Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-28

Dhia National League Baseball CluD,
is forever excluded from participation
in the councils of the National League,
This was the decision of the ma gnates
of the league after six-hours consid-
GRAFTON, today. of the charges that F'o-
gel bad Hade~sta teJpents rejecting on
the integrity OF 1ha National League.
OF the seven cAfarges. the club owners
found the former club president guilty
on five and dismissed the other two as
relating To privileged communications.
Mr. Fegel had no sooner read the de-
cision than he countered it with a de-
faint statement. Before the meetings
began lie expected such a decision, he
declared THE jury was packed
against us" he asserted and he prae
tically told the magnates who had ex-
pelleG him from their councils that
he would pay no attention To their
findings.
II will sell or represent as ] please
the Philadelphia club in the National
League, as long as i feel inclined to
do CO." he declared, and no one can
disturb me from doing So
Mr.. Fogel said Mr. Shields had sug-
gested TO him after hours of discus
sion that he withdraw and resort to the
courts "on the grounds that there was
a baseball political conspiracy against
me-
Il said" Fogel explained. that I
owed IT to my baseball reputation,
which / consider spotless, to fight the
case IL the finish. / procured Witness
es on each charge TO refute oyerwhelm-
ingly the testimony of the opposition
Mr.. Shields still contended that it was
waste Of time and that he might as
well submit to the inevitable. l still
eortended that we should meet the
Issue because had suggested at the
start that an open meeting be held.
1.-THE entire affair is National League
politics. Fortunately my constitutional
rights are safeguarded in common law
and the result of the verdict of the
packed jury against me does not af-
feet my property rights in the future.
] would simply add that the people of
America know my reputation as n,
builGer-Ip and fosterer of baseball
and / viii stake my reputation fo7
fairness and craftsmanship against
that OF amy man who voted against me
on five of the seven charges and who
ruled out the other two charges for
political purposes
President Willer OF the Philadelphia
National League Club refused to vote
on the cnarges against his predecessor.
on tie ground that the league lacked
jurisdiction in the case. Mr. Willer
said.
II declined to vote, as l stated be-
fore, on the ground of jurisdiction.
want to state. however, that while
declined To vote on that ground. l en-
dorse all that was said ON the subject.
because / think that baseball. with the
i. large amounts of capital invested,
AUught to be run on the highest pfinci-
pies OF honor and integrity"
u~ae All of the clubs in the league We're
represented. today, and all voted to
sustain the five charges against Fogel
except the Philadelphia Club. No tes-
timony was taken at the resumption
Of the hearing, this morning, and the
league Representatives went into ex-
ecutive session Immediately At no
time, il was said was the verdict in
doubt but the magnates debated at
considerable length the form in which
the resolutions should be drawn. There
was discussion also concerning the
powers of the league as to the priv
AS finally given out in the resolutions
the league magnates decided that they
had unlimited powers to say who
should not represent any club form
ing the league, but that they did not
presume to say to any club who should
represent 1t in the councils.
The charges on which Fogel was
found guilty were in brief, that he
had accused the ST. Louis Club of
playing It's weakest team against New
York; that he had verbally attacked
the integrity of the National League
race of 1912 and intimated that the
race was crooked" at the same time
charging that National League UNI
ipires had given all close decisions to
the Giants; that in an article in the
Chicago Evening Post. under date of
Sept IL, Fogel had made accusations
against President Lynch and charged
his umpires with collision; that in
letter dated Oct l2, which Fogel sent
TO the other seven National League
Club owners he had declared the
league race OF 1912 was not honest and
that President Lynch and his umpires
were incompetent; and that Fogel had
made verbal and written charges re-
fecting upon a specified National
League umpire.
Regarding the Chicago Evening
Post article, the basis of one of the
charges, w. s. Forman of that paper,
a witness at the hearing, declared the
article had been sent 10 him by G.
w. Murphy, president of the Chicago
National League Club Mr.. Murphy
in testifyine said he had not read the
entire statement before it went 10
Formand.
After the meeting the Chicago mag
nate refused to discuss this phase of
the case and the other magnates said
the resolutions spoke for themselves
and also declined to make statements
The specifications which were not sus-
tanned included a letter from Fogel to
President Lynch ana "a telegram from
Fogel to President Hermann of the
Cincinnati Club. In both of these COM
n1unications, ii WAS IL charged Fogel
contended that the umpires We're
..crooked" and that the Philadelphia
team was getting rotten deal"
The resolutions as adopted by the
league. follow.