Evening star., 1925-09-14
BASE BALL TICKET
PLOT DISCOUNTED
World Series Gate Cards
Changed on Finding of
Copy on Negro.

Although base ball and police Of
ficials discounted today suggestions
of world series base ball conspiracy.
a Federal investigation of circum-
stances surrounding the discovery of
a photostat copy of a 1925 world
series ticket in the possession Of a
minor Patent Once employe was
launched today by officials of that
office.
The probe, it was indicated by DR..
W. A. Herman, acting commissioner
of patents, would extend into the re-
ported activities of an attorney in
allowing the employe to take the
ticket and copy it. II the reports
are true, 1t was intimated. the at
torney apparently violated the ethics
of his profession and may warrant
disbarment from practicing before the
Patent Office.
In the meantime, as a safeguard
to the public, Edward B. Eynon, jr.,
secretary Of the Washington ball
club, announced that the original de-
sign for tickets has been discarded
in favor of a new and distinctly diff.
ferent one.
The Patent Office employe, Mercer
J. Conway, colored, is copy puller"
in the photostat department. He will
be brought before DIR. Herman shortly
and asked to explain how he came
into possession of the ticket and what
he intended to do with the copy OF
It, which was but a colorless repro
duction.
According to Acting Commissioners
Herman, a preliminary investigation
fails to show that a formal applica-
ton for copyright on the ticket had
been filed, and this would indicate
q. ttav- m
appropriation of Official Government
records. Patent ONCE officials were
endeavoring to learn today whether
the photostating of the ticket had
been done on an official machine. In
addition to the regular Patent ONCE
photostat department there Is also
War Department photostat machine
at the Patent Office, DIR. Herman ex-
planned. The work might have been
done on either machine, he said.
The investigation Of the photostat-
ing affair was launched Saturday
night at the instance of Secretary
Eynon, who found the copy in the
hands of Conway at Wardman Park
Hotel, where the latter Is employed
at night as a dishwasher.
oscar Grissn1an, the head waiter,
called my attention to the ticket when
1 happened into the hotel,' Mr.. Eynon
said today. lie told me that DISH
washer in the hotel had shown him a
world series ticket. l sent for Con-
way and he admitted he had it, but
I don't believe, from his attitude, that
he intended doing anything wrong
with it, I believe he was just trying
to play a joke on his friends in the
kitchen. 1t seems to me, however,
that the attorney he says let him have
the original ticket design should have
known better. l don't guess he
meant any harm by it, however. I
am not inclined to think there was
any big conspiracy to duplicate world
series tickets on foot"
Inspector Clifford L. Grant, chief
of detectives. agreed with MFR. Eynon
as to the apparent unimportance of
the incident. He said he sent Head
quarters Detectives Mansfield and
Walsh to the hotel Saturday night at
Mr.. Eynon's request but that the con.
ference with Conway convinced them
there was nothing to it, Mansfield
was to confer today with patent Office
officials regarding the case, however.
In the conference Saturday night also
were Roger Peckinpaugh, shortstop
and assistant manager OF the Natfn0-
ais. and Joe Judge. first basernAn.