The Sentinel=record., 1914-03-07
SPEAKER, CRAWFORD AND LEV. ERENz ARE SIGNED UPON AR
 RIVAL AT NEW YORK.
FEDfRALS FAIL TO SCORE
Although Several World Tourist Play CTS Are Still Considering the Offers Made Them by Federal League Speakers Record Salary.

New York, March 6.-Organized baseball scored heavily here today in the struggle with the Federal Lea que for the services of players who completed their roud-the-world tour early today, The Boston Americans signed Iris Speaker for two years; the Detroit Americans closed a con tract with Sam Crawford, and the St Louis Americans kept Pitcher Leyerenz in line with considerable raise in salary.
 Although Federal League magnates were in conference with all these players they were unable 10 obtain their services and the best they could do with Mike Doolan of the Philade- phia Nationals, and Dick Egan, of Brooklyn, was to obtain a promise to consider the propositions made by the new league.
 Steve" Evans and Lee Magee of the St. Louis Nationals were also re- ported to be comparing offers of the two forces.
 It was a day Of propositions. coun- ter propositions, conferences and contract flashing, but at midnight or ganized baseball still was holding the lead, which it gained when several National and American League mag mates boarded the steamer Lusitania far down the bay while the Federal leaguers were forced to wait for several hours at the pier before they could communicate with those among the returning players they desired to sign. Their consolation, if it might be so termed, was the knowl- edge that they had forced the two major leagues to pay to those play CTS who signed, salaries which sur passed their most exalted anticipa- tions.
 The climax of the days doings came when President Joseph J. I.an- min of the Boston American League club, announced that he had signed Outfielder Iris Speaker on a two year contract at a salary Iarger than any heretofore paid player" in the ranks. In addition he said that he had given Speaker neat bonus. It was reported in baseball circles tonight that Speakers salary was to be $1S000 a year
 President Frank J. Navin of the Detroit Americans did not have to bid so high for Sam Crawford's sery- ices, or the St Louis Browns go to such extremes for Pitcher Leverenz. but in each case there was a consid- erable increase in salaries.
 fbnEa rIayqru had IigtQpaI tn the Federal League offers before closing with their former clubs. Doo- ian and Egan also had National Lea que contracts in their pockets and while they had not signed, Presidents Baker and Ebbets of the Philadelphia and Brooklyn clubs respectively, stat ed that they had the word of the players that they would act fairly and lay the Federal offer before them for comparison and open bidding tomor- row.
 The National League as a whole was not as successful il settling up the Chicago-Boston club deal for the serv- ices of Johnny Evers or in finding a new owner of the Chicago club. After two lengthy sessions the board if di-
  clement of the Evers trade had been left to President Tener. The National League executive in a statement said:
 "Tae question of details of the trans fer of Evers from the Chicago to the Boston club has been left entirely in my hands to work out. I do not eX- pect to reach final decision in the matter for a week or ten days As the matter stands now EYers, Sween- ey and Purdue are all the property Of the Boston club, but an equitable and satisfactory arrangement will be made for the adjustment for the final trans fer Of property rights"
 James E. Gaffney, president of the Boston club. confirmed Mir. Tener's statement relative to the present stat us of the three players, and went even further, saying so far as the Boston club was concerned the details of the transfer had been completed and were satisfactory to officers and stcckhold- CTS of the organization. Chas. r. Taft. the owner of the majority stock of the Chicago club was present at the meeting, but would not say what had been accomplished toward the sale of his stock President Tener said that no arrangement had been made for the sale of the club, but inti- mated that Mir. Taft was considering several offers.
 It was consistently rumored that the Chicago club would be purchased bby John T. Connery. a wealthy Chicago coal operator Mir. Connery, who came here today, denied emphatically to- night that he intensed to buy con.