The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-14
big LEAGUE OUTDONE
WESTERN LEAGUE MAGNATES
WILL DICTATE TERMS TO
HART, BRUSH 4 co.
LOTUS IS TIE PREMIER

His Announced Determination to
Outbid Robson fer the ST. Louis
Franchise HES Alarmed the Big
eaguers-CIeVeIan May Be
Turned Over to the Western Or
GanfzatiOn--Yetera Outtricl>ed.
MILWAUKEE. Wis, Feb. 13-Pres-
4dent Ban Johnson, of the Western
league and President Killilea, of the
milwaukee club, had a conference yes
terday The base ball situation was
discussed in all its phases, but they
were unwilling or unprepared to give
out any information for publication
concerning the plans of the league to
secure a successor to Columbus. They
said. however, that President Lotus,
of Columbus, was going to st. Louis
this week to represent a syndicate
which intends to bid for the St. Louis
club and franchise.
Recently President Hart, Of the Chi
cago club, said that the National league
would not recognize the purchase of
the St. Louis franchise unless it de-
cided to- He intimated that the big
league proposed to choose its own COM.
pany and that, if any one was recog-
nized, it would be Frank Robson, of
Cleveland. Mr.. Killilea, who is law
yer and a laWmaker as we'll, says that,
as the St. Louis club is a corporation,
the National league must recognize its
sale as the corporation IS simply an
artificial being created by the supreme
authority of the state, and perpetual.
He says the corporate rights of the
club being sold at a public sale makes
the obligation binding on the National
league to accept the purchaser, who,
hi oh1 IN hyyl q Ia
players held by the st. Louis club, can
acquire the reserve to the players now
held by the corporation, Of which Won
der Abe was president.
This is the trump card which the
Western league has had up its sleeve
and which, it is believed here, it will
be able TO play about Wednesday next.
LOTUS, it is understood, will outbid
the Cleveland men at the sale of the
franchise. If the Columbus magnate
buys the Won der Abe property, the
National league magnates will be In
serious predicament, and it is believed
that Cleveland will be given to the
Western league In order to stifle oppo-
sitiOn.
If the LOTUS syndicate buys the st.
Louis franchise, then the Cleveland
team viii be obliged to remain where
it now is, so it is believed that the
Robisons will withdraw entirely from
Cleveland IN order TO remove all OppO-
sitiOn in st. Louis, which would give
the Western league the territory it de-
siTes in Cleveland. But, should the
Cleveland magnates continue to resist,
LOTUS will outbid other competitors
for the st. Louis franchise, the posi-
bility of which is causing the National
league magnates considerable uneasi-
ness.
CHICAGO, Feb. 13.-This dispatch
from Milwaukee will prove interesting
reading for James A. Hart, John T.
Brush, and in truth all the other Ma
tional league magnates. For the very
first time in their long career as base
ball politicians these self same mag
mates have met their master. These
Western people are, all things consid-
cred, cleverer than the naughty mag
mates OF the big circuit. Ban Johnson,
Jimmy Manning, Tom LOTUS and
Comiskey know as much about the
game IS Brush and his partners, if not
more. This man Killilea is a MilWau-
kee lawyer and from all accounts q
good one. At amy rate he is handling
the legal end of the Western league
project with skill and energy.
To an unbiased outsider it looks as