Clipping:Von der Ahe charges Byrne with tampering
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| Date | Sunday, August 5, 1888 |
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| Text | [from a letter from Byrne to Wikoff dated July 31, 1888] During and subsequent to the recent ivist of the Brooklyn club to St. Louis to play there its regular scheduled games, the prominent journals of that city published statements and charges openly and publicly made by Mr. C. Von der Ahe, the president of the St. Louis club, that I as president of the Brooklyn base ball association had tampered with one of the players of the St. Louis team, viz., Mr. James O’Neil; in other words, that I had been endeavoring to make him dissatisfied with his position in the St. Louis club by tempting offers in the Brooklyn team and had thereby caused him to neglect his work and play negligently so as to secure his release. Furthermore it was charged that I had influenced Mr. Robert Ferguson, one of the official umpires of the association, to prostitute his position for the benefit of the Brooklyn club and to the direct damage of the St. Louis club. At first, I deemed these emanations merely the result of pique and disappointment resulting from the St. Louis club suffering defeat at the hands of the Brooklyn team, and I bore the charges in silence if not in patience. I find, however, the are being constantly reiterated until now my patience is exhausted and further silence must needs imply a sense of guilt. The notoriety these charges has achieved renders it proper that the American association should take steps promptly to investigate them. The faith of the public and the press in the integrity of the national game cannot long be maintained if charges of this nature can be made against any person identified with it and remain unanswered or uninvestigated. Cleveland Plain Dealer August 5, 1888 [reporting the AA special meeting of 8/7] Mr. Byrne admitted that one of his players with his (Byrne’s) knowledge had written to O’Neill that in case he should be released by St. Louis the Brooklyn club would like to engage him. This communication he said was sent to O’Neill after the Brooklyn club had heard reports that the St. Louis club contemplated releasing that player and was not done with the intention of inducing O’Neill to leave the St. Louis club. A resolution was adopted declaring that Mr. Byrne had been indiscreet in communicating with O’Neill instead of the St. Louis management and the matter was then dropped. Cleveland Plain Dealer August 8, 1888 |
| Source | Cleveland Plain Dealer |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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