FOUR
DENVER, COLORADOHorace Jeffries sat down with his bodyguard in the first row behind the dugout, where he lit another cigarette, and eyed this new boy. He squirmed to find a comfortable position as his bulk filled the seat tightly. It took him only a few minutes to see the talent in Parker. The kid had the speed, the range, and the throwing arm, although he was a bit erratic. They could use him in the outfield.
Horace Jeffries was the mastermind behind Denver’s colored section, owning several pieces of property. He printed his own black community newspaper, The Denver Examiner, operated his own nightclub, and controlled the city’s numbers racket. He was friends with the white politicians and businessmen of the area. He also knew all the city councilmen by their first names.
Jeffries
