Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-09-29
KINSELLA is IN
HIGH DUDGEON
Head of Springfield Ball Club
Writes Letter Attacking
M. H. Sexton.
JUST Spelling FOR FIGHT
Reaches Limit in Distorted Facts and
Far Fetched Clarges-Trying
to Start Rough House.

! Springfield. H., Sept IS. 1903
! Editor of The Rock Island Argus: Re
| ferring 10 Mr.. Sections review of the
lhree-Eye league for the past season,
/ as published by you under date Of
! Sept. %, he refers to an individual OF
the Springfield club whose sole desire,
he says. is to make trouble for his col
leagues and constitutional authorities
OF the league, and as the writer has
the honor to represent at least the
practical end of the baseball club il
the capital city, | desire to take issue
with my friend Sexton and will COM
pare our baseball records for invest,
cation and let the baseball public IN
general throughout the Three-Eye
league judge who is the real cause Of
the general decrease in the baseball
attendance. In order 10 get at the bot
tom of all the facts, let us so back 80
Springtieid'S first introduction to one
Michael II. Sexton, who was president
OF the league in 1892 That year. az;
well as every other year that he has
acted in the capacity of president. was
4 failure from q financial standpoint.
At the end of the 1902 season Mr.. Sex
ton visited Springfield for The purpose
of locating Il club in our city. meet
ing was called and held in December
in Parlor \ at the Leland hotel, and
about 80 citizens of Springfield were
present also Mr.. Sexton of Rock Isl
and. and rendered us either the fran
chise of Terre Haute or Evansville
with the understanding. of course. that
the reserved players were included in
the franchise. We were given to TN
derstand that if we deposited $500 n
his hands as president of the league
as Il guarantee of good faith TO play
the season of 1903 out, we were to be
given Il franchise. His offer was taken
under consideration. and in 4 few da IS
the necessary amount was raised and
4 committee of three was appointed
to attend the annual Three-Eye leagHe
meeting which was held at the South i
crn hotel in St Louis Your humble i
servant again had the honor to be one
OF the committee to meet the directors
of the ThIee-Eye league in St. Louis,
and after some delay the committee
from Springfield was called in confer
ence with the league officials who al
that time included Rockford. Ter-e
Hautc. Cedar Rapids. Rock Island
Davenport, Evansville. Decatur, Bloom
instOn. Rockford winning the pennalt
ana the other clubs finishing in the
order named. Mr.. Sexton said:
Springfield. are you ready to take "A
franchise in the Three-Eye ieagpe UNI
der the conditions made you by me
when in Spring field?" We said We
were. and produced draft payable 20
NJ H. Sexton for 5000 | was acting
chairman of the committee and asked |
Mr. Sexton which franchise we wee |
10 get He said we could have our
choice | said that we would take
Terre Haute He said all right. Then |
asked for list of the Terre Haute |
players under reservation. He said |
the players did not so with the fran |
chiSc Then | said we would take |
EVauSville's franchise He again said |
70 players go with either franchise. |
Then We refused to enter the Three
Eye league under such adverse con
litions. and departed for home, return |
ing the 5000 to the gentlemen who 20 |
iliudly subscribed it. Dubuque aud |
Joliet were given the places vacated |
by Tcrre Hautc and Evansville. and |
in July of 1903 Joliet refused to sup
port its tail end club and Mr.. Sexton |
again visited Springfield and induced |
1 few public spirited citizens to take |
4 franchise that was then OF wheels. |
and finished the season of 1903 i'll last |
place three points behind Dubuque,
who entered the league without play |
rs, as did Joliet Now the question
IS: Why did Sexton allow Evansville |
and Terre Haute to withdraw from
The Three-Eye league and take the
only assets any club has. the players? |
Why did Sexton as president of the |
league allow Terre Hau-e |
and Evansville to withdraw without
;umc valuable compensation as is Gus
.omary IN such cases? Only last sea |
SON N99S) topeka and Wichita de |
sired to withdraw from the Western
and paved the Western IS |
ISOLATION $500 each in order TO join |
he Western league The WcstCra
if you will recall. is two
classes below The Threc-Eye league.
For further proof of this statement y
-efer You to Dr. Shively. president 81 |
he Western association, Kansas City, |
Kan. or Norris ]. O'Neil president 81
he Western league, 1401 Marquette |
building. Chicago.
Was a franchise in the Three-Ey2 |
eaguc CClass b worthless when !; |
brought $500 each in Glass d Was
/ good business move on the part /
Of Mr. Sexton, or was he the man that
was trying to attract attention to him.
self as he indicates in the article in