1917
After the White Sox threw the 1919 Series, Comiskey tried to discourage discussion of a fix. He issued the following statement:
"I believe my boys fought the battle of the recent World Series on the level, as they have always done. And I would be the first to want information to the contrary--if there be any. I would give $20,000 to anyone unearthing information to that effect."
Several individuals came forward with information, including Joe Jackson's wife, who wrote Comiskey a letter. The reward was never paid.
In December, 1919, Chicago sportswriter Hugh Fullerton called for an independent investigation into baseball and gambling. Fullerton claimed that baseball had a gambling problem and wanted federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis to conduct the inquiry, but there was only talk until July, 1920 when Abe Attell, who worked for Arnold Rothstein, the gambler who was behind setting up the fix, met White Sox manager Kid Gleason by chance. Attell confirmed Gleason's suspicions of the fix and indicated that Rothstein had set it up. Gleason went to the press but no one would publish the story, fearing libel suits.
Things then broke when there were reports of a fix involving the Cubs and Phillies in a game on August 31. A grand jury was convened and Giants pitcher Rube Benton testified that he had seen a telegram in September, 1919, stating that the White Sox would lose the World Series. The dam broke and Eddie Cicotte decided to talk.
Comiskey immediately suspended the eight players and on October 22, 1920, the grand jury indicted them. Now comes the interesting information. Eddie Cicotte's, Joe Jackson's, and Lefty Williams' written confessions were missing. Some have speculated that Rothstein or Comiskey or both were involved since it would not be in their interests to have the players found guilty. In addition, the indicted players had little money yet they had expensive legal representation. Were Rothstein or Comiskey or both again involved?
At the trial, the judge did not allow any references to the players' confessions. The outcome might have been determined when the judge charged the jury. To find the players guilty, they must have conspired to defraud the public and others, and not merely throw ball games. This is as much fix as the 1919 World Series. Even if the jury found that the players had fixed the games, it was necessary that they also conspired to defraud the public and others. The
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