El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-04-18

TFW YORK, April ia story is
going the rounds concerning
= moves being made by the Fed
eral league magnates as result OF
the Kilifer decision. 1t is said that
buncb of affidavits is being collected
from the several star players who
iumped the old reserve clause of or
gained ball, with a view to being pre-
pared when more advanced stages are
reached by the legal battles in the
courts Of the land
The outstanding feature Of the KILL
fer decision so far as it affects the inn
mediate present is that ii makes II pos
sible for other reserve clause JnpeIa
like the Phillies catcher TO return 70
their original clubs under prelenSe OF
fulfilling the moral obligation mpiled
IN the reserve clause but that, on the
other hand. il allows the Jumpers 10
stay with the Feds II they deslre 70
In other words. men like rom oeAlOi'
Ad Brennan, Otto Knabe, Mike Doolah
Claude Cooper, Claude Hendrix, AT hur
Wilson, Cy Falkenberg and Gus cram
dali are free to do as they dog gone
DIease-either stay with the Feds or
jump back-that is If their cases are
parallel to that Of Killifer, which tney
seem TO be. on the face OF lnlnSs
The alleged affidavit collecting cam
paign of the Feds is supposed TO nave
q double purpose. u WAL re recalIee
that judge Sessions at Grand ESaplus re-
fused the Chicago Feds plea Tor an N
junction against Killifer on the grounds
that the Feds did not come INTO court
with clean hands. 1t was because
they lured Killifer, in the opinion OF
the court, to leave his old employers
The Feds. if engaged in the same klno
of a legal battle again. want 10 prove
that the cases of the other players are
different. That is purpose number one
of the affidavits, which, it is said, Will
tell details Of all transacuOns DeLWeel
each player and the Feds II IS saio
that the players VIII supScElDe men 4
names to documents declaring they
petitioned the Feds for a job. rather
than the reversible Feds making the
advances. Thus, showing that the play
err not the league or club, was me ag-
gressor in the events, that made MN
n member of the Fed roster. the teQs
think they viii be able to prove IN
other similar cases that they are COM
ing into court with clean hands
Now for the second purpose The
damage suits against the Feds Tor per-
suading players to violate their moral
obligations with their original cluDs,
which have been planned Dy OreaulIeu
baseball men, viii depend largely, II
seems. on the ability Of the pla1ntlIIs 10
prove that the Feds were the aggEes-
sors, the prime movers IN the acll9il i
Thus If the Feds can prove Jney dld
not 20 after the players, but JhaL the
players made application for posltloIs,
the complexion of the whole thing 8
IlkeLN TO ne tAdLl7Il ID-Ao-.+~A e-o-s-
ffdavits from all the players VINO
Jumped, if presented to court In a
package, might 90 far to establish an. an
opinion as to the methods by when
the Feds did business in the signing Oh
their men.
Read for the first time the truth
about why Sam Crawford, the smuggling
outfield veteran Of the Detroit Tigers
refused to jump to the Feds when they
facEIed him upOn the arrival Of the
world touring teams in New York last
month.
When the big liner docked, several
Fed leaders were waiting at the gang
plank to buttonhOle the unsigned big
deaguers as they came off the ship. A
Fed manager singled out Crawford IN
the throng and set out to reach his ear.
Between him and Crawford several
women were standing. The Fed mag
nate did not wait for a chance to walk
around them. nor did he ask them to
let him walk through to see Crawford
No as soon as he spied Crawford. ne
plunged into the midst Of the little
group of women, football fashion, and
with a sort of breast-stroke swimming
movement of his arms, swept them