An Interview With George McManus

The following interesting interview took place between Mr. George McManus, Manager of the St. Louis Base Ball Club, and a reporter of the Indianapolis Sentinel on Thursday inst. Mr. McManus is expected home on Tuesday when the facts gleaned in relation to his accuser by the gentlemen who are investigating his career here will be laid before him. What course Manager McManus intends to pursue will probably soon be made public:

The Interview

Reporter. Is there any truth in the charges made by the Louisville papers against you?
Mr. McManus. They are without foundation, and there is not a word of truth in them.
Rep. Did Mr. Devinney meet you at the depot and accompany you in a hack to the hotel?
Mr. McM. Mr. Devinney met me at the depot and told me he could get me a hack very cheap. The price he named that would be asked being very reasonable, I accepted his offer. After three of my men had got into the hacks I asked Devinney if he was going up town. He said he was. I then told him the hack was crowded, but I would try and make room for him. He answered he would rather walk up. We then drove off, and he walked up town.
Rep. Did you see Devinney at the hotel?
Mr. McM. When I was going up to my room at the hotel, I saw Devinney on the elevator, and he followed me to my room. After I got to my room I proceeded to take a bath, and Devinney, after talking for a while, said that these two games would decide who carried off the pennant, and that he (Devinney) would like to see them go to St. Louis. I replied: "That is what we came here for." He then said:

"I Can Fix Them For You."

I replied: "You have not nerve enough to give a visiting club a square deal." He said: "I had nerve enough to give the two Boston games to Louisville." I then told him I had him where I wanted him, and if there was an unfair decision made, I would fix him so he would never umpire another game. He answered: "You will, will you?" and left the room.
Rep. While in your room did you offer Devinney $250 to give the games to St. Louis?
Mr. McM. I did not offer him a cent, and could not have offered that amount, as I did not have more than $30 with me.
Rep. Then his statement that you showed him a $100 bill as an inducement is false?
Mr. McM. It is in every regard.

Mr. McManus also stated that in the first game played at Louisville this season, Devinney told Arthur Croft that Chapman told him, before the game commenced, that Louisville must have the two games, and must be given every close decision.

Mr. McManus stated that he thought Chapman was at the bottom of the whole matter. He thought he had a grudge against him because he had engaged Devlin and Snyder.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 5, 1877


For more background on the charges that Dan Devinney was making against McManus, Mike McGeary, and Joe Blong, see this post.