The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-16
Filchok And Hopes Turned Down Bribe

NeW K0fk, Dec, iv@-(UP)a@NeW York authorities moved ln today ofl gang of New Jerwey gamblers who sought Go stage c sports "flN" rivala Ing that of the notorious Chicago Black Box baseball scandal of iDi6.
 Tpe syndicate tried to get two stars of the New York Giants professional iiootball team to toss thelf National League championship game with the chicago Bears yesterday. They s,iR. gested that Frank Falchock, the 0ants passing artist, and Merle Hapes, a consistent ground Ralner, se that the Bears won by more than lO points, The betting fraternity had conceded the Bears were 10 points better than the Giants, The Bears won, 24 to i4, without any skull dtlgs yery
 Both players, however, refused to nave any part In the "fix". Just who tipped off the police was not cer. tain, but many hours before Sundays sellout game Broadway character named Alvin Paris, a thin red-haired man of 28, was arrested. He readily admitted trying to put the fix on m. chock and Hapes, but gave no hint ne represented a syndicate which Mayor F, o'Dwyer said was vicious" he was held on a felony charge of s2o,OOO ball which was expected to be posted today.
 Players Refuse
 Paris said he offered Filchock and Hapes s2,500 apiece in addition to the profits of a $i,00O bet in their names If they would throw the game. Both refused.
 National League President Bert Bell wouldn't let Hapes play yester. day because he had been approached directly. Filchock was permitted to play because he was approached only by innuendo," but most of his pass. es went awry anyhow.
 Assistant Distant Attorney George Monaghan said Paris merely was covering up" for the syndicate which reportedly bet S20,0O0 on the Bears on the strength of the fix" then hedged when Filchock and Hapes refused to follow through. For the record, Monaghan charged Paris with attempted bribery of a par. ucipant in a professional game, a charge on which conviction Is pun. ishable by one to five years in prison and a Sl0,000 fine. His hearing was set for Dec. 23.
 With the first tipoffl authorities assigned Acting Capt. Raymond Ma. guire to the case. He was the agent who broke the Brooklyn College basketball bribery scandal last year.
 Confer With Mayor
 Police Commissioners Arthur Wal. lander rounded up Bell, Tim Mara, who founded the Giant team, Mara's sons, Jack, now president of the club. and Wellington, club official, Ma guire and other officials and took them to Mayor O'Dwyer's office Sat. urday afternoon.
 That night the talks went on at ODwyer's residence. Then Hapes and Filchock were brought in. Fil. chock was released immediately, but the officials questioned Hapes from A. M. to 6 A. M, and he probably wouldn't have been much good on the field yesterday.
 Then Paris was arrested and Sun. day morning he signed a confession. He said he met Hapes at a cocktail party on Nov. g and casually men, toned Filchock. Last Tuesday he in- vited both players to his office, but they declined.
 The next day he went to the Polo Grounds to watch a Giant workout and try again.
 Case Breaks Saturday
 The other boys say We could win" Hapes told him. We don't want to let them down."
 The Giants then moved to Bear Muontain and Paris tried unsuccess- fully again on Thursday and Friday. The case began breaking on Satur- day.
 Tapes disappeared and Filchock said after the game, T don't know a thing about it at all"
 The way the game turned out no one lost anything. Bets on the Giants, with 10 points to boot, would have made it a tie score for the gamblers. The result was-no bet.