The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-03
FORMER WHITE SOX
ARE ACQUITTED OF
CONSPIRACY CHARGE
(By Associated Press)


CHICAGO. Aug. 3.-The seven for
mer Chicago White Sox players and
two alleged gamblers, brought to trial
in the baseball scandal case, today
stood legally cleared of any connection
with the alleged conspiracy for the
White Sox to throw the 1919 world
series to Cincinnati, a jury last night
having found them not guilty on tho
first ballot.
The verdict freeing Buck Weaver,
Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Joe Jack
son, Claude Williams and Eddie CT
cotte-the former players-and Carl
Fork of ST Louis and David Zelcar of
Des Moines, was returned shortly be-
fore midnight amidst a storm of wild
cheering. whistling and yelling from
500 spectators which would have seem
ed more natural in the bleachers of
baseball park than in the dignified
court room of Judge Hugo Friend.
Judge Friends balits vainly tried
to establish order out of the pande-
monium (which broke loose despite
the judges previous request. The
Judge finally motioned to let the dem
onstration go and joined in by con-
graduating the defendants and telling
the jury it had returned Just YER
dict
Swept From Boards.
While only nine of the is persons
indicted in the baseball investigation
were defendants when the case was
tried, it is believed that the baseball
scandal has been forever swept from
| the boards go far as the courts of Cook
county are concerned Bill Burns's
case was dismissed in return for his
+, evidence for the state during the trial,
and the cases of Ben and Louis Levi,
Of Kokomo, Ind, were dropped.
Abe Attel, Hal Chase, Fred McMul-
lin, Rachel Brown, of New York, j.
]. Sullivan, of Boston, and Ben Frank
lin, of st. Louis, still are under in
dictment, but it was reported at the
state attorneys office today that their
cases will be allowed to lapse.
| Players JubiIant
The seven former members Of the
! Chicago White Sox, were jubilant to
day over their acquittal Some of them
expressed hopes that they would be re
instated in major league baseball
| quickly.
Joe Jackson, former star outfielder
was the only one who declared he was
through with organized baseball.
The others said they would leave theil
baseball future in the hands of the of
ficials of organized baseball.
1.-THE jury could not have returned
fairer verdict" said Jackson. "Bu
don't want to go back to organized
baseball l am through with it."
haI i,e ~
do with this so-called conspiracy" sait
Buck" Weaver, once the third base
man of the White Sox 81 believe tina
should be given my old position
back. l cannot express my contemp
for Bill Burns"
Asserts Innocense.
81 am entirely innocent and the jur.
has proven that" said Charles Ris
berg former shortstop. 81 leave m.
future in organized baseball in tn,
hands of the officials"
How could the verdict have beef
anything else" asked Claude Will
Jams, pitcher. 81 am going to stick
semi-professional baseball"
"All / want to do is to get to De
troit," said Eddie Cicotte once tn
leading pitcher of the American leagu
while he shook hands with the juror;
talk, did you say? Never again,
talked in this building, never again.
THE jury has said all that l ca
say" said Oscar Happy" Felsch, fol
2 mer outfielder. 81 am not guilty an
4 never had anything to do with any Sc
; called conspiracy"
Had No Doubt.
81 never had any doubt about tn
verdict" said "Chick" Gandil, forme
c first baseman who did not return
! the White Sox in the 1920 season. "l