The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-10-09
EDDIE CICOTTE
 BENT IN GRIEF

 New York, Oct. 9.-s'From that sand years. I have suffered agony. It has been terrible. I wish to God l had not taken the money" The foregoing paragraph is an ex- cerpt from the confession of Eddie Cicotte. once the pitching ace of the Chicago White Sox, whose name was a household word throughout the realm of balldom. Cicotte, the brilliant littlep itcher who was idolized by thousands of fans throughout the country; Cicotte whose honesty was never doubted and whose clean mode of living was an sinspiration. What a pity Cicotte should. have listened to the willy tongue of the tempter. He was but one of a number of White Sox players who permitted themselves to become entangled in the meshes of crookedness; the de- bauchery of a worlds series; the most monstrous piece of deception that has ever been perpetrated in the history of American sport. But that little Eddie, of all of them, should have fallen was almost unbelievable.
 Every ballplayer, every boxer, any of the various branches of sport should take heed of the lesson to be found in the sad case of Eddie Ci- cotte In a weak moment the little PlICuCI tOoh lilS SIep tIldL uohCu his wife and family with shame. In that moment he betrayed good old Charley Comiskey, his benefactot; he betrayed the confidence of a whole over his best friends. Why did he do it? How could he do it?
 As the star pitcher of the White Sox, Cicotte, drew a salary of some $1o,O0O year, d tidy salary, even in these stressful times. And yet, he cast aside conscience. friends and reputation for ten thousand tainted dollars Greed entered into Cicottes fatal step; greed and weakness of character that no one could have be- lieved was in him. Today Cicotte scandal are through with theS game for all time. What pity
 .Gandil, Jackson and several of the rest, including Cicotte, were fast near league stars when they fell into the trap set by the gamblers. Yet every one of the foolhardy Sox players could have starred for several sea- sons, and they stood an excellent chance of participating in another Se ries for the worlds title this year.
 How different has been the passing from the game of these men com pared to what it might have been! Instead of going down in baseball his- tory as great stars who were a credit to tho game their names will be record ed in baseball annals enShrouded in the dull, black crepe of disgrace. And all for a few filthy dollars-that never gave any of them a moment of pleas ure.
 We have recorded that Cicotte fell in moment of weakness, yet his own confession proves that he pom dered quite a while on the proposi- tion before he finally accepted His decision to accept was the moment of weakness, but in the face of the fact that he thought it over for days before agreeing to become party to the scheme it is hard to discover where he is entitled to sympathey The same goes for the others. They have made lurid examples of them selves and they must pay the penalty. v It is better for baseball that they have passed along. The game itself is too big to be staggered for long by the distovery of their deception.
 Fandom. in part, at least, is sorry for them because they chose the crooked path from baseball.