The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-08-20
RAY CHAPMAN dies
FROM PITCHED BALL
Fans Pay Tribute To Pop
ular Ball Player, Was
Ohio County Boy.

New York, Aug 17.-New York
baseball fans paid final tribute to-
night to Ray Chapman, shortstop Of
the Cleveland American team, whose
death resulted early today from the
blow he received on the head from
= pitched ball in the game between New
York and Cleveland yesterday. Chap
mans body was placed aboard the
Lake Shore limited, which left the
Grand Central Station at $3.50 o'clock
tonight and Is scheduled to arrive in
Cleveland tomorrow morning at $3.50
o'clock.
During the day. while the players
body lay at the undertaker's rooms,
hundreds of baseball fans called to
view II and tonight a large crowd
gathered at the Grand Central Sta
tion. The assemblage acted as an es-
cort, as the coffin was placed on a
trunk car that carried II thru the sta
tion to the train. The fans formed
an aisle near the gates and stood
with barred heads as the car bearing
the body of the dead ball player pass
ed thru.
While the death of Chapman has
caused sorrow among baseball mag
mates, players and fans, none seemed
as deeply grieved over the accident as
Carl Mays, the New York pitcher, who
delivered the ball in yesterdays game
that resulted in Chapman's death.
After the game yesterday Mays went
to his room and denied himself to
all-even his intimate friends and
teammates on the New York Club. He
paced the floor of his room during the
night and when word came to him to-
day that Chapman had died the
vfitcher broke down completely and
said he desired to give himself up to
the district attorney as soon as pos
sible.
Mays Deeply Touched.
On his visit to the district attor-
Sey's office, Mays was accompanied
by Charles McManus, business mana
ger OF the Yankees; Manager Iris
Speaker and Secretary Walter Nc
Nichols, of the Cleveland Club. Mays
made his statement to Assistant Dis
trict attorney John F. Joyce. The
pitcher. eyes filled with tears and
barely able to tell his story said:
1T was a straight fast ball and
not a curved one. When Chapman
came to bat | got the signal for a
straight fast ball, which / delivered.
1t was a little too close and l saw
Chapman duck his head in an eff
fort to get out of the path of the ball
He was too late, however, and a sec
.ond later he fell to the ground. IL
was the most regrettable incident of
my career and l would give anything
if | could undo what has happened.
After hearing Mays story, Mr.,
Joyce said he thought Chapman's
death was purely accidental.
Manager Iris Speaker,of the Cleve-
land club, talking with Col. T. l.. Hus-
ton. one of the owners of the Yam
KEGS, said the accident was unavoid-
able. II do not hold Mays response
BILE in any way he added. Il have
been active in discouraging my play
l ers from holding Mays responsible
and in respect to Chapman's memory,
as well as for the good of baseball,
hope all talk of this kind will stop
I can realize that Mays feels this thing
as deeply as any man could, and do
not want to add anything to his bur-
den. | do not know what prompted
the action of the Boston and Detroit
players, for my part, think it is de
plorable."
Dispatches from Boston today say
the Detroit and Boston players
planned to draw up petition asking
for the Punishment from organized
baseball of Mays.
Grief for the popular shortstop cut
deep into the hearts of his admirers
here as soon as it became known that
an operation had failed to save MS
life. The thought that the diamond
tragedy would spoil the chances OF
both the Cleveland and New YORK
clubs for the American Leagae pen
nant was general among baseball
fans.
At her hotel uptown Mrs. Chap
MAN, who entered an uneven race
with death last night, arriving from
Cleveland several hours after her
husband breathed his last, refused TO
receive the proffered consolation OF
,9Ser husbands friends and teammates