The evening times., 1899-12-14
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Baseball Magnates Hold a Secret
Meeting in New York.
Br ooklyn Fined for Taking Wrigiey
From Syracuse-Atfempt to Squeeze
Oles Want Big Money for Fran
chise-LOuisville Makes n BluH.

NEW YORK, Dec 1.-THE Board OF
Directors of the National League. resumed
its session today at 10 O'Clock. The mem
bers Of the board. Soden, Brush, Robi-
son. Hart. Reach, and Wagner. informed
the waiting newspaper men in the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. that they had pledged them
selves to secrecy. and no information
would be given out.
Our mouths are sealed they said. aid
then they hurried up to the Democratic
Club. to see Freedman, who was con-
Quoting a sort of informal meeting of the
League. with the Brooklyn Baltimore syn
dicate left out. In a short time. leaks were
discovered. 1t was found out that the di-
rectors had spent most Of their time in
discussing the Wrigley case. When they
went into session shortly before noon.
they were somewhat surprised when con-
fronted by C. H. Ebbets. President Of the
Brooklyn Club, and the clubs attorney.
John NJ. Ward. When the case was called.
Ward proceeded to show that according
to the national agreement, the National
Board of Arbitration had made an lille
New York club had a perfect right to
sign Wrigley without the consent of the
Syracuse club. Ward made a ciean-cut
argument. which was listened to by the
Freedmanites with apparent indifference
The directors, by a unanimous vote. de-
tided that the Brooklyn club had no right
to take Wrigley from the New York club.
and that all of the games in which Wrig-
ley played on the Brooklyn team should
be thrown out of the record.
The directors then considered the adyi-
stability of fining either the Brooklyn club
or Wrigley. There was a long discussion.
but it was ended when a tip came in from
the Democratic Club that the Brooklyn
people should get itNin the neck" That
was enough. SO the directors decided to fine
the club-how much 1t was impossible to
learn. The Brooklyn Baltimore combina-
ton would say nothing at all about the
matter, except that there might be a few
remarks to make when the oficiai an
nouneement is made.
One of the delegates said that the Brook
iyn Club would probably be called upon TO
pay a fine of at least 81 500 into the League
treasury Then it would be easy TO pay
back to Freedman the $1,000 'Ducky'
Holmes fine and the $500 Brooklyn forfeit
fine, which have riled the New York presi-
dent exceedingly.
The directors also concluded that the
Louisville Brooklyn game. transferred
from Louisville to Brooklyn August II last.
was not legal because the necessary con-
sent was not secured IL WAS ordered
scratched from the record, but President
Ebbets was assured that no fine would be
ATTACHED.
The schemers are following the pan al
ready outlined in these dispatches and are
yIa 1v-n q
so that the latter will drop Baltimore from
the circuit, thereby completing an eight
club circuit.
An an illustration of the desi. crate
methods in use TO carry out the blum. one
of the sehcmers had the information car
'ried to the ears OF the Brooklyn men that II
the worst comes to the worst. the ten years
agreement would be broken. the Brooklyn
and Baltimore clubs would be dropped.
and the latter could so TO the courts all
they wanted to-
IL would be cheaper to do such trick.
il was shown. and take chances. than TO
buy out the franchises with hard cash.
Further Information was circulated that
Freedman had willed it that both Ham
lon ard Won der Horst would have to be
driven out of baseball before he would
consent to make a move to revive inter
est in the national game. Hanlon reit-
Grated the statement that If the League
wished to buy out the Baltimore Club. the
price for the players and franchise Is $780,
O00
The situation was complicated some
what by the Louisville people. who held
a meeting by themselves, and passed a
set OF resolutions to the effect that II the
League did not pay to them a reason
able price for their franchise. they would
go with a cheap team, and stick to the end
OF the present agreement. which expires
in 1901.
This was bluff pure and simple, how
ever for the Louisville people made their
peace with the schemers several days ago
n fact everything has been settled with
Louisville. Cleveland, and Washington, so
that the case is up to the Brooklyn-Bai-
timore syndicate, which still politely de-
clines to receive either the glad hand.
or the bluiI'' things the magnates fire.
quently. make use of.