Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-28
A TALK WITH WARD.
He Expresses Himself About His Law Suit
,,d r.o,r.,ct Iu,nrn-.

He Expresses Himself About His Law Suit
aud Contract Jumpers.
NEW YORK, December 2T.-Gilbert Hatfield
to-day signed a contract with the New York
Club of the Players National League. He was
signed by Director E. B. Talcott, and ex-
pressed satisfaction with the terms Of the con-
tract
John M. Ward has nearly recovered from la
grippe, and appeared out of doors to-day for
the first time this week. His time for the next
few days will be devoted TO his lawyers, Messrs.
Anderson & Rowland. in preparing reply to
the prayer for an Injunction made by John B.
Day. The case will come up in the supreme
Court Monday. January G. In conversation
with THE DISPATCH representative Mr. Ward
said:
'I have not the slightest doubt but that the
Court will decide the case in our favor. The
supplemental contract which the old New
] ork club has with me amounts to nothing
The word held in this case is simply 'reservar
tion The whole matter will narrow down TO
meaning of the word reserve in our contracts
We think we can make it clear to the Court
what the word, in its baseball sense, meansi
and If we do, the injunction will be quickly
dissolved"
What do you think of the detection of
Thompson and Myers" was asked.
"All these defections have been discounted
by the new League. They annoy but do not DIS
hearten us. These men who have Jumped
SRneQ bDe agreement 10 JUN Tie
League. By double dealing they have ruined
their regulations before fair-minded baseball
public, and just as soon as the magnates. have
finished with them they will be given the ten
days notice and allowed to shift for them
selves When the baseball season opens next
April both the magnates and the deserters Will
realize their mistake. With the magnates 1t
will be an instance of a fool and his money
soon parted and with the deserters a case of
disgrace and dishonor and finally dismissal.
The public recognizes baseball as sport, and
am morally sure that 1t will not sunction the
attempted creation of monopoly in the game
by any body of men. This idea of a monopoly
has been the chief end of the National League
for several years"
Some surprise is expressed that the Players
League has not met the National League In
bidding for players?'
I'VE cannot do that in Justice to the men
who agreed to sign and have signed with the
new League. All of the players went into the
new League with clearly defined ideas regard
ing salaries Each man is to receive the same
salary he got in 1889, except in cases where the
player was cut down by the classification law,
and in these cases he is to receive the same sal
ary he had in 1855, before the classification law
went into effect. To increase the salaries of
men who have used the opportunity created by
the new League would be plainly unfair to the
men who are honest 1t will never be done"
"Wfll the Players League take action in law
against the men who first signed its contract
and afterward signed with the National
Lacquer"
Certainly We have excellent cases, not
only against the deserters, but against the men
who enticed them to break their contracts.
This matter will receive our attention just as
soon as we dispose of the injunction suits"