or more to good
standing after the lapse Of a few years,