El Paso Herald, May 1, 1913:

With a man on third and a man on first, it was the custom to start a double lead off the bases. The pitcher, as a rule, would peg to Jake [Beckley] and the runner on third would instantly break for home.
...
This was [Beckley’s] idea: The first time the enemy tried that double steal, he, Jake, instead of lingering round first, would be far up towards second; he would take the ball, let the runner on third do as he liked, send the ball to [Roy] Brashear, who was ...

Joe Tinker quoted in the Tacoma Times, January 14, 1913:

[Tommy Leach] drew a pass and walked down to first base, where [Jake Beckley] was playing. It was noticed that Jake played quite a ways from the bag, but no one knew the reason until Tommy started to steal.

Then all the players of both teams were amazed to see Beckley rushing for second, a step or two in advance of Leach.

Jake arrived ahead, slid into the bag, got up, dusted his trousers, and proudly ejaculated: “O, I don’t know. These ...

Honus Wagner quoted in the Toledo News-Bee, December 19, 1912:

“Jake Beckley...tried to work the old hidden ball trick on me a half dozen times, or that’s what I thought he was trying to do. He would stick the ball under his arm right before my eyes.

“‘Jake,’ I said to him one day, ‘there’s no use trying that old one on me.’ He didn’t pay any attention to what I said, and I grabbed the ball from under his arm and threw it into right field, and then cut loose for second base.

“The second ...