The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-07-17
JACK MER7ENS
70 QUINCY
Big outhelder Has Finally Been
Secured BY Hofer and il Ex-
pected to Report There
Today
PLAYER COST QUINCY 5000
Mertens Is Expected 10 Strengthen the
Team Greatly Pitcher Max
well Coming from
Lincoln.
PLAYER COST QUINCY 5000.

<HSoAu1ns 70 the quincy Herald
Hofer has finally landed big Jack
Mertens through round about deal
according to the following which an
peared In last evenings paper:
Jack Mertens will be in Quincy q.
morrow. The deal was closed this
morning and Jack left on the first
train out Of Des Moines for Quincy
and will most certainly arrive here
by tomorrow.
Mertens is without doubt the most
expensive man playing In class j.
league this year. To get him Mr..
Hofer had to pay the outrageous
price of $500 cash. 1t was a frame
up and a holdup pure and simple.
Day before yesterday Mr.. Hotter re-
ceived telegram from Des Moines
signed by Manager Cooley, OF the
Wichita club. which read as follows:
Have traded Catcher McManus for
Mertens. You can have the latter for
$500 Wire answer Mertens, ac-
cording to all baseball laws could not
be sold to class D league unless
Quincy waived all claim and PRIV.
ilege Of re-purchase at $500, the
draft price. The law, OF course does
not say that the owner cannot sell
the player for more II it can get IT,
Mr.. Hofer was up against it In SO far
as II he refused to be robbed out Of
an additional $500 he would not
get the player. as Des MONIES would
have kept him the remainder Of the
season. Players are so scarce and 30
hard to get that Mr.. Hofer finally
submitted to the brazen effort to pluck
him. After considering the matter
! carefully, he wired to Des Moines last
evening that he would accept.
Wichita is playing in Lincoln and
Manager Cooley is with his team, but
all the business was transacted with
Des Moines, proving that the whole
] deal was frame-up to shield Presi-
dent Higgins, Of Des Moines, who has
/ been guilty of SO much underhand
work that the baseball officials of the
country are getting next to him.
This morning Mr.. Hofer received
the following telegram wire mon.
i ey to Des Moines.'' Not to Lincoln
where the present owner Of Mertens
is with his team. wire the m oney.'
The beautiful gentleman at Des
Moines Is dead anxious to get I'd OF
! Mertens and cannot wait until he gets
the coin. Mr.. Hofer turned the
check owe. to the telegraph company
and now Mertens is his property for
two months. At the end of this time
Mr.. Higgins will very likely instruct
some good friend in the big leagues
to draft Mertens for him and he gets
i Jack back for $500.
| The whole transaction shows the
shadiness of Higgins character and
is just as respectable and honorable
as holding upa man on the street witt
la gun and taking his money away
from him. Like the victim 81. & high
way robber, Mr. Hofer had nd choice
in the matter, but had to submit
The fans will appreciate the sacrifice
he made as it is the best proof thai
he is sincere In his desire to give
Quincy winning team. Mertens will
be OF much value to Quincy in win
. ming games as he is as good hitter
as can be found and that is all the
team needed. He is good man wher
i ever he is put and can play any posi-
ton on the diamond. He is very
, popular with the Quincy people and
what is best Of all, is glad to get bach
to Quincy where he has hosts Of
friends.
i Mr.. Hofer also received a telegram
/ this morning from Lincoln stating
that Pitcher Maxwell left last even
ing for Quincy. This means that he
will report today.
! Pitcher Keyes came home from
Keokuk this morning and will res,
up for the Kewanee games.
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