Evening star., 1915-01-17
MANY AFF|DAWTS
HURLED At FEDS
Organized Base Ball Presents
Strong Defense in Suit.
GARRY HERMANN PROVES
DEFENSE'S STAR WITNESS
Gives Facts About Peace Which Out.
laws Sought-Umpire Tells of
Fed Contracts.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

CHICAGO. January 16-Or-
ganized base ball took its first
action yesterday in defense of the
antitrust suit brought by the
Federal League. A bundle of atti-
davits, twenty-four in number,
were filed in the United States
district court, and they denied in
full all of the charges brought by
the Feds.
Besides that, they told how the
Feds had sought to get into or
ganized base ball. Also they ac-
cused the Federals of having
little trust of their own and ex-
planned in detail how the inde-
pendent league representatives
had tampered with players of or
ganized base ball, inducing them
to break contracts. Many OF the
afhdavits contained the life his
tory of the affiants, though for
what purpose it is not known.
This bundle of evidence, with
the pile filed by the Federal
League, is now in the hands OF
Judge Lands and will be thrashed
out at the big legal combat be-
tween the two parties, which is
booked to start Wednesday morn
ing.
The star witness for the defense Is
August Hermann, chairman of the ma
tional commission. well president
of the Cincinnati base ball club. Herr
manns eviuence is the most sensa-
ttonal of the lot as it reveals in de-
tail the dickering of last November,
when the fans thought peace was to be
restored in base ball.
Hermann says that Mike Cantillon.
owner of the Minneapolis bali club
was employed by the Federals to bring
about meeting between the independ-
ent league leaders and men of organ
lied ball. Cantillon is part owner OF
the real estate which is used by the
Federal League club for its park in
Chicago.
Files tVlQ60Ce.
Cantillon did arrange a meeting be-
tween Charles Weeghman, president OF
the Chifeds. and Hermann, the frs:
meeting being in New York soon after
the world series of last fall.
That conference led to others, and
in his affidavit Hermann exposes let
ters which passed between him and
Weeghman, showing that the latte
rnl Io MIA VIII ar,iz
base ball.
In ALL the Cincinnati magnate filed
three separate affidavits bearing on the
charges brought by the Feds, and his
evidence alone is almost big III
quantity as that of all the others put
together. Papers were filed by Sec
retary Heydler of the National League
and by Mike Cantillon, corroborating
parts of the evidence submitted by
Hermann.
President Johnson of the American
League. Barney Dreyfuss of the Pitts
burgh Nationals, and Joe Lannin, own
er of the Boston Americans, were
others prominent in the evidence. Ian
min told OF being approached by the
Wards of Brooklyn and by WeeghmaH
Of Chicago on a proposition that they
be taken into organized base ball.
though Weeghman tonight said h
could not believe Lannin had accused
him of doing that. as he had met Lam
min only once and no such talk had
taken place.
Charles Somers, owner of the Cleve-
land club. filed papers telling of Il
meeting with Weeghman here, at
which the latter talked of the possi
bility of getting into organized base
ball.
Another star witness turned up IN
Steve Cusack, umpire last season in the
Federal League. Cusack submitted a
copy of rules and regulations OF In"
Federal League, sent him by President
Gilmore about June 10.
In the copy it is shown that the Feds
have territorial rights, ten-dat notices
of release in contracts, reserve clauses
in contracts and draft clauses IN the
rules and regulations, which are th-
main features OF the national aSree-
ment under which organized base ball
operates. Cusack was dismissed from
the staff of Federal League umpires at
the close of the season.
Charles A. Comiskey, owner of the
White Sox, filed a long paper, which
was Interesting because the greater
part of it told of his career in base
ball He dwelt slightly on the details
of the jumping of Hal Chase from has
club to the Buffalo Feds in June OF last
season.
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