Great Falls tribune., 1921-08-04

to organized udSeDdu, tSeoiuiiS "
statement issued Wednesday by Judge
X. M. Lands, national baseball com
! missioner.
Regardless of the verdict of the
| jury said the statement, no player
| that throws a ball game, no player
| tIat entertains proposals or promises
| to throw a game, no player that sits
| in conference with bunch of crook
ed players and gamblers where the
| ways and means of throwing games
! are discussed and dares not promptly
| tell his club about it, will ever play
professional baseball.
! "Of course, / do not know that any
of these men will apply for reinstate-
ment, but if they do, the above are
| at least few of the rules that will be
enforced
"Just keep it in mind that, regard
| less of the verdict of juries, baseball
| is entirely competent to protect itself
| against the crooks, both inside and
| outside the game
Held Joint Celebration.
By chance early Wednesday the for
| mer White Sox ball players and the
! jurors who acquitted them after a
! trial of five weeks, met in a little ltal-
| ian restaurant. Both parties joined in
celebration that lasted until sunrise.
The Jurors had gone to the restaur-
| ant for final supper together before
separating to 60 to their homes, after
their long absence.
The players went for the same pur-
pose. The two parties discovered one
another in adjoining dining rooms and
the doors were thrown open.
Eddie said one juror, addressing
Pitcher Cicotte. II know every man
on this jury hopes that the next time
he sees you that you will be in the
center of the diamond putting over
strikes"
And said another, well all be
there trying to help you with the rest
of the boys"
The party broke up with singing of
Hail, Hail. the Gangs All Here"
Two Want to Play.
Of the players acquitted, only
Buck" Weaver. former third baseman
of the Chicago White Sox, and
| "Swede' Risberg, former shortstop, in
| dicated any intention of applying for
reinstatement. Claude Jackson. slug
ging outfielder, said he was through
with baseball and would devote his
time to store he has opened here.
"Chick" Gandil voiced a picturesque
and forceful farewell to Ban johnson,
| president of the American league.
Lefty" Williams, pitcher, said he
| would play professional baseball.
Eddie Cicotte, famous ''shin BALI
pitcher, said he had talked once in the
criminal courts building and would not
care TO do SO again, and Happy
Felsch, center fielder, reiterated his
innocence, but announced no plans.
While only nine of the Is persons
| indicted in the baseball investigation
we're defendants when the case ended,
| it is believed that the baseball scandal
has been forever swept from the
boards. so far as the courts of Cook
county are concerned
Burns Case Dismissed.
Bill Burns case was dismissed in
return for his evidence for the state
and during the trial the cases of Ben
and Louis Levi of Kokomo. Ind. were
dropped. Abe Attel, Hal Chase. Henry
McMullin. Rachael Brown, of New
York: ]. 7. Sullivan of Boston and
Ben Franklin of st. Louis still are un-
der Indictment but it was reported at
the states attorneys office that their
cases would be allowed to lapse
through the statute of limitations.
| The attorneys for the prosecution
had little to say of the case. but the
defense pointed to the fact that only
one ballot was taken by the jury as an
absolute vindication of the defendants
The jury was not ready to return it's
verdict until hours and Al minutes
after receiving the case but most of
this time was taken in signing the YER
diets Each of the twelve men had to
sign each of the nine verdicts. sep
arate verdict being returned for each
of the defendants.
"No Case,' Say Jurors.
The Jurors expressed surprise that
/ the case had been allowed to drag
| through five weeks. While refusing
to permit use of their names in dis
cussing the case with reporters, every
| juror declared that the defense would
| have received the same verdict had il
| sent the case to the jury without pre-
| senting any witnesses or making any
| closing arguments.
| I'VE thought the state had presented
weak case" said one juror. 1T de-
pended entirely on Bill Burns. and
Burns did not make a favorable i'm
preston with any of us. We felt from
! the time the state finished its evidence
that we could not return any verdict
other than not guilty"
The Jurors refused to say whether in
reaching their verdict they were OF
the opinion that there was no attempt
| to throw games in the 1919 world s
series or whether it was based on the
contention that the state had failed to
prove its charges that there was in
tention to defraud the public and var
ious individuals through the throwing
Of the series.
Ban Johnson Disappointed.
! Failure to secure convictions was
disappointing to President Ban John
son of the American league, but he de-
clared in a statement that very good
lesson had been taught
'The trial of the indicted players and
gamblers uncovered the greatest crime
it was possible to commit in baseball, y
| President Johnson said.
"The fact that the outfit was freed
by Cook county jury does not alter
/ the condition one iota or minimize the
magnitude of the offense," he added.
BARRED ON COAST.
San Francisco, Aug. 3.-None of the
| former White Sox players acquitted in
| Chicago, will ever be permitted to play
| in the Pacific Coast Baseball League,