South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-09-24
BAN JOHNSON TO
WAGE WAR AGAINST
BASEBALL POOLS
President of American League
Says Present Year Is Worst
for Gambling.
BY ROY GIBBONS.


CHICAGO, Sept. %. - Baseball
pools operating with unbelievable
wide open flagrancy in countless
sections and cities or the country.
constitute an impending menace
which must be checked Immediately
by drastic measures before the life
Of Americas national sport is fur
ther endangered"
This is the statement made by
Ban Johnson president Of the Ame"-
lean lea que here, in an interview
4 have never seen a year in
which the pool gambling nuisance
was as bad as it is this season" he
said. The operators Of these sure
thing games are back in droVes
They are mulcting innocent fans
out Of millions of dollars.
1T is high time that something
was done. The situation. however,
demands more than tax. I'm going
20 start a hopping up fight which
will pLt these gamblers on the bench
forever. They've got 70 go"
From private information when
he has gathered under cover. John
son says he has positive knowledge
that several big pools with national
affiliation are operated from Dee
Moines, Ia, by a man who was
charged with corrupting the Black
Sox two years ago.
This man is only one or the mary
who are preying on the supporters
of baseball throughout the country"
he said. Were going after these
fellows and make them mark time
10 some jail sentence music II We
can only get the state authorities
behind US.
That's been the trouble alt
along. The pool operators are
afraid openly to violate the inter-
state laws for fear Of federal prose
cution. Individual state action IS
needed 10 catch them inside state
territory.
baseball pool gambling beats the
old Louisiana lottery 40 different
ways. No man who plays with II
has even a chance from the start
The pool operators aren't even
gamblers. They are cowardly sold
brick men. working game that
skins the Extraordinarily facet
off the map"
Undoubtedly the recent increa n
in the number of pools now operat-
ing is due TO the closing of western
race tracks.
The bilge water element from
among the gamblers who formerly
n ade fat livings off the ponies. have
now turned their attention 70 base
ball, ard are doing their damnedest
20 corrupt it
1--WE are watching al our teams
with greatest caro- to see that they
don't get on the inside here. But
gathered. the pool owners use Their
enormous winnings TO throw 90 Des
in some OF the minor leagues
And they've been getting away
with IL, TOO. We can't stand 10 sec
q great sport like baseball hit in
the face and not protest against
X.
Il want to ask the aid OF every
fan and decent citizen TO help ne IN
cleaning up this miserable situation
1T has obtained too long by far
And now were going TO end II for
good.
Drastic laws are necessary. state
legislatures should be gotten into
action. With prison sentences star
ing them in the face the pool op-
orators would soon search for COW
CT.
I know this viii happend becaUse
they quickly halted their operations
when the federal authorities hoped
on their tails several years ago.
"Bu; today. they think they're Sc
cure by sticking inside their homo
town and state and doing all the
possible harm IN their power there.
"If folks who are approached
with tickets or chances in a base
ball poo! would only realize that
they're dealing with a flock OF liars
and horse thieves. they'd never
spend their good money"