Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-18
STATE DROPS
WORLD SERIES
FRAUD CASES
Corruption Silenced
Needed Testimony
Says Attorney
Action Follows Courts Refusal
to Grant Continuance-Pro-
secut0r Drew Says Jackson,
Cic0tte and Williams Were
Corrupted - New Indict-
me1ts to be Sought

Chicago, Mar. 17-Immediate prose-
cution of Chicago White Sox baseball
players and others indicted in con-
nection with the alleged throwing of
the 1919 world series collapsed today
when the state, charging corruption
of it's chief witnesses, dropped the
cases against seven of the players
and Judge William E. Dever took the
others off the court call.
Tonight, however, the state plunged
into the task of preparing new case
with announcement that the matter
would be placed in the hands Of a
grand jury again tomorrow and rein
dictment of the players whose cases
were dropped, sought.
Robert E. Grove, states attorney,
took charge of the case today and
announced that he would handle it
from now on. He ordered the cases
dismissed after his plea for six
months in which to gather new evil
dence had been denied by Judge
Dever and May 2 set as date for the
trial. ...-.......- -...s,..-.s-a,-l--.-
Tonight in a formal statement, Mr..
Grove placed the blame for the col
lapse of the case on his predecessors
in Office, charging they had handled
it improperly; on an alleged conspira-
cy which he said had defeated JUS
tice and corrupted Joe Jackson, Ed
die Cicotte and Claude Williams, the
men who confessed to the grand jury.
He announced plans to go PERSONAL
ly before the grand jury tomorrow to
seek new indictments. He pledged
himself to use every means to bring
the guilty persons in this case. to JUS
tice," declaring that many guilty per-
sons in this case had not been indict-
ed by the grand jury and that import
ant witnesses were excused from an
swering questions which would have
brought the real conspirators to JUS
tice.
Mr.. Groves action today released
Joe jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Claude
Williams, Buck Weaver, Oscar Felsch,
Swede Risberg and Fred McMullin
from custody Of the law, their cases
being dismissed. The cases against
Chick Gandil Hal Chase, Joseph j.
Sullivan, Rachel Brown, Abe Attell,
and William Burns, the latter five
charged with engineering the alleged
world series deal, were taken off the
call. but may be brought up again.
The cases dismissed were those OF
men who had surrendered and given
bail. There was little prospect of the
men returning to baseball, however,
all being both uncQnditionally re-
leased and on the ineligible list.
Mr.. Grove in his argument Today
told Judge Dever that grand jury tes-
timony had been stolen and that a
conspiracy had hampered the state
at every point. He demanded six
months to gather new evidence.
When Judge Dever replied that &C
DAVIS was the limit, Mr.. Grove shout
ed:
"WeN the game is called. then III
ask nolle prosequi.
George Barrett. American League
attorney persuaded him to drop the
cases only after the men hao
given bail and this was done despite
attorneys for the defense.
The men indicted were still under
a ban of silence tonight, their at
torneys forbidding them to talk for
publication until the statute of hmi-
tations expired.