Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-31
Hug Fullerton Sport Expert Talks About B. Trust Suit
CBY HUGH $. FULLERTON.

Nb II 1bll L | lslaI-IN lO.NJs
Staff Special
CHICAGO, Jan. 30.--Legal baseball,
at which we have been poking jibes
proved a serious contest when the
forces Of organized baseball, driven to
the defensive after years Of monopoly
on the business, faced the Feds in the
court Of Judge Kenesaw NJ. lands.
Those who have jested and jibed
realize the importance of the issue
when they watch the proceedings In
the federal court in Chicago Organ
ized baseball has at last dropped all
pretense of fighting opposition
through technicalities, and settled
down to straight issue to determine
once and for all the legal status OF
the baseball business
In that courtroom there gathers at
each session the most noted men of
baseball. Never before at any time
has there been such a gathering OF
the clans There are more than fifty
of the owners, managers, and the inn
portant players here to listen to the
two armies Of attorneys battle, with
affidavits as their weapons.
on the bench the little gray haired,
sharp featured judge, who knows
baseball and baseball law quite as
well as he does legal law CHATS
fine dlstinction) listens, and at times
injects a sharp question which alone
indicates his trend of thought.
At the tables with the swarm of at
torneys from a dozen cities, sit Au-
gust Hermann, John Tener and b. b.
johnson, the national commission,
which is the legislative, executive and
judicial force of organized baseball.
at really is the national commission
that Is on trial-and one can see law
yers and judges squirm while the at
torneys read the interpretations or
law in the past by these three VINO
are on trial.
In long double rows behind them
sit the defendants and the complain
ing witnesses, mingled in semi-friend-
illness. Barney Dreyfuss is smiling,
Charlie Comiskey looks as If he en-
loyed ii about as much as he does
wake Frank Navin, bald and serious.
sits by Bob Hedges who continues TO
smile, having lost a pennant once by
one game, and able to endure any
thing.
Branch Hickey and Lee Magee SIT
with Roger Presnahan between them.
over at one side are Charlie Weegh-
man, the man who threw the monkey
wrench, laughing as he points out the
big men of the game to his wife ana
friends. Jim Gilmore and Robert
Ward sit leaning forward consulting
with their attorneys.
Thomas OF the Cubs Ebbetts, ac-
cused of blacklisting more players
than any man in the game, Brlttoh
OF st. Louis, Charlie SOmers of CleVe-
land Hampstead of the New York
Giants, Col Huston, the new Yankee
owner, jim Gaffney-they are al
there. earnest, serious and not at all
the confident ones they have peeh'
Behind them in the space Tor speCta-
tors there Is a constant JAM ana III
that crowd are many of the leaders
of minor league ball, mtngling with
the fans.
The owners Of about four hundred
baseball clubs are there and the rep
resentatiVes Of thousands OF players
II is very serious business, and not
at all the Joke that we have made II.
1t means a struggle for the control OF
a. game with investments OF perhaps
$4,000 000 the control of lO,OOO pail
players and the increase or decrease
Of salaries Of those men and the earn
ings Of owners.
1t seemed to me that Attorney
Keene Addngton knew little about
baseball abuses ! could have cited
him n dozen better cases than he used
in attempting to prove his points
The lawyers for organized baseball
especially Miller, appeared better
posted as to the past of the national
commission.
The filing Of scores Of affidavits In
support Of the charges brought IN 4
sured a long fight. Pitcher Adding
ton used a tantalizing slow one dur
ing the early innings and appeared
wabbly, but rallied and commenced
using more steam and a splitter.
Miller used speed almost exclusively
but the Feds seemed onto his curves
at the opening and scored quickly Ho