Walter Rufus East (March 29, 1883 – August 29, 1930) was a minor league baseball player active between 1903 and 1912.
A week later, he played again for Massillon against combined Benwood-Moundsville team in a game that saw Peggy Parratt throw pro football's first forward pass to Bullet Riley.
The scandal began when an allegation was made by a Massillon newspaper charging the Bulldogs coach, Blondy Wallace, and East of conspiring to fix a two-game series between the two clubs.
He then returned to Akron, Ohio accusing the Tiger's coach Sherburn Wightman, of masterminding the scandal.
Stewart went public on scandal was to ruin the attendance for a future Canton game against the Latrobe Athletic Association.
The document was signed by East, Wightman, and John Windsor, one of the owners of the Akron baseball team.
East also served as the Akron Zips men's basketball head coach in 1909, when he guided the team to a 6–7 record.