The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-22
Sale of Elm City Franchise Comes As Big Surprise to Baseball Fans-New Own CT Well Known in Capitol City-Will Retain Mur- phy As Manager and Neal Ball AS Field Captain.

The sale of the franchise of the lpeAnant winner in the Eastern league, to Edward J. Dugan, a prominent Hartford business man, was an- nounced last night by James T. Co., Hns, president and majority stock holder of the club. While no price was given out, it is believed to be somewhere in excess of s5,00O. News of the sale of the club will come as a big surprise to a majority of state 1 baseball fans
 Collins had contended right along that he would be back in baseball again and his recent controversies with George Weiss, rival promoter. : had strengthened that belief. Op- portunity to dispose of his interests came his way as far back as two weeks ago and yesterday Collins made a visit to Hartford and closed the deal.
 Dugan, the new club-owner, is well known in Hartford. During the past few years he has been engaged in the capacity of secretary of the Rop- l1ins Brewery Co. of that city. He is a middle-aged man of great busi- ness ability and a keen lover of clean sports. He has never had any con- nection with baseball before. It was stated upon reliable authority last night that he is we'll fixed in the worlds goods and that he is a person who is eager to put considerable money into the New Haven club if he I,;r oI4 faI return for his investment
 Friends of Dugan say that he is just the man to put Eastern league on higher plane here. Dugan, it is understood, has been closely fol lowing the affairs of organized base ball in this territory and picked the New Haven franchise in preference to the Hartford club, which is also on the market.
 Ratification of the sale of the Elm City franchise will be made at 2 meeting of the Eastern league direc- tors scheduled for the latter part o1 ~ the week. At that time Dugan vii attend and will be formally elected 2 direceor of the league.
 Collins, who has been connected
 
 bought the franchise in the spring O 1916 from the George M. Cameron es tate. He and his brother, Dr. w. F Collins, were the chief stockholders The remaining shares were owned b, George Hussey. Dr. Collins is nov in the service, holding the rank o first lieutenant in the medical re serve corps, stationed at Camp Green leaf, Chickamauga, Georgia. lame Collins is employed in the ordnanc corps of the government, statione at the Marlin-Roclwell corporatio in New Haven. In making the an nouncement of the sale of the clu Collins stated that he had decided t retire definitely from baseball an that, for the present, he would con tinue in the employ of the govern | ment.
 The retirement of Collins from tn local baseball field comes after tw years of ups and downs. In his frs eyear as a magnate his club fnishe in fifth place and he lost the none that represented the savings of a If time. Last year he was fortunat enough to give New Haven it's frs pennant in five years but the financis returns were not enough to replenis , him for the losses of the year befor,
 He disposed of Pitchers Woodwar and Weaver last fall but their sal only helped to pay his outstandin debts. It became apparent sever; | months ago that Collins was dowr heartened but he kept his head III destined to fight the battle througl - Finally he became convinced that tn fight was futile one and that it WE a hopeless task to continue I'll Weiss nightmare, coupled with tt bitter criticism of the press, had
 whole lot to do with his retiremen 1t is believed. Collins fought Wei strictly on principle, fully satisfe that he was right. He admits that I made blunders but lays this to inc, perience.
 Collins has made thousands
 friends in baseball who will be sorl to learn of his passing. He was wei liked by his fellow magnates al
 commanded the respect of his player
 It is believed that the new own
 will retain Danny Murphy as ma
 ager and Neal Ball as field captai
 Murphy and Dugan will probably co
 fer sometime today.