Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-01
BIGGEST CROOKED DEAL
EVER PULLED IN SPORTS
Maybray Crowd Handled "FiNcd"
Foot Races, Fights, Horse Races
and Wrestling Matches.
COMIsKEY LOSES $4,000
Figure Placed as Value on Players
Suspended and No Longer Asset
to Chicago White SoN-ThouS-
ands Gamble ON Games.
by DAMON RUNfON.
ivcrsnl Service stan Correspondent.

NEW YORK, Sept ao.-How much
did they get?
On an investment OF not 10 eS-
coed s25.O0o. the fxcrs of the last
worlds series are believed to have
cleaned w. in the neiShbornood OF
~ One estimate places the amount at
100000. It may he that the aGEre
gate OF bets on the White SoN all
over the country reached that figure,
but il is not likely that the fXers got
the money.
There is little doubt however. that
, on the investment the gamblers
hung up new Get-rich- quick record.
the world OF sport in recent years
that probably beat their mark came
10 an end when the Maybray mob was
gathered UP out West.
The Mayb-ay mob handled fake
foot races. phoney prize fights.
crooked horse races and wrestling
matches. II probably never dealt TO
any extent in baseball oniy because
IL never thought of IL. However. the
Maybray mob had TO have "a big
working capital. Its Jobs generally
started with eonSiderable invest invest,
man. was said 10 be the brains OF
tho crowd which had an orEaniza-
lion covering mos; of the West.
was simple, The fall guy" was
made TO believe that he was skinning
another on a fake foot race horse
race or 4 fixed prize fight, and was
himself stunE.
a, least eighty men are known to
have been mixed up In the workings
called The Big store" a little
OF ono of tho fighters. wrcstlers or
jockeys. bitten into at the proper
moment was the means employed to
make it look as If the plans had
suddenly gone aStray"
Maybrny Worked Crooked.
The Mayhrays would locate 4 rich
prospect and angle for him or
months. He was carefully built up"
around him. Then he was eventually
double crossed when he thought he
was crossing some one else, just as
the White Sox ball players were
The most desperate enterprise ever
engaged in by the Maybrays never
.-caualled in daring the deal TO throw
worlds series. an event almost ma
Iona! in Importance and interest.
The newspapers Of America alone
spent at least million dollars in
reporting what has now turned out
Ia be a consummate fraud. Another
million or more was spent by the
people who went TO see the worlds
series.
Charles Comiskcy estimates the
commercial value OF the ball players
for good at 100000. The value of
their moral souls cannot he rcckoned.
In the open market Buck Weaver
would probably have brought more
money than any of the other players
Joe jackson once sold for $4,000 but
Jackson was about through as 4 ball
player. Weaver was rated the top
. hole third haseman OF the country
Weaver made the tour OF the world
with Comiskey and John ]. McGraw.
There have been few better ball
players in the game in the past TWEEN
Some people marve! that enough
netting men could be found by the
gamblers 10 make the investment in
the players profitable AS Il matter of
+" fact baseball for the past ten years
has been the subjcc; OF almost "a
much betting as horse racing
Man Bets $4,000.
one man IN New York made a
SoN last :all. Prominent horsemen
theatrical magnatcs and stock brokers
nave TING and again backed their
: judgment on bast'sail ,in;o five fig
ures, according ia. printed reports,
which were never dcnied.
They were in the habit OF making
these wagers solely on their own
opinions OF the probable outcome OF a
game or series. the same as they
might bet on a stock
e In small handbooks and between
:" individuals. thousands OF dollars
MTic "agcFed on pail games daily
al over the country. In the old days
the gamblers used 10 make their
bets openly in the grand stands at the
ball parks, but this public specula-
ton has been largely wiped out by
the club owners
j. However, while getting after the
ittlc gambler. and barring him from
bail yards, the club owners have. over
looked the big fellow. IL is next to
impossible OF course 10 ston men
from betting on baseball on the out
side. hut prominent gamblers who are
known to bet heavily on the games
have been admitted 10 the parks for
years.