New-York tribune., 1920-09-28
Sox Players
Sold Series.
Says Mahnargg e
CONTINUED from sage ona)

not think that such a frame-up could
be possible.
New York for while. I returned to
Philadelphia thinking that everything
was off until received the~following
telegram from Bill Burns. 1t read:
Arnold r. has gone through with
everything. Got eight in. Leaving for
Cincinnati at 4:3Q.
"'BILL BURNS"
Attell in on Deal
~ could not make the 1880 train, but
went the next day and Joined Burns.
He said that after ! had left New York
he ran into Abe Attell, the fighter, who
had gone to Rothstein and fixed things.
Burns added that Rothstein laid Off US
because he didn't know US, but was
very willing to talk turkey with Attell,
whom he knew. Attell had told him
Burns said that eight White Sox were
involved in the deal.
! "Attell was in Cincinnati quartered
in large suite in the Sinton and had
gang Of about twenty-five New York
gamblers with him.
He said they were all working for
Rothstein.
Their work was very raw. They
stood in the lobby of the Sinton and
buttoned-holed everybody who came in.
They accepted bets right and left and
it was nothing unusual to see $1,000
bills wagered.
II had my first suspicion on the
morning of the first game when Burns
and visited Attell. We asked for the
100000 to turn over to the White Sox
players to carry out our part of the
deal.
II want to say right here why the
White Sox trusted Burns. He has the
reputation in baseball of always being
on the level His word has ever been
his bond and ball players had every
confidence in him.
Fake Telegram Flashed
"Attell refused to turn over the
100000, saying that they needed the
money to make bets. He made coun-
ter proposition that $4,000 would be
handed the players at the end Of each
losing game. Burns went to the Sox
players and they seemed satisfied with
the new arrangement
eve all bet on Cincinnati the first
day and won. The next Barns and
went around to Attell again at his
headquarters. / never saw so much
money in my life. Stacks of bills were
being counted on dressers and tables.
Again Attel stalled US off. He said
he wanted to keep the money to bet
We grew suspicious and asked Abe if
Rothstein was really in the deal. Then
Abe flashed the fake Telegram. 1t read:
"'Abe Attell Sinton Hotel, Cincin-
natl.
Z" Have wired you twenty grand and
waived identification.'
The wire was signed with the ini-
tials "A. r. We learned later that this
was fake telegram and that somebody
had wired to New York 10 have it >ent.
The telegram used the expression
grand which is gamblers lingo for a
thousand AS matter Of fact, Roth
stein was never involved. Attell was
lying.
Burns felt sore because he had No
money for the White Sox and he told
me that he would turn over $4,000
worth sof oil leases to the players as
security. I persuaded him not to take
this step and thereby saved him that
money.
$4,000 for the Players
after the second game we again
found Attell and his confederates.
Attell again made excuses about need
ing the coin to make further wagers.
but did place $4,000 on the table, and
said: Give that to the players
Burns asked me to take the money
and l refused. He finally took it hir,
self and turned it over to one of the
players.
Burns told me that he saw the play
ers were restless and wanted the full
amount and he was afraid they would
not keep up the agreement.
The players, however, told Burns
that II they lost behind Cicotte and
Williams, they couldn't win for Kerr.
SO we went to Chicago and bet all of
our personal winnings of the first two
days on Cincinnati to win the third
game. AS "a matter of fact. the Sox got.
even with us by winning this game.
Burns and lost every cent we had
in our clothes. The whole upshot of
the matter was that Attell and his
gang cleaned up a fortune and the
Sox players were doubled-crossed out
of $4,000 that was coming to them
II heard that a new deal was made
on the final game with st. Louis gam
blers and that q member of the St
Louis American league team was the
go-hetween, but don't know nothing
of that.
"Attell is the man the Chicago grand
jury wants. He made the bets, turned
over $4,000 to Burns for the Sox play
ers and double-crossed them out of
10000
II took my medicine and came back
to Philadelphia and went to work. You
are the first man ever opened my
mouth to on The subject. I am telling
what know SO that the public can get
the truth. Why my closest friend is
Grover Cleveland Alexander and when
he was in this city never said q word
to him about it,"
Maharg is q roly, poly man, who won
considerable fame in the prize ring but
has been retired for many years. He
has wide acquaintance with ball plav-
ers and lived with Alexander when he
was member Of the phi!lies. He ia
an expert driver and repairer of aito
mobiles. He lives at hntel at 18th
and Cambria streets.