Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-19

here today when william CWlId BID
Donovan, manager of the Philadelphia
National League club, appeared as
Surprise" witness for fhe prosecution.
1t was announced Donovan would cor
ro5Orate the testimony of Bill Burns. the
States star witness and former scandal
plotter.
CHICAGO, July I9-The inside story
Of the alleged fixing Of the 1919 worlds
series was to be revealed today at the
trial Of the former White Sox ball play
ers and alleged gamblers when Bill
Burns. erstwhile White Sox pitcher. took
the stand. Burns has been granted i'm
munity from prosecution, the State an
nounced, and was expected to give full
details Of the plot.
Attorneys for the State have made Il
evident that they are counting on the
testimony OF Burns to ''cinch' their case
Burns is alleged to have been one of
the chief agents between the gamblers
who sought TO make fortune by buy
ing" the series and the players whose
greed for gold, the State alleges, led them
TO sell out 10 the plOtters.
Another witness whose testimony was
expected to be taken today was Byron
Bancroft johnson. president OF rhe Amer
lean League. johnson was TO Je ques-
toned regarding technical matters affect
ing the conduct Of the wOrlE series. It
is likely that he also viii be asked re
garding Investigations ke is said 70 have
made Of reports OF corruption that FOL
lowed the playing OF the 1919 series
The defense late yesterday emphasized
for the attention Of jury the point that
the regular contract season for the 1lie
Sox had expired before the worlds series
was played. The indictments charge a
violation of contract, but attorneys for
the defense brought out that the world
series IS played under the orders OF the
national commission and that technically
the players are not under contract.
CONTEND RESERVE
CLAUSES COVER IT.
Attorneys for the State are expected 10
contend that the reserve clauses Of the
baseball contracts cover the worlds series
period and to introduce evidence show
ing that the players were paid by the
White SOX owners ror playing IN the
series Harry Gardiner. secretary OF the
White SOx, is a witness who was eX-
pected to be called today IN this con
nectiOn.
bv the defense Is the claim that the
Diavers are not guilty Of wrong doing
under the law. 1t Will be emphasized
that there IS no law TO compel 4 work
ingman TO work his best or nothing on
the statute books TO force ball player
to play his best.
The feet that the so-csIled master
minds, who furnished the money sup
posed 10 have been used 10 buy out the
Chicago players have not been hailed INTO
court is expected by the defense to have
a reaction on the jury favorable 10 the
BLACK Sox."
The defense has already showed ef-
forts will be made to prove the allega-
ton that Charles A Comiskey, odd
Roman Of baseball and owner of the
White SOx, knew his players had sold
out shortly after the 1919 series and per
mitted them TO play last season, until
Ia
world
KID FANS HEAR
IDOLS FLAEED.
Baseball fans. male and female, with n
liberal sprinkling Of small boys, jammed
the courtroom late Monday TO hear the
opening Of the trial. Il was an especially
hard session for the small boy fan TO
hear his idols eXcOri3ted as traitors 10
the game and their employers and the
public.
Assistant States Attorney German
went through each deal In detail telling
OF the disappointment Of the players
when their graft money was not forth
coming. He said the imbrOgliO grew to
such alarming proportions that most of
the gamblers and ball players began
double crossing, until neither side knew
what the other would do.
AS to the first three counts in this
Indictment, no evidence viii be sub
counts deal with the alleged swindling
OF c. X. Minis White SOX fan, who lost
money on the series.
THE day before the world series
opened another defendant I'm this case,
Abe AtteU, former prize fighter. came
with Hal Chase to a New York hotel
where Bill Burns. former White Sox
pitcher, was stopping They told Burns
that Arnold Rothstein had decided TO
go IN and arranged with Burns to go
TO Cincinnati and tell the players Roth
stein would finance the conspiracy.
100000 WAS TO
BE THE price"
THE State viii endeavor to show that
the Levi brothers and Zeizer, defendants
in the trial, and Abe Atteu occupied
Room 800 in the Sinton Hotel in Cincin-
natl, and that the ball players were at
the same hotel When Burns arrived in
9 Cincinnati Atteu was introduced as Roth
STEMS right-hand man. It was agreed
that 100000 was to be put up and that
$4,000 was to be paid after each game
The players decided TO lose the first
two games. They said they wanted to
win one game for CicOtte to put him IN
right for his next years contract
The first game was played the next
day, and, according TO the prearranged
plans, Cincinnati won. Burns went TO
Atten for the money, but Atteu said he
would have IL the next day. The next
game was also lost 10 Cincinnati and
Burns and the players became worried
about their money. AtteU complained
that everybody seemed TO know the games
were fixed and that the odds were
dropping. He gave Burns $4,000.
Before leaving Chicago for Cincinnati
there was another conference. Cicotte
went back 10 his room and found $4,000
in bills under his pillow. Jackson, after
the fourth game, got IS 600 and that same
night Williams got 5000"
Charles A COmiskey, president of the
Chicago Americans, was the first witness
called Monday Over objections Of the
defense, COmiskey gave a short history
Of his baseball career, from the time hsy
broke into the game at Milwaukee in
1876 TO the day his championship team
was wrecked by the Indictment and sub
seQuent suspension of seven Of his stars.
Mr.. German asked Comiskey il he
knew Of the general reputation and in
tegrity Of the players in the American
League prior 10 Sept. 10, 1919, and the
diet Short contended Comiskey as a
stakeholder could not testify 10 the repu-
tatiOn of his own club.
COAIISREY TELLS
OF COMMISSION.
Judge Friend finally ruled that the
reputation question could be answered
and Mr.. COmiskey stated that the repu-
fatiOn of the players was "first-class."
In response to questions by Mr.. German,
COmiskey told OF the membership OF the
baseball commission in 1919 and OF its
government of baseball