199. 1920 Joe Jackson Confesses to Grand Jury Original Type 1 News Service Photo by International (PSA/DNA)
Shoeless Joe Jackson poses with Assistant State’s Attorney Hartley Replogle in this original Type 1 photograph from September 28, 1920. Throughout one of the darkest days in baseball history both Eddie Cicotte and Joe Jackson confessed to a Cook County, Chicago grand jury they had intentionally thrown the 1919 World Series for the benefit of gamblers who bribed them to do so. During his sworn testimony, Jackson claimed he had been promised $20,000 in exchange for fixing games but only received $5000, remaining of the opinion that Chick Gandil had in- fact kept most of that money
all accused much to the surprise of those following the proceedings. Nonetheless, newly appointed Commissioner of Baseball Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis famously banned all eight men from organized baseball for life. Please note this photo has previously been misrepresented within the hobby as a Black Sox trial photo, which research has revealed to be inaccurate. For reference we have included an example of the image published on September 30, 1920, two days after Jackson’s confession to the grand jury. Photo remains in excellent overall condition with a beautifully crisp central image captured at the Cook County Courthouse in Chicago that fateful day. A paper caption remains affixed to verso identifying the subjects, with various notations in grease pencil below. Wear to the corners of this photo is most evident to the lower-right corner which has chipped away but any damage remains constrained to within the pleasingly white borders. Overall dimensions of approx. 8” x 10”. Includes full LOA from PSA/DNA. MINIMUM BID: $1,500
for himself. Jackson also testified that Gandil was the “instigator” who communicated to him the players had ultimately been double crossed by gamblers Bill Burns and Abe Attell who failed to produce much of the total $100,000 promised. Newspapers throughout the country the very next day began reporting that a gaggle of disappointed young boys approached Jackson upon leaving the courthouse, one of them stating “Say it ain’t so, Joe!” or at least something to that affect. We’ve provided newspaper clippings with the online auction listing illustrating how the papers reported what was said, though later in life Jackson denied this legendary event ever occurred. Despite the 1920 White Sox being in the thick of a pennant race, Sox owner Charles Comiskey immediately suspended all eight White Sox players involved following their confessions and subsequent indictments by the grand jury. The highly controversial Black Sox criminal trial began in July of 1921, concluding with the shocking acquittal of
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