Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-05
Wagering Story
Compe|s Ruling,
Lands Insists
Former Club Owner
Said Yarn Was Ruse
To Test Partner
BY SID FEEDER,

recently resigned president of the
Philadelphia Phillies, pleaded with
Commissioner Kenesaw M. Lands
to take back the decision barring
him from baseball for life for bet
ting on ball games. Then the COM
missioner spoke for half an hour
and said no"
In an open hearing in a jammed
hotel meeting room, Cox tried to
prove through his own testimony
and that of series of witnesses
that when he admitted to Lands
that he had made Is or 20 bets of
from $25 to 500 each on the Phils
it was all part of a plan to smoke
out some one in the Phillies' Or
ganization of whose loyalty he was
suspicious.
Then Lands summoned Nathan
Alexander, an office employe of the
Phils, and Bucky Harris. who was
fired by Cox last July as manager
of the club. Both gave testimony
lumber company executive did do
some betting. And finally, the white
haired high commissioner pointed to
Coxs November % radio broadcast
statement that he had made some
small sentimental bets"
The Judge" then turned down
CoXs plea for return to eligibility in
baseball.
Plan Held Incredible
Referring to CoX's smoking out"
plan, Lands said:
There is an utter impossibility to
connect this plan with the repeti-
ton OF his story concerning betting)
down to November and November
f in my office I had to do some
thlng-that something being the in
Capitalization of the clubs presi-
dent.
L see no reason, with such intelli-
eence as I am endowed with and
afflicted with. for the conclusion that
Cox came to me on November and
with any such thing in his mind
as his smoking out PLAN. There
fore, not being able to come to that
conclusion, there's no help 1 can give
Cox with any statement l might
give out.
Baseball rules, on betting or 9TH
erWse, are obligatory on me as on
other baseball men, and the order
will have to be that I do not put out
a new order"
This was the climax of a day-long
session in hot, stuffy room to a
hearing that lured baseball men
from major and minor leagues alike
because of the sudden plea that
caused a reopening of a case closed
two weeks ago, and because of Cox's
reason for asking withdrawal of the
commissioner ruling banishing him
forever for alleged violation of one
of the iron-flsted rules in the book
betting.
CoX's Stay in Game Detailed.
Throughout the day. Coxs brief
one-vear stay in baseball was traced
by WitneSses-how, a lumber COM
pany executive, he became president
and controlling stakeholder a year
ago; how he fired Harris in July,
replacing him with fat Freddy Fitz-
simmons; how in August, he denied
to Lands that he ever had done
any betting; how he conceived his
plan to test the loyalty of an as
Soclate on the ball club by telling
him he had bet and then waiting
to see II the same word got back to
him from another source: how Oh
November 3 and &, he reversed his
field before Lands and admitted
making the Is to 20 bets OF from
SD to $500 each early in the season.
before he was acquainted with base
balls law against it, and finally. how
on November % he resigned, was
barred by Lands, sold his stock to
II. r. M. Carpenter of Wilmington,
Del, and r. r. M. Carpenter, jr..
was elected president of the club.
Presenting his case, Cox intro
duced letter he wrote to a friend,
William D. Miller, a contractor. in
Caracas, Venezuela, in October re-
Veallng his smoking out plan" And
IN his own testimony, Cox explained
that when he was barred from base
ball, he already had resigned from
the Pills anyway, so he decided to
let the whole matter drop" and not
ask for a re-hearing.
Friend Told of Betting.
Then" explained Coxs attorney,
Lloyd Paul Stryker, he read arti-
Giles linking his name with gang
sters and racketeers and gamblers
men he did not even know. Now
he is asking to be exonerated from
charge of gambling which he I'M
Willingly brought on himself, so
that his reputation may be reha-
bllltated. 1 say to you, Judge Lam
dls. and the whole baseball world
l defy his worst eremy to come be-
lore you and testify Mr.. Cox bet
on baseball
Cox, himself, said so far as base
pail was concerned the only wagers
he made were things like cigars.
cigarettes, dinners luncheon, hat
on betting percentages and how we'll
the Phillies would finish in the
National League standings. He
added. also, that he had made two
cash bets-of IS and Sion the
season standings of his club. but
never bet on a game.
And late in the day, there was
the testimony of Alexander, a life