Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-20
Bert Bell Says
Ruthstron Did
Not Ask Hearing
Marshall Tells Court
FuIIbock Was Bio
Disappointment
By Lewis F. Atchison

| George Marshall, Redskins
president, today called Ralph
Ruthstrom a bitter disappoint-
ment' to the team as he testified
again in the case in which Ruth
strom is seking $4.10O which he
claims the Redskins owe him from
1S47 when he was suspended by
the club.
Marshall took the stand before
Judge David A. Pine in District
Court after attorneys in the case
read a 54-page deposition from
Bert Bell. commissioner of the
National Football League. Bell. in
effect, said RuthStrom. former
Southern Methodist fullback. new
err had appealed to him for hear
ing and that he could have had
one at any time. He cited in
stances in which players had been
given hearings over the telephone
when situated at great distances
from his Philadelphia Office.
Bell denied the Redskins could
prevent Rutnstrom from playing
football. He said that had a
hearing in the case been held he
would have made ruling order
ing the Redskins to take him
back or make him free agenN,
eligible to play with any other
club in the league.
Tells of Goat" Incident.
Marshall said his biggest dis
appointment in Ruthstrom &C.
CURED at Chicago in October,
1947, when he encountered the
player in the lobby of the Drake
Hotel without a coat on. Mar
shall said he told the player he
would have to 60 up to his room
and get a coat, but that Ruth
strom acted like a small boy and
went out and pouted.
Marshall said the Redskins had
traded Steve BagaruS. one of their
most popular players. to the Los
Angeles Rams to get Ruthstrom
who was supposed to be fine de-
fensive back. He said they first
had a run-in in Denver. where
the Redskins played an exhibit
ton game before proceeding to
Chicago. where Ruthstrom quit
the team, but later rejoined it.
The Redskin president accused
Ruthstrom of letting down both
the team and Washington fans
in leaving the club after it re-
turned to Washington. He said
he did not see Ruthstrom again
until November of this year. when
he saw him alight from train
in New York with the Baltimore
Colts OF the All-America Confer
ence. Ruthstrom played with the
Colts this year.
Secretary Takes Stand.
Before Marshall testified his
secretary. Mrs. Rosalie Raley. was
called to the stand and asked to
identify certain canceld checks
and bookkeeping sheets and ex-
planned how Ruthstrom was paid
and what sums Of money he had
received from the club before he
quit to return to his home in
Houston, Tex.
Backfield Coach Wilbur Moore
followed Mrs. Raley and testified
that he waited at the Roosevelt
Hotel here for approximately 2l2
hours and failed to get an answer
from Ruthstrom's room. where he
was supposed to be in bed.
Testimony in the case was ex-
pected to be completed today and
there was a possibility that the
jury of II men and l woman hear
ing the case would return a ver-
dict before nightfall.
Ruthstrom and Turk Edwards
head coach of the Redskins in
1947 and now executive vice presi-
dent of the club, were yesterday
chief witnesses. The player told
of being Inundated and mental
ly hurt" by Marshall when the
latter rebuked him for not wearing
a coat in the Chicago hotel lobby
He told of leaving the Redskins
hotel and checking into another
and of being persuaded to return
for a conference with Edwards
who subsequently talked him into
rejoining the team.
Tells of Second Departure.
The former Southern Methodist
University player said he left the
team second time after tele-
phoning his home in Texas and
learning that his mother was Sc
riously i'll. He said he asked a
friend. identified as Wray Pear
man, 6101 Brookville road, Chevy
Chase, to get in touch with Ed
wards and tell the coach Of his
departure after failing to reach
Edwards on the telephone.
Ruthstrom said he later tele.
phoned the Redskins Office to talk
to Edwards about rejoining the
club, but was told by Marshal
that he was suspended Indefinitely
He said he telephoned Com.
missioner Bell to enlist his ait
in getting back into football. bu
was told by Bell that he would like
RI holm tho p1aver hut that h,