The infamous football team consisting of 11 players consisting entirely of death row inmates became an American "phenomenon" in 1911, with a short history of only one year but unusually attractive.
All Stars operate like a normal baseball team. A photo from the 1911 season shows members dapper in eye-catching uniforms, hats, gloves and baseball bats, looking proud.
A closer look reveals a darker side: the lineup includes a murderer as a defender, a thief as a fullback and the first baseman is a rapist. The pitcher is guilty of sexual assault, and the right fielder is a petty thief.
All of them are awaiting execution of the death penalty.
New chapter in prison
Baseball is an iconic American sport. It's such an important hobby that it's the number one activity people enjoy after work, aside from going to the bar.
Due to its popularity, the demand for matches is increasing. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the number of professional football teams was extremely small. Almost every local business created amateur teams so men could compete against each other.
Wyoming State Penitentiary was established in 1901 and had no electricity or running water, so inside it was cold, dark and miserable. The prison is run by Otto Gramm - a millionaire businessman who wants to become a prison warden.
He decided to build a broom factory inside the prison and use prisoners as free labor. During the first 10 years of the prison's operation, Otto Gramm had a profit of 250,000 USD, equivalent to more than 6 million USD today.
To achieve the highest possible profits, Otto Gramm set extremely strict regulations on the living conditions of prisoners. He measured the amount of food each person received, even down to each bean on the plate.
Living conditions were extremely poor and by 1911 the government began to recognize the problem. They enacted laws prohibiting any prison guard from personally profiting from prisoners.
Otto Gramm resigned as prison warden, but left with a huge fortune compared to when he started. He was replaced by Felix Alston, a former Wyoming county sheriff.
Mr. Felix Alston treated prisoners more gently, allowing them to go outside and exercise on the grounds. Many people have not been outside in the sun for 10 years - since the prison opened.
It was during these breaks that Alston noticed that some of them had real baseball talent, on par with professional players.
This is what baseball teams are for - the most fun recreational activity they can all do together outdoors.
Sheriff Alston was a friend of the governor of Wyoming, so he asked permission for the prisoners to form their own baseball team.
The Wyoming State Prison All Stars team was thus formed, had uniforms and were treated like real athletes.
In the opening match, the team won against a local business team with an overwhelming score of 11-1.
Joseph Seng is the best player on the team. He was sentenced to death for killing his girlfriend's husband in the hope that the two could run away together.
The story of his past makes people more interested in the matches. Journalists began writing about the All Stars team.
Joseph Seng almost always scores points in every match. Many people began writing letters to the governor of Wyoming asking for Seng's sentence to be reduced. Rumors spread that if Joseph Seng won enough matches, the death sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment.
Captain George Saban was also on death row for shooting and killing an intruder who trespassed on his farm land and stole livestock. The public and the prison guards themselves also felt sympathy for him.
The warden allowed Saban to freely enter and leave the prison in civilian clothes during the day. He was always accompanied by an armed police officer, as long as he returned to prison at night. Basically, he gets to live the life of a free man.
While at local bars, Saban often tells how hard the football team is practicing in prison. This excited local men to bet on the All Stars team.
Baseball players began to receive special treatment. They get to eat more at each meal. The final straw was the rumor that Joseph Seng could escape the death penalty. This made other prisoners unhappy.
Police chief - warden Alston continuously made excuses for delay, blaming cumbersome administrative procedures. On the day Joseph Seng was supposed to die, one of the other inmates tried to kill him.
A heavy box filled with sand fell from the railing, right above his head. Fortunately for Joseph Seng, the box only missed him by a few centimeters. Afterwards, Sheriff Alston had to increase security in the jail.
If any player made a serious mistake during the game, captain George Saban would scream at them in the substitutes' area.
He said that if they play badly in these matches, each member's punishment will be increased. And he continued to spread rumors that Joseph Seng could escape the death penalty.
Of course, this is not true, but it is enough motivation for the players to continue practicing and trying their best.
After a midsummer night's dream
Wyoming residents began spreading rumors that the governor was involved in the plot. The governor therefore decided to launch a new anti-gambling campaign to convince him that he was not involved.
The governor wrote a letter to warden Alston expressing concern about the baseball team; rumors about betting on matches and "winning to win amnesty".
Sheriff Alston decides to cancel the All Stars baseball team and use the money to create an educational program for the illiterate.
And "star player" Joseph Seng anxiously waited for news about the postponement of the death penalty. But soon after, he learned that the execution date was May 24, 1912.
Thus, Joseph Seng actually lived one more year than the time he had to serve. Reporters described him as walking without trembling like other martyrs in their final moments of life.
