The evening times., 1899-11-08
LEAGUE MAGDATES MEET
Secret Session of National Chiefs
Held in New York.
Concern Felt Over Prospects of q
Rival Association Backed by Big
Capitnl-The Baltimore and Brook
lyn Clubs May Join the New Organ
fxatiOn-John Ward Not Interested.

NEW YORK, Nov. S.-A secret meeting
of a number of National League baseball
magnates was held in this city last night
There were present John B. Rush. OF Gin
cinnati; j. Earl Wagner, of Washington;
Barney Dreyfuss, Louisville; Frank De
Hass Robson, Of St. Louis, and Andrew
Freedman, of the New York Club. 1t was
asserted that other magnates would be here
today. The cause of this conference is re-
ported TO be the action Of the new Ameri-
can Association in picking out a circuit
composed of six Of the leagues best cities.
Dreyfuss came to town with the informa-
tion that he could buy the Pittsburg Club
and in that way make 1t an easier matter
TO reduce the twelve club circuit to one o.
this meeting was the absence of the Brook
lyn and Baltimore clubs.
1t is said on the best of authority thst
q scheme has been hatched by which
Brooklyn and Baltimore may be forced into
a new association. The league men are
confident that II they can bring such thing
about the recently organized American As
sociation may be induced to come in on
some sort of settlement.
The statement that the new organization
has secured ample backing for the new club
10 be placed in this city, and that the prin-
cipal stockholders in II will be Tom John
son and Al. johnson, the railroad men, has
stirred the league magnates up more than
they care to admit. They realize that if a
private club is started in New York with
such men behind it, and with Dry Dollar
Sullivan also Interested it is liable to
greatly injure the New York League Club,
because of its unpopularity.
Word was taken to the league men last
night that the Johnsons had received as
surance that if they put their money into
any association club they could get the
services of John McGraw, for manager,
who would promptly sign Rusie, Seymour,
Doheny. Davis. Gleason, Warner, Doyle,
and Carrick, all New York favorites. Al.
Johnson has a grudge against the league,
which he has been longing TO settle since
the brotherhood year. He is said to have
told the promoters of the new association
that he is with the movement, providing
the other clubs can show him that they
have ample backing TO go on with the
fight.
While the league men are scheming
among themselves, harmony does not pre-
vail in their ranks. They are more wor-
public has any idea of. At first they
laughed at it. but now they are trying TO
head OFF the movement in some such way
as they stopped the plan for rival asso-
citation three years ago, when they black
listed William Barnie and Fred Pfeffer
The association magnates have not gone
home. They are all in the East bolster
ing up the cities they wish to take into
their circuit. They have an option on
Thar iHrar DarlF oil ho,,
secured an option, which was signed yes
terday, upon large plot of ground across
the Harlem River, which they intend to
turn into a new ball park.
John NJ. Ward last night said: THE
story that / am in any way interested in
the proposed new club to be located in this
city is untrue. | am busy with my law
business. l do not know whether the
Johnsons are going into baseball or not