Kansas City Monarchs pitcher-manager Jose Mendez pitched through pain today to nail down the championship in the first Colored World Series. The Tom’s Town nine, champs of the Negro National League, clinched their trophy on the road, winning 5-0 at Chicago’s Schorling Park, while playing as the home team against Philadelphia’s Hilldale club from the Eastern Colored League.

Someone pulled the rug out from under Herman Epstein. One day he was an honest businessman pursuing a legitimate trade. The next day he was a bootlegger. The grandfather of Tom’s Town Distilling Co.'s illustrious co-founder, David Epstein, would have to wear the title, or find some other business.

The best day in Tom Pendergast’s life was arguably the day he hung up the “closed” sign, and turned the lights out at Pendergast Wholesale Liquors, January 17, 1920. Prohibition was supposed to close down the gin joints and saloons that drew so many good citizens down into debauchery, and Tom was content to play along – as long as the debauchery continued.