Evening star., 1914-01-25
New League Promoters Give
Out Statement Which Causes
Surprise in Chicago.
REPORT SHOWS 127
MEN UNDER CONTRACT
Weeghman Reiterates That He Is
With Organization to Stay-Josh
Devofe Dickers With Schlafly.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, January a.
Federal League base ball mag
mates met secretly in Chicago this
afternoon. In answer to the call
OF President Gilmore two COM
mittees appointed a week. ago
came here, and it is thought they
had their conference at the Chi
cago Athletic Association.
One OF the committees was on
players and one on grandstands.
When the session ended late in
the afternoon Charles Weeghman,
president of the Chicago club, was
dispatched to the Federal League
Office to tell the war scribes what
had happened.
The committee on players re-
ported that I27 ball players had
already signed contracts to play
in the Federal League this year.
OF that number eighty-three are
from the major leagues.
The committee on grandstands
made its report after investigating
conditions in every one of the
cities, and the report says that all
islands in the league would be un-
der way before this week has
passed and all would be completed
in ample time for the opening OF
the Season.
The report on players was sur
prising and a bit startling. When
the Federal League began its ex-
pansive plans for 1914 it was the
scheme to get at least forty play
ers OF major league caliber, each
club to carry five Undoubtedly a
majority OF the eighty-three have
been signed since the meeting
here a week ago today, and the
major leagaers were induced to
Jump only because the Feds
had copious amounts OF cash to
hand over.
Confirms .Zeider Coup.
President Weeghman gave the official
stamp to the reports that Rollie Zeider
of the New York Americans and Claude
Hendrix of Pittsburgh had signed con-
tracts with the Federal League. Each
contract is for a term of three years.
Rolie put his name to the papers before
leaving here Friday afternoon and he
will be the third >baseman for Joe Tink-
er's Chicago club.
President Gilmore also announced that
Bill Bradley, at one time third baseman
for the Cleveland club, had signed con-
tract today to manage the Toronto club.
The signing of Bradley completed the list
of eight managers for the leagues. Brad
ley began the work of digging up ball
players as soon as he had signed the
papers.
The most recent caller from the big
leagues was Josh Deyore, the Philies'
outfielder. who formerly was with New
York and Cincinnati. Josh arrived in
the afternoon from his home in Indiana
and went into secret conference with
Larry Schlafiy, manager of the Buffalo
club. who also arrived in Chicago today.
The committee on players which report
ed to President Gilmore today was COM
posed of Ned Hanlon of Baltimore,
Walter Mullen of Buffalo and Charles
Weeghman of Chicago.
The committee on stands was made up
of Z. a. Steinnger of ST. Louis, j. A.
Gilmore of Chicago and Z. f. Gates of
1ndianannI1s.
1t w&IRteported early in the day that
the FedM<M League magnates would meet
and war scribes looked for them shortly
after noon, at the Hotel Lasalle, where
they met the week previous. In the
same rooms where they assembled before
the scribes found attendants waiting for
the coming of the base ball magnates
A table had been spread for luncheon.
The water was poured, the rolls We're by
the plates, and the butter was on hand,
while walters paced the hallway for an
hour. Finally telephone message came
canceling the luncheon order. and the
table was dismaptled. The magnates
did not say where they had been.
Another rumor that went the rounds
for the second time was that Charles
Weeghman had deserted the Federal
League. This time the report said he
had been present at the meeting of the
American Association. Friday. and had
purchased the st. Paul franchise He
was to move the St. Paul club to his site
on the North Side in Chicago, with the
permission of organized base ball, and