Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-30
1919 Series
Led All for
'm1...rnfers'
Whole Nation Shocked
by Black Sox Scandal
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

Series begin with the one IN
Cincinnati in 1919 which. TO my
innocent nature, seemed fine
and noble but soon afterward
began to give off aggressive
odors and finally was denounced
by some of the very traitors,
themselves, as a sordid fake.
That revelation shocked the
nation terribly because we all
held the World Series 10 be,
like Motherhood and the Con-
stitution, something instituted
by the Deity and incorruptible
in the very nature OF things tx
l get what / mean.
Yet, even While the mockery
was providing some Of our corps
of trained observers must have
shifted something because Ring
Lardner went aboard the train
for Chicago after the first two
games singing I'm Forever
Throwing Ball Games" and
Hugh S. Fullerton's overnight
story for the New York Mail.
written while the heroes were
still in their showers after the
final out limited ominously but
factually that number of the
White Sox. at that time and for
long afterward regarded as the
greatest team ever assembled,
would never play in organized
ball again.
LIE WAS mistaken, for the
IL men he had in mind did
play almost TO the end Of the
1920 season, when they finally
were driven from the society OF
honorable men and patriots like
so many Benedict Arnolds
You would have thought they
had sold out their homeland 10 a
foreign foe when, for a fact,
they had merely cohspired
among themselves and with Abe
Attell and Arnold Rothstein 10
create the effect of the slow
down strike and there appar.
emily was no law by which 10
crime them. The wise men ~
our great nation had Just never
suspected that periidy so foui
could ever enter the heart OF
man and had neglected 10 pro-
vide penalties Just in case
These wretched men who had
been paid miserable wages by
old Charley Gonfiskcy. their
owner and boss, and were re-
sentful because their careers
must soon pass and they would
be turned out TO shift for them
selves with small savings and
only their press clippings and
some old autographed baseballs
for souvenirs Of their glory.
COMISKEY was a good-t time
~ Charley. a hand shaking
politician and an extravagant
host who poured fine bourbon
and took il neat himself, and
would admoHish younger men to
do the same because that soda
water niilli-r -yeur CUTS"
a scrawny little Texan named
Dick Kerr was one Of the few
incorruptibleS among the Sox
and won Two games IN that
series but when later, he wanted
an increase in salary and held
out" the business executive Of 4
the club would not even discusSp
matters with him as the club
passed through Kerr's home
town on the Spring training
tour. Kerr's career just fixed
away and he vanished from
sight and mind.
JUDGES. mayors. governors
- apd other Americans of high
station have betrayed their trust
leeringly and with little pretense
10 the contrary and have suf-
fered much less than those few
ballplayers from public opinion.
A drunken, larcenous hero of
the common man quit under fire
one of the highest positions
within the gift of the American
people after an administration
which did much TO create the
present mistrust Of popular gov
eminent. but, for his punishment
merely spent a few years abroad
and, eventually was appointed
to another position of trust.
Corruptioneers in Office and
on the bench in New York. Chi
cago. Louisiana, Florida, every
where. have looted the damper
and consorted openly with the
criminal scum at the races and
in expensive dives called night
clubs, but have been tolerated
and even admired by the same
people who could never forgive
the treachery of the Black Sox.
pOTHSTEIN, himself, who In
~ itiated the bribery, although
he never was honored, neverthe-
less was somehow feared and
privileged until some person un-
known liquidated him as an act
of private revenge for welching.
And Abe Attel, who came to
be known as Honest Abe. joined
up with the mob of criminals
who were operating Primo Car
nera and was given the usual
credentials by Jim Farley of
New York prize fight COM
mission on the ground that he
had suffered enough.
And IN, fbic yaty hour mon