Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-09
FEDS START WAR
ON BIG LEAGUES
Gilmore Orders Clubs to Sign
Players Wanted, Regard
less of Contract.
KlLLIFER CASE CAUSE
.... OF THE OUTBREAK
Invaders, With Plenty of Money,
Have Excellent Chance of
Landing Stars.

BALTIMORE, Nd, March 9.-War mas
the Federal League.
President James A. Gilmore, before
leaving Chicago last evening with Joe
Tinker's Chicago club. now on its way to
training grounds. sent a telegram to the
president of each club in his circuit which
read in part, as follows:
.'Killifer failed to report for training,
consequently our policy of fair dealing is
Withdrawn. Sign any ball player you
need. whether under contract or not, and
let it be the survival of the fittest."
The Feds also will carry the fight into
the courts. President Gilmore announced,
according to Chicago dispatch. that AT
torney Gates general counsel for the
league, will institute proceedings in the
federal courts at Indianapolis at once
against Kilfifer. The catcher will be sued
for breach of contract, and an injunction
will be asked restraining him from play
ing with the Philadelphia Nationals. Kill
!ifer is now training with the Phillies at
Wilmington. n. c., and has announced
his intention of playing with that club
this season.
Previous to today the Feds have worked
player who had signed an organized ball
| contract for 1914, but now there will be
scramble for the very best talent in
the country and money will do all the
| talking.
Lobert May Jump.
| The F'ederals, with the bank rolls of the
Ward brothers Charles Weeghman. Will
/ liam NJ Walker. Otto Stife and Edward
/ Gwinner, may now go after any star IN
the country, and many OF them Will rs
ten to thei Inducements the independents
are able to offer. This is shown by the
attitude of Hans Lobert. one of the very
| best players in organized ball. He was In
| New York Friday and Saturday with
| Manager Otto Knabe and Mike Doolan.
Both of these Terrapins are warm friends
| of his, and late reports from Phliadelphla
intimate that Lobert stands willing TO
| disregard his contract with the Phiiles
and jump to Baltimore.
| There is no doubt that Lobart would
rather play here than in philadelphia, Ior
| he realizes the Quaker team has been
| shot 10 pjcces by the Tcrrapins' manager.
| Then too Lobert formerly played under
Ned Hanlon and has a high opinion of the
BaItmorean's ability.
| But Lobert is not the only star IN tne
| organized ranks who is willing to quit the
American and National if proper induce
| ments are offered, for by this time all the
PLAYERS know something about Tue men
who are behind the invaders and see that
they have Just as much cnance , OF col
| lectinc their salaries from Federal
League clubs as from those operating I'M
der the national agreement.
/; Speaker Regrets Haste.
! Iris Speaker, Sam Crawford and few
Of the other players who returned Friday
from their tour of the world did not know
the financial strength Of the Feds when
thew got off the Lusitania. but they
have learned since. While Speaker looked
| at a great pile Of Federal money and
| turned it down to sign with the Boston
Ked Sox, the club which claimed him by
! the reserve clause, 1t Is said he regretted
his hasty action later.
| Crawford never gave the Feds tum-
i BILE Not stopping to give their coin even
! the once over, he hurriedly signed with
! Detroit 1t is reported that he accepted
/, 81. 900 Il year. AS n matter of fact, the
! independents, who wanted him as an out
| fielder for the Brooklyn club, would Will
+! insly have given him $4,000, or even
$1,000.
| through President Gilmore's declaration
| of war. to go out and get those men or
any others they desire to build up their
teams. This is a mighty good move for
brooklyn. for the Wards have not secured
a manager. That they are willing to bid
against any club for the proper man was
| shown by their offer for Chrsty Mathew
I son. Brooklyn wants prominent payer
of Mattys type as manager, and the
Wards now probably will land the sort of
may they require