The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-01-22
CASE WILL GO TO THE
U. S. SUPREME COURT
Magnates and Players From Every
Section of the Country Before Judge
acknowledgements Being Heard on
Antitrust Suit Filed BY the Federal
League of Baseball Clubs.
Special TO The NetcS.

Special TO The Neics.
Chicago, ILL.,, jan 22.-When a troop
Of lawyers representing the rival fac
tions in the baseball war appear today
in the United States District Court,
the entire structure of the profession
al end of the great national pastime
will be revealed, debated and subject
ed to court decision. An extended
controversy in the courts is in pros
pect, for the result of an adverse rul-
ing on either side would involve so
many men and fortunes that it is be-
lieved the case will go to the higher
courts, and probably to the United
States Supreme Court.
Judge Kenesaw NJ. Lands will today
hear the arguments on the antitrust
suit brought on January by the Fed
eral League of Professional Baseball
| Clubs against the National League, the
American League and the members of
the National Commission. The Fed
' eral managers have long been prepar-
ing evidence to sustain their claim
that the national agreement for the
government of professional baseball
which was entered into between the
:, National and American Leagues and
the National Association in 1903 was
not for the preparation Of baseball
T, as. a national pastime, but was for
not for the perpetuation of baseball
sional baseball in the hands Of the
contracting parties, that those within
the combination might be safeguarded
against any competition.
Players Are Dominated.
With this claim in their court petit
ton is the assertion that the purpose
of the agreement was that it Knight
so dominate and control players that
the engagement of their services by
| any person or club outside the combi-
nation would be difficult if not impos-
sible." Another clause in the COM
plant argued today asks that the said
defendants shall be decreed as form
ing part of combination, conspiracy
and monopoly in violation of the COM
mon law. in contravention of the anti
trust and monopoly statutes, and In
restraint of trade and commerce, and
in derogatlon of the constitutional
right Of contract, and that said defend
ants be enjoined from further continu-
ing or doing business as part of or
In connection with said combination,
conspiracy or monopoly"
The suit seeks relief of Federal play
ers from the alleged "black list"
threats, injunctlons, etc.; that the con-
tracts existing under the national
agreement be declared null and void;
that the defendants be ordered to dis
miss the various court actions now
pending against players, that the ma
tional agreement and its rules be de-
clared illegal, and that writs of in
junction and subpoenas be issued. The
charge is made in the complaint that
sum 'in excess of $4,000" was re-
ceived by the National Commission
from the recent worlds series and
that this has been added to other
moneys accumulated, and that it is
being used with surpluses of the Ma
tional and American Leagues "for the
purpose of undertaking to Cypress and
injure or destroy" the Federal League
The reply which will be given to
the charges at the hearing promises
to be equally vitriolic. President Herr
man Of the National Commission has
promised some hot shot in return, and
that the answer will be both astound-
ing and surprising" to the baseball
world"
inside Ct Game Shown.
The disclosing of the inside OF
organized baseball will be a study In
finance and contracts. instead Of
sporting feature. The many phases
under which contracts are signed will
figure. 1t will be maintained that base
ball players seldom realize all the ram
ificatioDs Of the contracts to which
they affix their signatures, many Of
lharn taking little heed of the details
o. the main chance. that they are
~ playing field under liberal re-
htion. The financial reapings Of