The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-12-22

When the names of Ty Cobb and
iris Speaker-grandest of basebalfs
grand old men.-were drawn into the
whirlpool of a betting scandal late
Tuesday by Commissioner Kenesaw
M. Lands, none could believe It. To
the average baseball fan, bleacherite
and grand stand patron alike, these
charges could be nothing less than
Ties. frame-ups and sacrileges."
But. as bulletin followed bulletin
from the office of basebslls high
commissioner, the idol worshippers
began to question.
For, from the lips of Byron Ban
croft Johnson, president of the
American League, In which Cobb
and Speaker had played so long.
came the admission that the two
men had been >dropped from base
ball"
Johnson's Statement
I'VE thought Of Cobb's wonderful
family and of iris Speakers aged
mother" johnson said. I'VE thought
Of Joe Woods splendid sons at Yale
University. We did not wish to pun
ish those who were innocent and we
thought Cobb and Speaker sufficient
ly punished when they were dropped
from baseball
The last sentence from Ban John
son was taken to mean that even the
American League president was In
clined to believe the charges of
Dutch Leonard that Cobb and Speak
err had conspired to frame" a base
ball game and bet on its result It
also served as explanation for the
sudden resignation of Cobb as man.
ager of the Detroit Tigers and the
resignation Of Speaker as pilot of the
Cleveland Indians less than a month
ago.
And even Ty Cobb in entering
his denial to participation In the
alleged plot, admitted thai ''it was
no uncommon thing for a ball
player to bet on a game in those
days"
One thing is certain-baseball has
been put to it's severest test by the
revelations Of its own ruler, Com
missioner lands. If it can hurdle
this scandal and still hold public con-
fidence, 1t will have proved its ire
mendous grip upon the hearts and
imagination of American youth for
It will have proved that baseball is
greater than any Of it's stars.
All Out of Game
The eventual settlement of the ar
gument will come with the. decision
Of time alone, for Lands edict rules
that as all men involved are out OF
baseball at the present time. no ac-
ton will be taken against them by
organized baseball.
Leonard's statement that the game
was framed stands alone and is
supported only by circumStantial
evidence. The commissioner. in a
statement, said: "Of course, the
statement by Leonard to the COM
missioner in the absence Of the ac-
cused is not evidence. &. . 1T was put
in the record only to aid in making
ineligible the examinations Of sew
eral witnesses, who from the begin
ming have asked for hearing at
which Leonard could be present.
With Leonard persisting in his re-
fusal to face these men, that state
ment proves nothing as to them"
Throwing" Denied
Cobb's testimony and that of
Smoky Joe" Wood, another one
time idol of the diamond, together
with that of West, the ground keeper
of the Detroit Ball Club who posted
the bet, shows that there was betting
and that Cobb knew of 1t, but denies
knowledge of the throwing" of any
ball game.
All three testators agreed that
Speaker had no knowledge of the
betting on the game, and Wood,
his roommate at the time, says he
failed TO even mention It to the