Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-28
the consent and approval of the Board of


The team went East on their first trip
on the morning = Of May % to play Decora-
morning game, lost the afternoon game,
lost three out of four with Philadelphia,
lost three out of four with New York and
four straight with Boston. While these
losses and apparent decentralization of the
team were going on, some of the directors
asked me to go East to see what was the
matter with the team. / stated that with
out the power to release or employ new men
there was no use of my going. 1t was, 1
think, on June that the board had another
meeting in my absence and revoked their
resolution of May q, and gave me full
charge of the team. went East and found
n good deal of demor llization in the team.
The manager was insubordinate to the Presi-
dent and the players we're lnsubordmate to
present the Board of Directors have practi-
cally run the team. In regard to Manager
McGunnigle, the question of new manager
started on the afternoon of July at q meet
ing of the board held Mt the ball grounds. 1t
was unanimously decided, and L called the
yeas and nays on the motion, every member
voting yea, that If Thomas Burns, of Chi
cago could be secured as manager, that the
President and Mr. Auten, of Chicago, be ap-
pointed a committee to contract with him.
left for Chicago on Sunday evening, July5
and OH that next afternoon had an inter
view with James A. Hart, President of the
Chicago club which resulted in securing the
privilege from President Hart to negotiate
WIFI MI. Burns, anu neROulaUlOnS progressed
for something over two days at intervals, and
finally resulted in Mr. Burns offering to come
to Pittsburg for salary of S, 500 per year and
l per cent of the profits. The board were not
unanimous in paying this price for mana
ger at first, and when they finally agreed to
accept of Mr.. Burns terms, he was not will
ing to come.
At subsequent meeting 1 was author
lied by the Board of Directors to open
negotiations with W. H McGunnigle,
of Providence, R. 1. These negotiations
eFded ef M by my accepting the ter terms
draw upon the club for $500 of the advance
money he was to receive. He resigned his
position in the Providence club, made draft
Pittsburg, arriving here a few hours after 1
had left for Cleveland. The board had q |
meeting the day following Mr.. McGunni- |
ge,s arrival, got into some mix up with him,
and rejected or repudiated my acceptance |
OF his terms, allowed his draft upon the club |
to go to protest, and turned him out to do |
as best he could. This seemed to me unfair |
to Mr.: McGunnigle, and upon inquiry, find |
ing that the difference between the direc- |
tors was trifiing matter, l completed ar
rangements which corresponded with the
Mr.. McGunnigle in charge of the club. Secre-
tary Scandrett on the day of the return of
the club from Cleveland gave each player O
notice to repudiate my orders and to report
anu accurately the way matters stand at the
present time, and, as no legal meeting
of the Board of Directors can be
called for several days, matters must
stand this way until a board meeting can
be had.
The draft made upon us by Mr. Nc
Gunnigle, and discounted by him in the
East, lies under protest to-day, and Mr.. Nc
Gunnigle is dishonored at his home. As has
always been my custom, whether individ-
ually or president in representing corpora
tion, propose to make my signature either
or as President equal to what
it authorizes and if the Pittsburg Baseball
Club, represented by a legally-called meet
ing of the board, refuses to honor Mr. Nc
Gunnigle's draft of 500, shall pay the same
out OF my personal account, and charge to
loss and gain. In referring to the meeting
held on May 2s by the board of directors at
the Anderson Hotel after had gone home,
in which they deprived me of powers and
granted me in the bylaws of the
l omitted to state that on the fol-
owing day l prepared my resignation as
President of the club, and was only dis
'uaded in handing the resignation In by one
)r two members of the board, who have
ince turned traitor to me and have Joined
lands with the element in the board of
directors who have always stood ready with
lager in hand to stab me in the back.
j. PALMER O'NEIL.