Clipping:The Browns refuse to play a colored team; the color line
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| Date | Wednesday, September 21, 1887 |
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| Text | The St. Louis Club was advertised to play the Cuban Giants at West Farms, N.Y., last Sunday. President Von der ahe had entered into a regular written contract with the management of the Cuban Giants, whereby he was to have received a guarantee of $250, or half of the gate receipts if they exceeded that mount. He telegraphed twice on Saturday in reference to the final arrangements, and the game was extensively advertised in good faith. About ten o'clock last Sunday morning a dispatch was received from Von der Ahe in Philadelphia stating that his nine was in a crippled condition, and that, though sorry to disappoint the public, he could play play [sic: should be “could not”] the game. The real reason for Von der Ahe's team's failure to come to time was that the players refused to go. On Saturday night he was presented with the following letter signed by all the players but Comiskey and Knouff: Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 10.--To Chris Von der Ahe, Esq.--Dear Sir:--We, the undersigned members of the St. Louis Base Ball Club, do not agree to play against negroes to-morrow. We will cheerfully play against white people at any time, and think by refusing to play, we are only doing what is right, taking everything into consideration and the shape the team is in at present. The letter angered Mr. Von der Ahe very much, but after talking the matter over with the players he concluded not to insist upon their playing. He said he was very much surprised at the action of his men, especially as they knew a week before that the game was arranged, and yet they waited until the very last minute before the informed him of their opposition. Over 7,000 people were present at West Farms to see the game, and there was much disappointment over the Browns' failure to appear. Manager Bright, of the Cuban Giants, announced his intention to bring suit against Mr. Von der Ahe, but the latter had business in New York Wednesday, and probably settled the matter amicably. The statement telegraphed all over the country that this was the first time in base ball history that the color line had been drawn was erroneous. In 1884 Anson refused to play the Toledos until catcher Walker had been withdrawn, and this season, in arranging a game with Newark, he stipulated that Stovey and Walker, the colored battery, should not play. Syracuse and Buffalo have had trouble from their white players over the colored men, Higgins and Grant, and at the last International meeting a resolution was passed prohibiting the employment of colored players in future. |
| Source | Sporting Life |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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