The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-02-01
Dick Simpson Says He Has Proof
That Large Sums Were Bet On
Game and Hired Players When
He Learned That Carlinville
Was Loading Its Team

TaylCVi,le, ILL.,, Feb. Charges
that the nine Illinois football players
who were disbarred from varsity ath-
etics by the university athletic coun-
Gil yesterday for participating in q
semi-professional football game here
on November q were hired and that
a large amount of money was bet on
the game were verified in part today
by Dick Simpson. manager of the Tay-
lorville team.
Protesting that he did not want to
get any college players in bad Simp-
son asserted that he had hired the
Illinois players when he learned that
Carlinville, the opposing team, was
loaded with college stars who cost
$2,7OO."
/ Simpson said he had been told that
Carlnville hackers had aid approx
matey 100000 in wagers On their team,
spending upon star college players
from Notre Dame for victory This
money, he said he understood, was
lost when Tayloryille captured the
game after Simpson had engaged the
Illinois players for the local team.
He declared he knew positively of one
$4,000 bet on the game
Dtny hPcelFlnE MONEY
Urbana, ILL.,, Feb. 1.-The nine ILL
nois football players who participated
in the Taylorville- Carlinville semi
/ professional game, for which they
were disbarred from athletics yester-
day, today maintained that they had
received no money for their services.
| None of the players would discuss
tbs game today. All are being ques-
toned individually by George Huff,
dircceor of athletics. Huff was re-
ported to have said he had heard that
100000 was bet on the game. Coach
Rcbert Zuppke said he knew nothing
about the betting end of the charges
and was not at all positive that the
players had been paid for playing. He
will continue the investigation, he
said.
Friends of the disbarred players
said the latter were approached with
the representation that the game was
an American Legion benefit affair and
that the players agreed to help the
TaylorYille Post
NOtre Dame Investigates
South Ben, Ind, Feb. 1-Investi-
cation of charges made at the Univer-
sity of Illinois that Notre Dame foot
ball players participated in a profess
sional football game at Taylorville
ILL.,, on November 81 last was started
today by the Notre Dame board OF
athletic control, Father William Carey
president of the board, and Knute
Roclne, ATHLETIC director, said an
attempt would be made to dig up all
the facts.
Coaches Approve Action
Chicago, Feb. COACHES of Big
Ten athletic teams were unanimous
today in praise of the action taken by
the University of Illinois athletic
council in disbarring nine men who
admitted yesterday to participation in
a semi-professional football game af-
ter the Conference season ended.
Although three of the men ruled out
of all future Illinois athletics-Jack
Crangle, Joe Sternaman and Harry
Walquist-were star members of the
football and basketball teams, the
wholesale cleanup at Illinois was de-
clared by Coach Robert Zuppke to be
a good move. Other coaches express
ed their intention of prying into al
legged professionalism, and the Illinois
action was taken as a forerunner of
quiet investigation to be made in
! every Western Conference university.
Coach Tom Jones of Wisconsin de-
clared there was ga great deal of pro-
Ifessionalism among college players
adding that if such a situation was
not changed it would msan the end of
intercollegiate games.
Walquist was last years basketball
captain and mainstay of this years
team; Crangle was all western full
back in 1920, and honorably mention
ed this year, and Sternaman, a quar-
terback, around whom Zuppks had
planned to build his 1922 eleven.
The Western Conference rules pro-
vide strict punishment of any tinge
Of professionalism, although annual
violations have caused considerable
talk Of revising the rules to allow
baseball players to earn money on the