Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-09-29
8 Players
Indicted;
2 Confess
True Bills Returned Against
Seven Regular and One
Former Member of
Chicago Team.
Tell Of Throwing Games
by The Associated Press.


Chicago, Sept. 2S--Indictments
were voted against eight base ball
stars today and confessions OBJ
tanned from two of them, when the
Old Roman, Charles A. Comiskey,
owner of the ofttime champion Chi
cago White Sox, smashed his PEN
nant-chasing machine TO clean up
base ball. The confession told how
the Sox threw last year, worlds
championship to Cincinnati for
poney paid by gamblers.
Seven Sox regulars and one for
Eaer player had true bills voted
Neanst them by the Cook county
sfand jury and the seven were i'm
nlediately suspended by Mr.. CO.
nliskey. With his team only halk
a game behind the league-leading
Cleveland Indians. the White Sox
owners served notice on his seven
stars that if they We're found guilty.
he would drive them out of organ
ixed base ball for the rest of their
.iives.
4 Lift Curtain on Hearings.
I Officials of Chief Justice Charles
= McDonald's court, desirous OF giy-
ing the national game the benefit
of publicity in its purging, lifted the
curtain on the grand jury proceed
ings sufficiently to show a great
hitter, Joe Jackson, declaring that
he deliberately just tapped the ball;
a picture of one of the worlds most
famous pitchers. Cicotte. in tears and and
glimpses of alleged bribes of $5,0oo
or $4,000 discovered under pillows
or on beds by famous athletes about
to retire.
Around the court room at one
time or another were some OF base
balls greatest leaders, among. them
John ]. McGraw, manager OF the
New York Giants, awaiting a call to
testify tomorrow, and John Heydler
president of the National league who
went before the grand jurors this
afternoon. s'
The exact nature Of the informa-
zion Mr.. Cominsky put before the
grand jury was not disclosed. lhe
men whom the jury involved as
result Of testimony uncovered by
their owner were:
Eddie Cicotte, star pitcher who
waived immunity and confessed, ac-
cording to court attaches that he
took a $4,000 bribe.
Arnold (Ch;ck) Gandil, former
.irst baseman.
"Shoeless Joe" Jackson, heavy hit
ting left fielder.
Oscar (Happy) Felseh, center
fielder.
Charles (swede) Risberg, short
Claude Williams, pitcher. /
George (Buck) Weaver, thire
baseman. II
Fred MeMullin, utility pazyer.
Comiskey Wrecks Team.
While the grand jurors voted
their true bills, the Old Roman,
seated in the midst of his crun-
bling empire out at the White Sox
park. issued the telegram suspend
ing those involved, paid off Weaver,
Cicotte and Jackson on the spot and
4 announced that checks for pay due
the others would be sent them at
once. With his voice trembling. Mr..
Comiskey, who has owned the White
|, Sox since the inception OF the Amer
lean league, said this was the hrsf
time scandal had ever touched his
family" and that it distressed him
too much to talk about it.
The rush of players to bare their
part in the affair started today when
Cicotte appeared at criminal court
building and asked permission to !
Cicotte wept, court attaches
said. and exclaimed in anguish his1
sorrow for his two small children.
as he told how he did his utmost to
lose rather than win thS19lo world
series, after he, had found" SlO,-
600 beneath his bedroom pillow,
where it had been placed by pro-
fessional gamblers.
Cicotte Tells Story.
He said he lobbed the ball to the
plate so slowly you could read the
trade mark on it." in the first game
at Cincinnati, when he was taken
out OF the box after three and two |.
thirds innings had been played.
The details of Cicotte's confession
follow closely the story told in Phil
adelphia last night by Billy Maharg.
former prize fighter, it was stated.
Cicotte told the grand jury. It was
announced, that he received .Slo,oOo
for his part in tossing the series. ;,
He never saw the man who paid
the money, he said. He was told he
would find the $4,000 under his
pillow in his hotel room on the
night before the first game at Cins
cinnati, and when he returned to hrs
room the money was there.
Toe Jackson received $1,000. Like
Cicotte, he found the money in his
bed when he returned to his room
on the night before the first game.
Mrs. Henrietta Kelley. a widow,
IN whose home several OF the White
Sox players roomed. was called be-
fore the grand jury after Jackson.
She is reported to have overheard a
conversation in which Cicotte told
his brother, Jahn, after the first
same was lost, that, II don't care;
got mine"
Hit First Batter.
Last years world series records
show that in the first inning of the
first game Cicotte started by hit
ting Rath, first Cincinnati batter. in
the back. Daubert followed with a
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