Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-27
How Won der Abe Lost the st. Louis
Club.
FORGOTTEN AFFIDAVIT APPEARS
Results of the Skating Racing a
Poughkeepsie.
CHAIRMAN MOTIFS VIEWS

The defeat of Chris Won der Abe, the ST.
Louis magnate, was received with consid-
cradle satisfaction by a majority of the
tall players, especially those who have worn
Brown uniforms There has been no base
ball magnate in the business who enjoyed
timing players as did the st. Louis man. AL
most from the first days of his career as a
club owner he has had trouble with his
men, and the st. Louis magnate can trace
bis downfall to indulging in this fad to al
most outrageous proportions. Third Base
man Newell some years ago sued Won der
Abe for back salary coupled with an unjust
fine, and sought to recover the money while
the st. Louis club was playing in Philadel-
phia. The attachment was served Won
der Abe appeared in court, but swore that
he had nothing to do with the 81. Louis
club, as it belonged to the Sportsman's Park
club, and as a result Newell lost his case.
Matters drifted on in the base ball world,
and when The trust company in St LOUIS
endeaVorcd to close mortgage against
Sportsman Park Won der Abe came for
ward and claimed that the base ball fran
chIse belonged TO the St. Louis Base Ball
ASSOCIATION, of which ne was president. A
Journey 10 Philadelphia by a trust company
lawyer followed, the records of the court of
~ were looked up, and result Won der
Ahe lost his case. A man cannot swear in
court a one time that he has no interest in
properly and few years later claim to
De the owner thereof. In his endeayor TO
keep from paying Third Baseman Newell
sh" in 1894 Mr.. Won der Abe lost some
thing like $4,000 in 1899.
The following clipping from the ST. Louis
Sporting News will be read with interest
by the Washington friends of Third Base
man 'Jud' Smith. Smith created very
favorable impression during the past sea
son with the Senators, his fielding being
superior TO any third baseman that has
lately worn a Washington uniform. His
weakness crops out the base lines and
at the bat. The clipping follows:
Speaking of Wagner reminds of the
floating rumor that Arthur Irwin proposes
to place Third Baseman Jud Smith on the
market, as il is claimed he is satisfied that
the schoolmaster from the territory is not
able to cover the senatorial third bag. l
confess | am surprised at this delverance.
But it is one of the oddities of the game,
| have watched the work of Jud Smith for
several seasons. He a member of the
Wilkesbarre club portion of 1893 under
John Irwin, and his performance was sim
ply eleCtrifying. When Shannon succeeded
Irwin as manage in 1894 he had no use for
Smith, and selected Sammy Gillen to ho.d
down third, and the fans always regarded
Shannons action as a mistake. Later on
Smith appeared with other Eastern League
clubs, and when in Toronto under Bucken-
berger in 1896 made a great record. Suisse
quently Smith became member of the
Syracuse team under Buckenberger, and
for two seasons his work was commented
upon most faVOrablY There is one obser-
VatiOn that may be made about Smith-he
meyer played a poor game before u Wilkes
barre audience. His work has always been
pre-eminently superior to that of any other
bag artist in the circuit-or any that / have
ever seen-and why he is not acceptable to
the Washington manager is an enigma
Although the Baltimore Brooklyn deal
will probably send a number of Eastern
League players that We're drafted back to
that organization, there will be many rep
resentatives that will try to stand the pace
in the National during 1899. a table show
ing who the men are, with their records
fnl ISIS arnendnd.