The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-10-02
FOUR BIG CLUBS
HEAD new REFORM
Proposal Is to Take Baseball Out of
Hands of Private Owners and
Form Civilian Tribunal.

Chicago, Oct. 1-Representatives of
four major league baseball clubs to-
night started a movement designed to
"clean up baseball forever by taking
control of the game out of the hands
of men financially interested and plac-
ing it under civilian tribunal to be
composed of men "of unquestioned
public standing" abolishing the ma
tional commission.
A letter was sent to every major
league club and dozens of others in
terested asking their approval for the
plan, which was characterized as a
means of giving professional baseball
to the American people,-where it be-
longs-and taking ownership of it
away from club owners and players"
The letter was signed by William
Vereck, president of the Chicago Ma
tional club; Charles A. Comiskey,
president of the Chicago American
League club; Barney Dreyfuss, presi-
dent of the Pittsburg club, and John
McGraw, vice president and general
manager of the New York National
League club.
1t proposes that the national COM
mission be abolished because "in its
present form it cannot be impartial"
and that in its place there should be
q tribunal whose members would re-
ceive higher salaries than any one
now connected with baseball. Cen
eral Pershing, Major Leonard Wood,
former President William II. Taft,
Senator Hiram w. Johnson, Judge K
NJ. Lands, and VIM. Gibbs McAdoo
are some of the men proposed for the
tribunal, but the letter adds that none
has yet been approached on the sub
ject. The letter declares that such a
plan must be worked out Immediately
if baseball is continued as the national
game, and points out the gambling
and betting evils revealed in the past
two years.
Chicago, Oct. 1.-The Cooke coun-
ty grand jury investigating the base
ball scandal today received further in
formation concerning the throwing OF
the games in last years worlds series, !
but devoted most of the days session
to an investigation of alleged crooked
work in the National league.
William Vereck, president Of the
Chicago National League club, told
the jury that his private investigation
of charges the Philadelphia Chicago
National League game of August 81
had been fixed for Philadelphia to
win led him to believe that the club
itself had been made the sucker" in
the case and other witnesses gave adj
ditional details of the activities which
led to the discharge of Lee Magee and
Hal Chase
! Vereck said evidence he had found
in Detroit convinced him there was no
crooked work in the August 81 game.
He said he believed the gamblers
themselves had sent him the kilograms
saying it was fixed" and that they
had done this to make the club switch
from Hendryx, a comparatively weak
pitcher scheduled to hurl to Alexand-
er, one of the best in the league. This
gave Chicago it's strongest possible
lineup, which was what the gamblers
wanted, he said.
Garry Hermann, president of the
Cincinnati club and former chairman
of the national commission, presented
affidavits from Christy Mathewson,
former New York pitcher and Gin
cinnati manager; Greasy Neal. Gin
cinnati fielder. and Manager McGraw
of the New York Giants.
These affidavits. he told newspaper /
men, absolutely proved the guilt of |
Chase and Magee.
New York, Oct. determination OF |
members of the Brooklyn baseball club +
by District Attorney Lewis of Kings /
county in an effort to learn whether |
any of them had been approached in
an attempt to "fix" the coming worlds |
series was continued today. Eight |
members of the team appeared before /
the prosecutor, but no statement re-
garding the questioning was given out
by Mr.. Lewis. After he had questioned
Capt. lack Wheat and two other play
ers yesterday, Mr.. Lewis said he found +
absolutely nothing to substantiate
the vague rumors which prompted him
to make the investigation
HE FEELS Ten YEARS YOUNGER