The New York herald., 1921-07-30
VERDICT now near
in BASEBALL TRIAL
State Begins Arguments;
Decision Us Expected (
Early Next Week.
DEFENCE WINS POINT
Oscar Felsch Narrowly Es-
capes Being llecalled on
New Evidence.
TO URGE PRISON TERMS
Prosecution, Reviewing Case,
Says Even Kids Were Swim
died; Blow to Game.
70 URGE PRISON TERMS

Specs0b OeSpoSch 70 The NEW YORK HERALD.
CHICAGO, July pa conspiracy that
cheated even the kids of\fhe country
was char red against the Black Sox
and the alleged gamblersI on trial be-
fore Judge Hugo M. Effend to-day
when the State began its opening ar
guments.
The beginning Of the arguments
means a swift end Of the TRIAL. as each
side has been allotted ten hours. A
decision will be given the fftst Of next
week, 1t is expected.
Special Prosecutor Edward Prindi-
vile began the pleas by which the
State closes its case against the seven
players from the White Sox team and
two gamblers accused of bartering the
1919 worlds series. He urged that by
a verdict Of guilty the men inl the jury
box protect the ball park from the
stigma which gamesters with fake
horses have put upon the racetrack.
The greatest American game was
made the means ror a con game" Mr..
Prindiville charged The public was
swindled. The ball club was swindled;
the honeset player was swindled: the
small boy was swindled"
On Arnold Gandil and Eddie Cicotte
the prosecution laid responsibility for
the flinging away Of a world s baseball
series.
stain on National Game.
Abandoning the plan to bring proof
of the dishonest transaction of two sea-
sons ago to Joe Gedeon. former second
baseman Of the st. Louis Browns. the
State jumped abruptly into tho last
chapter of the trial at the afternoon ses-
sion. Mr.. Prindiville's address In part
follows:
This is an unusual case, in that It
deals with a certain class particularly.
It deals with game. the nationan pas
time and sport, game In which every
other game that red blooded men. play
is subservient.>
1T Is known in other countries al the
American game. 1t Is played In the
open. 1t is the one great thing the
United States has and 1t has been the
subject of crime. 1t has been the
means by which the public, the club. the
individual. the player and even the small
boy have been swindled. These men are
charged with conspiracy to cheat and
defraud the public by means Of a conf
dence game.
You find the White sox down in New
York playing three games. You find all
the players on trial here rooming at the
Ansonia Hotel. Then what? Cicotte
meets Bill Burns and says: There is
going to be something good in thu
worlds series. II there Is I'll let you
In, An "a nSt
and to Burns Chick Gandil and Cicotte
said: Well throw the series for $780,
000'
Where do we need the proof? In Bill
Burns? In any other States witness
No. In Cicotte. in his own statement.
Whom do you expect, gentlemen. would
give 100000 to throw the worlds
series? Any gentleman out Of the kind
ness of his heart? No: some gambler.
Tells of Cicotte's Admission.
1--WE amt getting devil OF lot OF
money Cicotte said. Wed make a lot
of money II we could throw the series to
Cincinnati
Those are his own cold words-not
taken from a man In custody. not in a
police station, but before Judge McDon-
aid. He unburdened his conscience. He
confessed without any thought except 10
get II of his mind. Manarg had told a
story. Cicotte knew he was involved.
THE defence no doubt will contend
that we must show great number OF
things. but the law Is plain on that sub
ject. All we need to show Is union of
wills. All we have to do is to show that
two or three men got together for the
purpose of throwing these games In the
1919 worlds championship series and
we have proved your conspiracy for you.
"The defence no doubt will ask to be
shown where any law has been violated.
What law is violated when bunch of
crooked gamblers get together and AK
the horse race? Why. even the men who
went down to pay so cents or 81 to see
those games were defrauded and cheated,
because, as you well know. every ticket
carried with II the assumption that there
was to be a real contest, not sham
battle of baseball"
The prosecution spent Its last efforts
Of rebuttal during the morning session
In an attempt to break down the alibis
of the Black Sox. In the process Oscar
Felsch, former centre fielder In the
White Sox crew. one Of those accused OF
dishonesty during the 1919 worlds series,
nearly lost his grip on freedom.
A few hours after the defendant.
against whom the State has SO far failed
10 score, left for his home In Milwaukee.
summoned by the death Of his father.
Assistant States Attorneys George Cor
man and John Tyrrell came forward
with n witness to whom Felsch ten
months ago IS said to have admitted the
pocketing of $1,000 as his share In the
brIbe money which a gambling syndicate
Is supposed to have paid eight Comiskey
-to.,~~. 60 iosfr0 thcfr peroauf "a mes
Decision Saves Fe1sch.
Judge Friend ruled against the sum-
monine of the witness, a Chicago. news
pa aper reporter. The decision saved
Felsch. absent from the court room for
the first time since the gambling quiz
started. from a broadside which, the
state asserted, would have hit him
squarely.
The story, which the Jury did not
hear. concerns a confession that the
indicted player Ia declared to have made
on the day last October when Eddie
Cico.te signed HIS name to a statement
telling OF his share In the gamblers
bank notes The court ruled that the
prosecuting attorney should have
brought this forward before they rested
their case, and denied II was proper re-
buttal testimony. II In Felsch who, with
Buck Weaver, stands innocent In tho
proceedings up TO date.
II was learned that Attorneys Thomas
ID. Nash and Michael Ahern. anticipating
the evidence against Felscb, had pro-
cured out OF town witnesses to refute IT,
and only permitted them to 60 home
when the State closed It's case without
tv.x rod,f~fyxr the sf0r-w