The Wilmington morning star., 1946-12-16
NOVELTY COMPANY
EXECUTIVE HELD
Two New York Giant Play.
ers Bribed To "Throw"
Title Contest

was Q1SclOSeQ by mayor william
O'Dwyer, New York police, and
league officials just a few hours
before the New York Giants and
the Chicago Bears met at the
Polo Grounds.
Merle Hapes. a Giant fullback,
was exonerated by police but was
kept out Of the game by order
Of Commissioner Bert Bell, and a
self-styled ''big bettor" on athletic
contests was arranged on charges
of having offered Hapes and Frank
Filchock, a Giant quarterback, ST.
500 each if the pair would not play
their best in the title game.
Both the police and league Of
~ficials said the investigation would
continue s'to see if it will lead any
where else or if anyone else is
involved" in what appeared to be
the biggest scandal in the sports
world since the infamous Black
! Sox world series of 1919.
Assistant District Attorney
George Monaghan said Alvin ].
Paris, R8-year-old officer Of a
novelty company, had signed a
statement in which he said he had
offered Hapes and Filchock 81, SOC
in cash for each, plus a 81, 900 bel
for each Of them on the Bears
to win i the two Giant players
would clay down" in the game with
Chicago.
Both players refused, Monaghan
said, but Paris called his as
sociates and said he could dc
business with the pair and the as
sociates then bet $40, 600 on the
Bears to win by 10 points.
Monaghan said that Paris made
the original offer to Hapes last
Sunday night, after the Giants had
defeated the Washington Redskins
and earned the right to play the
Bears, while the two visited the
Copacabana night club.
Hapes, who first met Paris at
a cocktail party last Nov. %, said
ne refused to. discuss the matter.
Last Tuesday, however, Monaghan
said, Paris made separate ap-
pointments with the two players
and made the specific offers.
Although both refused, Paris
| called his associates and they made
their bets. Paris visited the play
ers several times during the week
but each time they rejected his
offer and it was not until Friday,
when Paris made the trip to the
Bear Mountain training camp o. the
| Giants, that he told his friends
that Hapes and Filchock would not
cooperate.
The bettors then began "hedging'
on their wagers and the changing
odds attracted the attention Of
detectives who investigated and
learned of the heavy betting. The
hedging, and finally Of the at
tempted bride.
The facts were given to Mayor
O'Dwyer and Police Commissioner
Arthur Wallander. The Mayor mott
fled Tim Mara, whose sons Jack
and Wellington are president and
secretary, respectively, OF the
Giants, and called for a conference
that started at City Hall late Sat-
urday, moved to the mayors up
town home and finally ended at
$50 am. Sunday in the West 54th
Street police station.
Among the police officers who
attended the meetings was act
ing Captain Raymond Mcguire,
who two years ago uncovered the
Brooklyn College basketball scandal
in which five players admitted
taking 81, 900 to throw a game in
the Boston garden.
Paris was brought to the con-
ference about midnight and short
ly before noon Sunday was ar
raigned before magistrate Joseph
B. Glebocki on the charge of brib-
ing a professional athlete and bail
was set at $25, 600. The hearing is
scheduled for Dec. %.
In asking for the high bail,
Monaghan said, Il believe that the
defendent has the backing ct a
large bookmaking outfit outside the
state Of New York. I belive they
have substantial means and would
not hesitate to get this man out OF
the jurisdiction Of the state or
even tamper with Witnesses
The law under which Paris is
charged has been in the books
since 1921 and specifically names
football as n Of the sports it
protects.
Hapes' absence from the field was
a bog loss to the Giants as he was
to have shared the tullback duties
with Frank Reagan. Bill Paschal,
No. / fullback of the team, sui
fered a broken jaw in last Sun
days game with Washington.
The former University of Mis-.
sissippi athlete was voted a full
share in the receipts. Last year the
members Of the winning Cleveland
Rams eleven each received 81, 1859
and the losing Redskins 1902.
In the 1919 World Series, men,
bers Of the Chicago White Sox
accepted brides from gamblers to
throw the series to the Cincin-
natl Reds. When their actions were
discovered they were barred from
organized baseball for lie.
During the Investigations fol-
lowing the Brooklyn basketball
scandal OF January, 1915, the Kings
County grand jury estimated that