Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-30
ORGANIZED BALL Is
FACING NEW FIGHT
FOR LIFE IN COURT
Baltimore Club of Late Federal
League Sues for Nine Hundred
Thousand Dollars Damages
Under Trust Laws.
MAKES CONSPIRACY CHARGE
If Action Successful, United States
Government May Have to
Take Cognizance.
ALLEGES OUTLAWS SOLD OUT

PHiLADELPHlA, Marcn 20
Organized Base Ball is facing an
other attack against its existence in
a suit for 100000 damages filed in
the United States district court here
today under the national antitrust
laws by the Federal base ball club
Of Baltimore. The defendants in the
suit are the National and American
leagues, and the sixteen clubs, max
ing up their membership. the three
members of the National base ball
commission, James A. Gilmore,
Charles f. weeghman and Harry
Cinclair, formerly of the Federal
league.
II the Federal league of Baltimore
wins its suit, Organized Base Ball
will be in peril of attack by the
federal government, it is said. The
difference between the suit filed to-
day and the one begun by the Fed
eral league against Organized Base
ball in Chicago in January. 1915, is
that the present action is one for
damages, while the first one was an
injunction to restrain Organized Base
Ball from continuing certain acts al
legged to be in violation of the Sher-
man antitrust law.
U. s. May Have to Act.
To win the present action. the Balti-
more club must show that Organized
Base Ball as at present constituted IS
In violation of the Sherman antitrust
law and the Clayton antitrust act. II
1t proves this and RECEIVERS damages,
lawyers said tonight the government
may have to take cognizance of the
courts decree.
The Baltimore club alleges that II was
not considered in the negotiations last
winter which resulted in the so-called
peace agreement between Organized
Base Ball anil Federal league owners
and that In consequence It suffered a
loss of $4,000 and asks for triple dam
ages under the federal anti-trust laws.
The complaints gives a history OF the
present organization of the game and
it's operation. mentioning the National
agreement, the National commission, the
base ball players fraternity and the
various leagues that enter into Organ
lied Base Ball. The complaint recitei
} the organization Of the Federal league
charges that Organized Base Ball en-
tered into a conspiracy to wreck 1t and
goes into details of the negotiations
whereby the Federal league was clint
mated from base ball competition.
Charges Conspiracy.
The Baltimore club charges that thu
National and American leagues are oper
ating in a combination OF conspiracy t.
restrain trade and have conspired L
monopolize OF attempt to monomolize
part of the commerce of the states II
violation of the federal antitrust laws
The complaint states further that il
the alleged conspiracy to wreck th'
Federal league Organized Base Bal
gave or secured to the Brooklyn Fed
eraI league club $4,000 to induce tina
club to cease competing with the de
PENDANTS and that by cash contribu
tons of not less than $4,000 and "flat
terry and persuasion" induced Charlie
e. weeghman and his associates Il
. leave the Federal league.
) The complaint also states:
THE plaintiff is informed and believes
and alleges that all OF the remaining
: constituent members of the Fedora
league. not including the plaintiff, au
thorized a committee consisting. ac
cording to information OF the plaintiff
OF the defendants. James A. Gilmore
! Harry Sinclair and Charles f. Weegh
man, 10 settle their position and 10 pro
tect their rights as best they might. in
dueed thereto, the plaintiff believes an,
: charges. on account OF the realization
OF the hopelessness OF repairing the dam
age already done 10 the Federal leagu
= as a whole by the detection Of the rank
Of IT'S most important members and tha
the committee has now signed an agree
ment on behalf Of all the assentinl
members OF the Federal league agreeinI
to eliminate further competition will
: the defendants.