The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-12

tai in their nature and far-reaching
enough to include by inference a hard
and fast combination with the American
league.
The occasion for this disclosure was
the accusation made by John T. Brush.
the Indianapolis magnate, that Messrs.
Sralding and Hart were enga ged in or
ganizing baseball trust as far back as
last summer and that Robson and
Brush himself were the instruments by
which that scheme was nipped in the
bud. Hart excuses himself for making
this public instead of waiting for Mr..
Spalding to do so by the fact that he
was one Of the originators of the plan,
and that it was put into his hands by
Mr. Spalding to be worked out
This plan in brief was to secure for
Mr.. Spalding an option on the franchises
of every National league club at the re-
spective owners figures, and then en-
| deavor to do away with syndicate base
ball by organizing new companies form
| ed of local capitalists to purchase such
| clubs as were owned by non-residents,.
| OF in which any considerable amount of
stock was owned by other clubs in the
! league Armed with these options it was
| planned to go into cities where interests
| inimicaI to the game were in control and
| secure purchasers who could be count ed
on to work in harmony with their asso-
GATES.
That an agreement with the American
league for the Joint control Of baseball
was the ultimate object, was admitted
by Mr.. Hart. That some tentative agree
ment was reached with President john
son and his associates before any at
tempt was made to engineer the deal is
| practically certain, although Hart yes
| terday declined to discuss that issue as
being entirely outside his province.
This is the scheme which the willy
Brush characterized as a trust PROPOSE
| ton in his reply to Spalding's hot shot.
and to defeat which he and Freedman
| conceived their plan. Discussing the
matter yesterday Mr.. Hart saids
Harris Explanation.
"How this could be construed into the
| promotion of trust / do not know I'M
less Mr.. Brush did not care to grasp
enough of its outlines to understand It.
l feel at liberty to make its details plain
beca I was active in its preparation,
and was intrusted with quitting the plan
into operation by Mr.. Gpalding IUSt te-
fore his departure for California last sum-
meT 1t was his purpose To take hold OF
the matter only at the desire of ma
jority of the clubs, and it was with some
reluctance he undertook it. Tor this our
pose l was asked to visit each of the
club owners and secure q written option
upon each of the franchises and plants.
This was to be at the owners own fig
ures, and was to be known only to Mr.
Spalding and the individual owner They
could set any price they wished. Then it
was planned to interest capitalists in
cities where the present owners were WILL
ing to quit on account of losses or where
the patrons were estranged, and to use
these options in securing the franchises
for new owners.
There was no provision whatever for
community of interests. There was
never any intention on Mr. Spaldjng' :
part to form trust or 10 promote a com
posite organization. either by his own or
other capital at his command. ills plr-
pose was simply to act as a clearine
house for the league by Offering a n1saI.s
by which any who desired to .etire from