Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1916-04-06
BASEBALL IS AGAIN
OBJECT OF ATTACK

FACING ANOIhEk Blu F1GHl
AGAINST IT'S EXISTENCE
BALTIMORE CLUB STARTS 1T
Philadelphia, March 20.-Organized
baseball is facing another attack
against it's existence in suit for
100000 damages filed in the United
States district court here yesterday
under the national antitrust laws by
the federal club of Baltimore. The de-
PENDANTS in the suit are the National
and American leagues and the sixteen
clubs maing up their membership,
and three commission: James A. Gil
more, Charles E. Weegham and Har-
~ Sinclair, formerly of the federal
league.
In Peril Again
If the Federal league Of Baltimore
wins its suit, organized baseball will
be in peril of attack by the national
government it is said. The difference
between the suit filed yesterday and
the one begun by the Federal league
against organized baseball in Chi
cago in January, 1915, is that the
present one is for damages only while
the first was for an injunction to re-
strain organized baseball from contin-
uing certain acts alleged to be in vio-
1ation Of the Sherman antitrust law.
To win the present action the Bal
timore club must show that organized
baseball as at present constituted is
in violation of the Sherman antitrust
law and the Clayton antitrust law.
The Baltimore club alleges that it
was not considered in the negotiations
last winter which resulted in the So
called peace between organized base
bali and the federal league owners
and that in consequence, It suffered a
loss Of 100000 and asks for triple
damages under the federal antitrust
laws.
History Of Game
The bill of complaint gives a his
tory of the present organization OF
the game and its operation, mention
ing the national agreement, the ma
tional commission, the baseball play
ers fraternity and the various leagues
that enter into organized baseball.
The complaint recites the organi-
zation of the Federal league, charges
that organized baseball entered into
a conspiracy to wreck it and goes into
details of the negotiations whereby
the Federal league was eliminated
from baseball competition.
The Baltimore club charges that the
National and American leagues are
operating in a combination or con-
.spiracy to restrain trade and have
conspired to monopo1ize or to attempt
to monopolize part of the commerce
of the states in violation OF the fed
,eral antitrust laws.
The bill of complaint states that IN
the alleged conspiracy to wreck the
Federal league organized baseball
"gave or secured" to the Brooklyn
Federal league club 100000 to in
duce that club to cease competing
with the defendants and that by cash
contributions of not less than $780,
.,cc and "Au5tsrs ..d persuasion y" in
duced Charles Weeghman and his as
sociates to desert the Federal league.
The complaint also states:
"This plaintiff is informed and be-
lieves he alleges, that all OF the re-
manning constituent members OF the
Federal league not including the
plaintiff, authorized committee, con-
sisting, according to the information
of the plaintiff Of the defendants,
James A. Gilmore, Harry Sinclair and
Charles E. Weeghman to settle their
position and to protect their rights
as best they might induced thereto
the plaintiffs believes and charges on
account of the realization of the hope
lessness of repairing the damage al
ready done to the Federal league as
a whole by the DETECTION from its
ranks of most important members.
And said committee has now signed
a petition on behalf of all the dissent
ing members of the Federal league
agreeing to eliminate further connec-
ton with the defendants"