The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24
FEDS DIRECT THEIR
ATTACK AT JOHNSON
Attorney Gates Assails Big Ban
for Prophecies Concerning
Independent League.
CASE AMUSING TO JUDGE

CHICAGO. Jan. ga savage attack on
| President ban johnson Of the American
League by Attorney f. f.. Gates. general
counsel for the Federal League, In its suit
against organized baseball. featured the
closing arguments before Judge Landis
! to-day.
II was nearly : o'clock tonight when
! the Anal argument had been made and
then Judge Lands announced that he
would take the case under Amusement. II
is expected that the findings of the Judge
will be announced about the middle Of
the week.
II was field day for orators and every
body took hand with the exception OF
Pepper and Clements OF counsel for the
defendants. who left for Philadelphia be-
fore the noon recess was taken
Various interviews given out by John
son in the course OF the baseball war
furnished the Feds attorney with am
munition First he took up the state
! ments issued by the American League
chief when the independents nrst filed
their plea for the dissolving OF organized
baseball. Gates asserted that johnson
declared he was afraid the Federal
League wouldn't last long enough to have
the case come to trial
But you sec We are here" was the
way Gates closed that part OF his talk.
Continuing his attack on Johnson,
Gates recalled some OF the statements
credited to Ban last spring when prac-
tically all the notables OF baseball were
! In New York waiting to welcome home
the Comstey- McGraw group OF world
Z IA
! ( an interview to some fifteen New York
, , u yvT,efs n which he asserted the Fed
, eral Leagu, had TO parks at that time
, and never wC"ld start the season This
statement was cted in the affidavit filed
! | by President Gilmore OF the Federal
League Gates declared johnson knew
the Information was false when he gave
, II out
! All the Gotham papers quoted John
! sons views on the day the tourists
reached New York. According to Gates
Ban timed his remarks 80 that they
would appear Just at the time when they
might have most weight with the ball
players who made the tour, many OF
] whom were free at that time to sign
+ with any club they pleased.
, That n live ball player is an article OF
I commerce was established during the clos
e ing innings OF the Federal Leagues at
/ tempt to show that organized baseball Is
= a trust. That dead one" comes In the
), same category was the opinion OF the pre-
70 siding Judge.
GLASS arms" were about the only things
about the ball players anatomy not mem
toned by counsel for the Feds. II Is
business with big b, ne coutended, and
for thRt reason II falls under the Sher'
man antitrust law and the Clayton
| amendment.
Quincy \. Meyers opened for the com
plainants and began by taking as his text
the sixteenth section of the Clayton
T. amendment. which has furnished materia
for most of the orators to date. Agar
Judge Lands raised the question of juris
diction. Then. when Judge Meyers be
gan to apologize for the lengthy argu'
ments he had to produce, the court in
terrupted with the remark that he was moi
tired OF the case, as 1t was IAN attractive
h controversy TO the court
d Near thn close Of Meyers address At
r torney Addington spurTed on by query
o from Attorney Miller in regard b the
N contract form, made motion that the
n defendants be compelled to produce the
IL latest contracts OF Walter johnson, Ivy
IT Wngo and Ray Caldwell, intimatlng that
,e these were the last word in organized
At basebsll's contracts. This lposened Hood
h. OF oratory. three or four attorneys being
on their feet at once The defence con
is tended that it had not the contracts in III
10 physical possession" hut Addington in
l. sisted that they he produced, Then thu
Konetchy contract with the Pittsburl
ia Pirates received in the morning by tn,
" complalnants, was ushcred into the con
n troversy.
" Violent discussions over the admission
of this contract into the records, as wei
4, as it's bearing on the case. ensued Ad
i dington called on the court 10 compe
1 Barney Dreyfuss who was in the room
/ to step TO the front and Identify his nj
legged signature to the Konotchy contract
Attorneys Kinkead and Calvin of Cinein
minute ended the argument 10y stating tina
49, there might be some confusion smoni
the counsel for both sides In regard Il
o these contracts, but there Is none on tn
a part OF the court"
Judge Meyers's big point was that base
0 ball consisted of transportation OF players
Q umpres and baseball para phernalia from
Q city to city, and necessarily from State Z
" to State. and that this transportation wa
= done to fulfl contracts and agreements L
, play a certain number OF games in eac
81 OF the cities.
~ The fact that interstate transport alto
- alone entered into the thing was In IN
a. mind OF the counsel sufficient to warran
=, Jurisdiction in the Federal court tn
10 fact that II might he Interpreted thu
~ there was no buying or selling OF a CON
m modify In this instance, the attorney bs
H. ieved, had no bearing hut he followe
by stating that in the case OF baseha
II II might he interpreted even that ,ther
q was buying and selling of commoditie
/ for baseball skin" might he looked upo
as "A piece Of property In the case, or
0 not there was at least the transportatio
u of the baseball bats and uniforms an
other things needed in the giving of IN
1 exhibitions OF baseball Also there wa
H. the buying and selling and trRnsportatio
J Of baseballs between cities OF che variou
STATES.
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