Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-12
lands EXONERATES
ACCUSED PLAYERS;
CHARGE BRANDED LIE

CHARGE BRANDED LIE
Continued from First Page)
to censure the players for having any
part in it. The alleged crooked series
was PLAYED more than three years be-
fore Commissioner lands assumed
control OF base ball as commissioner.
The commissioner declined to make
any comment on his decision. Lands,
wearing one of his choker collars that
looked higher than ever today, greeted
more than so newSpa per men this
morning in bis offices and merely
handed them a copy of his decision.~
Will Visit Florida.
Without making a word of com
ment. he put on his hat and coat and
left for his hotel to plan a Florida
trip that will include tour of the
training camps when the major
league clubs start South.
None of the accused players were
in lands office when the decision
was handed out. Clarence Rowland.
manager of the White Sox at the
time the alleged crooked games were
played, hurried over to the Offices of
Ban Johnson, president of the Amer.
lean League, to await the verdict.
Rowland was jubilant over the de-
cision.
"I knew 1t would come out this
way" Rowland said. Those stories
told by Risberg and Gandil were just
plain lies. Those fellows roomed to.
gether all the time they We're with
the White Sox and never had much to
do with the other players. :;
Gle hoiound 10
stories told by James and the others
about the Sox pool. / knew nothing
whatever of it until after the money
had been raised and paid and GER
tainly did not approve of it.
Players to Get Copies.
ut would have been shame to
have thrown such fellows as Schalk.
Eddie Collins. DOME Bush, F'aber. Kid
Gleason and others out of base ball
on the word of two fellows who them
selves have been cast out of the sport
and have admitted crooked play"
Commissioner Landis intends to
send a copy of his decision to the
accused players. notifying them of his
faith in their honesty.
In his verdict today Commissioner
lands did not deal with the case in
volving Ty Cobb or iris Speaker
These two former American League
managers have been attempting to
learn their status and also seeking
vidication of charges they participated
in a fixed game series in 1919 in
the interest of a betting coup. Both
Speaker and Cobb were said to be
waiting upon the Landis' verdict in
the White Sox Detroit situa ton before
pressing the commissioner for any aC.
ton. uDon their case
Neither did the case mention any,
thing OF Buck Weaver, ousted from
base ball because of The crooked
world series of 1919. who appealed TO
Commissioner lands for reinstate-
ment.
Hearings Cost $4,000.
The commissioners decision was Civ.
en- today after four-day study of
the charge first made by Risberg New
Year night and later backed up by
Gandil in one of the most unusual
hearings ever held. Risberg, face-to-
face with the players he accused had
told Lands of the alleged fixing, that
Rowland knew all about 1t and had in.
stigated 1t and that the plot was hatch.
ed up beneath the gra ndstand in the
White Sox ball park between James
and Gandil.
When Risberg first made his star
Ting revelations Lands Immediately
called all the accused players to Chi
cago at a cost of about $4,000 for
expenses and conducted an open hear
ing to sift the charges thoroughly.
During the two days of the dra-
matte hearing 80 players trooped to
the witness chair, calling Risberg
and Gandil liars and knocking down
their story. Bill James. the pay off
man" with the Tigers, was the cool
est of all witnesses in describing
GandtIs reasons for giving him the
money and how he distributed 1t to
the Detroit players. He said the
money was given to him in an en-.
velope while he was in bar In the
Aldine Hotel in Philadelphia and
Gandil plainly had told him 1t was
for beating Boston. Risberg was
with Gandil at the time, James tes-
tilted.
Cobb and Speaker Seek Decision.
Previously before the White Sox-
/ Tigers series was played, James tes-
, titled Gandil had told him there
would I've $500 in 1t for any Detroit
pitcher that beat Boston.
Commissioner lands gave no hint
of decision on the appear of Buck
Weaver, former White SoX third
baseman. hanished from organized
base ball because of the crooked world
series between the White Sox and
/ the Cincinnati Reds in 1919. Weaver,
after tnstifying, formally appealed to
! lands for reinstatement.
Ty Cobb and iris Speaker, who
! have been pleading for vindication of
| charges that they fixed" a Detroit
! Cleveland series to clean up in bet
| ting coup, also are anxious for de-
cision from Lands regarding their
status. Their attorneys had planned
to meet lands last Saturday. but
! the conference was put off pending
todays decision. Now that 1t has
been given base ball followers expect
them to renew their campaign for
l Tndication. 81,