The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-01-18
Il2e teet zSPo,,tioe 20
FEDERAL LEAGUE MAGNATES
WILL STAND BY GUNS
variety OF rumors floating out from
the meeting place.

luS mcolluS ploSc.
The new league is seeking to pre-
vent Chas. Weegham, wealthy restau-
rant man and hacker of the Chicago
Federals, and Otto Stfel, millionaire
brewer, who owns the st. Louis Fed
eral club, from boiling. This Is the
statement made upon good authority
while the Federals were in confab.
Weegham has been offered a con-
trolling interest in the st. Louis
Browns, he admitted tonight. Major
league magnates are seeking to wean
him away from the infant organiza-
ton with this offer in the hope that
the Federal League will strike the
rocks is Weeghman quits. stifel, It
is reported, is to be his partner II
the st. Louis deal goes through.
President Garry Hermann of the
national commission, President Ban
johnson and President Hedges OF the
st. Louis Browns, Ebbetts of Brooklyn
and Navin of Detroit were In confer
ence in Johnsons Office late today, 1t
was learned from authoritative
sources, despite denials from Navin
and Hermann. They discussed the
plan to eliminate third league opposi-
ton and another line of attack in
case the plan does not go through.
Weeghman indicated when the Fad
eral representative took a twenty min
ute recess that he will stand by the
Federal League guns. The Federal
League clubs that had reported on
their financial standing and playing
strength at that time had made a
favorable showing and he expected to
stick. Early in the meeting he made
positive announcement to newspa-
per men that unless there were five
other clubs in the new league capable
OF giving the CHICAGO Federa1s good
fight he would withdraw.
The announcement by President
Weeghnan of the Chicago Feierals
that six clubs in the baby organiza.
ton would have to show sufficient
strength to make the race interesting
/ for his team came as sharp sur
prise to baseball men, despite rumors
circulated shortly after the meeting
started that Weeghman was cons der.
ing Withdrawing from the new laaeue
and purchasing the ST. Louis Browns.
The presence In Chicago of Mag
mates Ebhetts of Brooklyn Hedges c.
/ the st. Louis Browns, Navin OF De
troit and Garry Hermann of the en-
cinnati Reds, and president of the
national commiss sion gave apparent
confirmation to the story and to 9TH
er rumors that the big leagues were
about to "huy off" the Federals.
Weeghman refused to answer the di-
rect question as to whether he was
considering acquiring the ST. Louis
team when he was called from the
executive session by reporters. He
replied by saying he was a business
man and would sell his shirt or buy
anything else, If he saw chance to
make money.
President ]. A. Gilmore of the Fad
eral League evidently fearing the ef
feet of the report upon the baseball
public halted proceedings long enough
to issue carefully prepared state
ment declaring 1t ridiculous to as.
sumo that the Feds would sell out
after making large investments and
assuming tremendous obi cations.
Gilmore also spiked another story
that Toronto and Buffalo were
to be dropped from the circuit in
favor OF Cincinnati and Washington
because they failed to show activity
in grabbing big league players and
| locating their parks. The meeting
| opened before noon and ran without
interruption until about three p. M,
when the Federal representatives re-
cessed half hour for lunch They
returned t. the executive session and
ran by the dinner hour tonight, at
tempting to thresh out everything un-
der consideration before adjournment
tonight. Owner Navfn of Detroit, one
! OF the few out Of town magnatss VINO
was cornered by newspaper men.
| says the buying OUT talk was pure
| bunk" Navin admitted that he talk
4 ed with President Ban Johnson OF
/ the American League but said he saw
nothing OF the other visiting mag
mates and attended no conference. He
came to Chicago, he said, to land the
signed contract of Player Moriarity.
Hermann. Johnson, Ebbetts and
Hedges were mysteriou5ly missing
all afternoon while the quest was on
for the allegsd conference. However,
It was given out on apparently good
authority that Hedges came to town
to talk over st. Louis conditions with
the American League president with
the possible Federal League invasion
of the Mound City as the principal
topic. 1t was said that Hedges was
willing 10 dispose OF some of his
stock In the Browns, and this news
add I'd another link to the theory that
Weeghman was getting ready to bolt
the Federals and take over the st.
/ Louis Browns In the eve,nt Vaepb.