The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-28
TUO Of BQsebQll's
Prominent Men Die
Ban Johnson, Who Built Game
Up, and {. S. Barnard,
League Head, Succumb
DEATH FEW HOURS APART
Grief Prevails Throughout World
Of Sports as Funerals
are Arranged

Grief prevailed throughout the
baseball world Saturday over the
sudden deaths Of Ban johnson, 81.
former American League president,
Saturday morning, and Ernest 8.
Barnard, president Of the American
baseball league, Friday afternoon.
johnson who built baseball to It's
commanding position as q national
pastime, died at st. Johns hospital
lii st. Louis at $40 p. m. Friday from
diabetes and complications. Barnard
was the victim Of q heart attack at
the Mayo Brothers clinic at Roches-
ter, MINI.
The death Of johnson. the stall
wart, and at times stormy, old figure
of baseball, ended q six-year quest
Of health in which johnson went
from hospital to hospital and sani-
tarium to sanitarium in search Of re-
lief from his dread enemy, diabetes.
In Bed All Winter
Ban Johnson's final illness had
kept him In a hospital bed In st.
Louis since last September, except
for q few weeks in January when he
apparently was on the road to recov-
ery and was able to 60 to Hot Springs,
Ark. There he suffered q relapse
and physicians advised amputation Of
a leg because OF. infection. He re-
turned to st. Louis. A~Inputatio1 was
avoided but q blood TRANSMISSION was
resorted to February 10.
For q day or two after the transfu-
sion. Johnson's condition seemed I'M
proved. but both he and his physt-
clans. soon gave up hope for recovery.
He was unconscious and delirto9S
much OF the time before the end.
Ban johnson made basehal q BIG
business. He developed It nom q
sandlot pastin1e to . game OF million
dollar stadia,. $75.o00 players and
major league clubs valued at $780,
100000.
He originated the world series. He
chose the presidency Of the American
League In 1900, at q $4,000 annual
salary, in preference to q half inter-
est in the Chicago White Sox, end he
made himself q 10000 executive by
applying business methods and strict
discipline to q sport which, when he
came to 1t, was headquartered In the
back rooms Of saloons.
His sense of showmanShip and his
iron rule enabled Byron Bancroft
johnson to see that baseball must be
decent and well -ordered to be popular,
and to eliminate the rowdyism which
kept spectators away, he put the
players on q contract basis. He lifted
the morale OF the sport by vesting
absolute power In ulnpires to rule the
conduct Of thu, players on the field.
Started - Lawyer
johnson wa destined for q legal
career by the parents to whom he
was born In Norwalk, Ohio, in jan
uary, 1854. He went to Oberltn col
lege, was q schoolmate at Marietta
college Of Charles q. Dawes, later
vice president, and graduated in law
at the University Of Cincinnati. But
he soon deserted the bar for news
paper work, and won recognition as
q sport writer.
Charles A.. Corniskey, then manager
Of the Cincinnati National League
club enlisted Johnson's help in q
baseball venture and they organized
the Western League In 1891. Seven
years later they invaded tho National
League territory In the east and
founded the American League, OF
which johnson became president.
The two circuits warred for three
years, and then ut Johnsons4 behest
CONTINUED on mage eleven)