Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-09
ACTOR NEAR DEATH
AT M'GRAW'S HOME
Mystery Still Surrounds Man
ner Of lnjury-Ciants' Man.
ager in Fight at Club
SLAVlN STILL UNCONSCIOUS

New York. Aug. 0.-I'olice today
continued their investigation to learn
the manner in which John C. Slavin
veteran musical comedy actor. was 50
seriously injured that he may die. lie
was found in the sereet yesterday morn @.
ing suffering from fractured skull
near the residence Of John J. McGraw
manager of the New York National
baseball team. At an carly hour today
Slavin was still unconscious.
According 10 information communi-
Gated to the police by Winfield Lcggctt
retired naval officer. he and Slavin had
accompanied McGraw to his home from
the Lambs Club in taxicab. Ieggctt
Is said TO have told the police that he
and Slavin intcrvened in fight at the
club between McGraw and an unnamed
actor. Lcggett said he was unable to
account for Slavin's injuries.
McGraw could not be located to give
ms version of the affair
After what was described n the nolico
as wild night" in the Lambs Club, lbs
West Forty fourth street. on Saturday
nlght. j. McGraw arrived at his home
at "ol West 109th street. northwest
corner. OF Broadway. about s O'Clock
Yesterday morning. With him were
SIavin and Lcggctt. a resident member
of the Lambs.
Mr.. McCraw went into the apart .
ment house and assembled in the cicya
tor to his apartment on the fifth floor.
i.egg"tt and William Mcagan. of 8 Co,
iumbuS avenue. the taxi driver. who
had been looking the other way. turned
and found Mr.. Slavin lying on the
SIDEWALK lie was unconscious. Their
efforts to revive him failed.
Becoming alarmed Mr.. Leggett and
the taxi driver lifted the comedian into
the taxi and hurried with him to St
iukc's Hospital Physicians there said
late last night that Mr.. Slavin was still
unconscious. was suffering from bruises
ana from fracture at the base Of the
SKuii and was in an extremely serious
condition.
McGraw Lost Fight
Detectives said that Mr.. McGraw
had mad much the worst of fight,
which they had been told created a deal
or excitement in the actors social gath
ering plocc on Saturday night In
fact. they said that Mr.. McGraw had
diSccIored eye yesterday.
:. Except for the story told to tho po-
ice by the various figures in the affair,
further information was extremely diff
cult IL not impossible to obtain. Nc
Graw was not in his apartment at 3O1
West 1O9th street. nor was he nj other
places usually visited by him after ball
games and during the evening. Every
effort to reach him and obtain a state
mcnt failed.
So far as could be learned he was
not visible to any spectators of the
hpfupnn hn Einrt 81 ~,
at the Polo Grounds Yesterday. Prom
incnt members OF the Giants were
quoted as saying that the manager had
been there but he had remained iu the
clubhouse. When asked If they had no.
ticcd his blue" eye. they answered in
the negative. Larry Doyle. second base
man. said he hadn't seen any discolora-
tion of his managers countrnancc.
Other members said that they had no.
ticcd that Mr.. McGraw appeared to be
FUSED up.
Unaware Of Slavin's Hurts
The matter came to the attention Of
the police when st. l.ukc's Hospital
after receiving Mr.. Slavin. tclrphoncG
to the West Tooth street police station
about clock yesterday morning. De.
tpctivr Love immediately went TO Mr..
McGraWs apartment. awakened him.
and asked for statement
According to the detectives report
Mr.. McGraw said that he knew nothing
OF any injury that might have hap
ppned to Mr.. Slavin. He said that all
he knew was that they had spent the
evening together with Mr.. Leggett in
the Lambs; that they had taken a
tax and lad gone uptown together and
that they had parted on most friendly
terms at the entrance of Mr.. McGraw's S
apartment.
The detective said that not only were
they convinced Of the truth Of Mr.. Nc .
Graw'S statement by his attitude and
general dcmeauor while telling them the
story. but Also that they were convinced
by thp statement of Mr.. L"ggCtt and OF
William Mcagan. who palpably was a
disintercsted witness.