Evening star., 1912-11-12
NEW BUYERS FOR THE
PHILADELPHIA CLUB
Deal Now Pending Said to
Involve One Million
Dollars.

PHILADELPHIA, Covember 12-Fresl
negotiations are under way for the pur
chase Of the Philadelphia base ball club
Experts are now. going over the books
OF the club and Will make a report to
night on which will largely depend tn,
future of the organization. A million dol
lars is said to be involved in the deal
which will fall or be consu1nmated ac
cordinS to the present program tomor.
row.
Robert A. Balfour, the broker, and vii.
liam J. Gilmore. the theatrical man, arc
the head of the syndicate which has an
option on the club. Whether the two
men are acting solely for themselves or
whether they have other interests as
sociated with themselves is not known
but 1t Is thought that if the deal will
be consummated Balfour and Gilmore
Will become the sole owners of the club,
Its franchise and the grounds
Several conferences have been held
during the last few weeks of an informa
nature, but Friday of last week q con.
ference was held which was attended
by representative of Charles p Taft.
the owner of the club. and the two men
named. 1t is said that one or two other
men We're at the conference, but this
could not be verified, nor is it known
who they were. At this conference fig
ures and representations of the business
OF the club We're presented to the pro-
spective purchasers which looked good to
them. and 1t is to verify these figures,
and to find any offsets which might place
different light on the proposition, that
he o,~ke
investigation, with instructions to push
the work as rapidly as possible.
1t is not known to what extent Horace
s. Fosel, the president of the club, is in
terestcd in the negotiations. His name
was not mentioned as one attending the
conference, and while in all probability
he is oogniZant of the investigation. nov
being made of the affairs Of the club, it
Is thought that he is not informed in
whose interests the probe is being car
ried on. 1t was learned that he is not
being considered In the present deal. ard
II the deal is consummated 1t will result
In an entire new management.
The utmost secrecy has been main
tanned in the negotiations from the start.
and 1t was not until last evening that
the project leaked out in semi-base ball
circles. Efforts to verify the report for
a time were unavailing. Late last even
ing Robert A. Balfour was found at his
home in Germantown when called on
matter Or give any direct information on
the subject. Whe masked the straight
question whether such deal was In
progress with him ard Mr.. Gilmore as
principals he declined to affirm or deny
the statement, which was practically an
affirmation that something cf the kind
was doing. Later 1t was learned from
other sources that the deal as outlined
was under way, that experts were then
at work on the books. that the report
was to be made, tonight or early tomor-
row on which would depend the consum-
nation OF the deal
In base ball circles 1t is said that the
amount OF the deal is overstated, unless
1t carries with 1t considerations unknown
to the base ball world In financial cir
cles 1t Is suggested that II the club is
sold to the men named 1t will most likely
include an out-and-out sale of everything
connected with the organization.
That Mr.. Balfour should be a prospec-
tive buyer of the Philadelphia base ball
club Is no surprise in financial circles.
1t Is well known that he has been look
ing around for some business proposition
outside Of his traction and banking in
terests. 1t is only about two Years ago
tina. he was in dicker for another nron-
erty, which was In a similar situation to
that in which the Philadelphia base bali
club finds itself today. That project fen
through by reason of conditions prevail
ing making 1t impossible to obtain com
plete control.