The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-03-30
UREANZED BALL
FACES new SUIT
FederallL League Club Of Bal.
ti1aore Starts Acton for
Damages.
Damages,

.s4q-F eJtf
PHmADELPH1A, Pa March 30.-
Organized baseball is facing another
attRck against It's existence in a suit
for $e00;000Ydamagesf field In the Unit
ed States District Court here underline
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS blythe Federal
Baseball club OF Baltimore. The de-
fendantBs IN the suit are the National
and American leagues, and the 16
the three members of the National
Baseball Commission, James A. Gil.
more, formerly ofktheS Federal league.
II the FederalSLeague club of Baltt-
more wins its suit, organized baseball
viii be inspertl5 of attack by the Ma
ffo1aI government, it is said. The diff
ference between the suit filed today
and theione begun by the Federal lea
que against organized baseball in Chi
cago IN January,s191 is that the pres.
emit action is one for damages only,
while theSirst one was an Injunction
70 restrain Organized baseball from
continuing certain acts alleged to be
In YiolationgofEt the Sherman antitrust
law To win the present action, the
BaIttmoreEclu must show that or
tganized baseball as at present con-
sstituteds IS In violation Of the Sher-
man antitrust law and the Clayton
antttTustSact: II it proves this and
.fTecoYersS damages, lawyers said last
night the government may have to
take cognizance5o of the courts decree.
The Baltimore club alleges that it
was not considered in the negotiations
last winter which resulted in the So
called peace Sagreement between or
ganizedS baseball and Federal league
club owners and that in consequence
Il gufferedSas1ossso of 100000 and asks
for triple damages under the Federal.
antt;trustslaws.
The bill Of complaint gives a his.
tor y3ofktheSpresent Organization of the
sgatne and Its operation, mentioning
the National agreement, the National.
Commission. the Baseball Players
Fraternity and the various leagues
That senterltnto organized baseball. The
Complaint recites the organization of
the Federal league, charges that or
ganfzed baseball entered into a con
fspiracystoSwrec It, and goes into de-
tails Of the negotiations whereby the
Federal league was eliminated from
baseballEcompetition.
The Baltimore club charges that
theSNationalEa and American leagues are
operatingSin{a Combination or conspir-
acy to restrain trade and have con-
sptredE TO monopolize or to attempt to
Smonopollzek aspart OF the commerce
OF theSatatesI In violation Of the FEEDER
al antitrust laws!
Theabillsofscomp1afn states that in
the alleged conspiracy to wreck the
Federal league, organized baseball
rave or secured" to the Brooklyn
Federal League club 100000 to In.
ducethatsclub[t cease competing with
the defendant and that by cash con-
tEibutionsgo o. not less than 5 5000, and
ttflattery and persuasion induced
Charles III Weeghman and his asso-
Giates togdesert the Federal league.
Mhe complaint also states:
This plaintiff Is Informed and be.
1keyeg and, alleges, that all of the re-
maining Constituent members of the
FederalFleague, not Including the plain.
til, authorized q Committee. consist.
Ing according TO the information of
the plaintiff, OF the defendants, James
"a GilmoreSH sinclair and Charles
81. Weeghman, TO settle their position
andsto{ protectltheir rights as best they
might Induced thereto, the p~1aint1ff
heliexes, and3charges, on account Of
the realization of the hopelessness of
repairing theSdamage already done to
theaFederalIeague as a whole by the
detection from its ranks OF the its
most important members; and said
committee has now signed. an agree
ment on behalfso OF the asserting mem
bersA of the Federal league agreeing
toScliminate8 further competition with
Sthes defendants.