The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-13
BALTIMORE CLUB AWARDED 5 SB0,OOO
 IN BASEBA ILL SUIT
Major Leagues May Have to Pay S240,000 Damages for Violation of the
 Antitrust Law
Rx Associatea rrns.


 Washington, April 12.- Judgment for S80,O00 in favor of the Baltimore Federal league baseball club in its suit for $900,000 damages against the American and National league and certain officers of the de- funct Federal league was re- turned late today by a jury in the District of Columbia su- preme court. As the suit was brought under the Sherman antitrust law, the damages will be trebled, making the amount $240,OO if the final judgment is entered.
 PImmediately after the verdict was rendered, counsel for organized base ball announced that an appeal would be taken to the District of Columbia court of appeals, and, if necessary, to the United States supreme court.
 Associate Justice Stafford, the trial judge. in charging the jury, said the acts of the defendants, alleged and proved, by way of maintaining the system of organized baseball, consttut- ed in law an attempt to monopolize the business of competitive baseball exhibitions for profit and as an in separable part thereof, to monopollze commerce between the states and were done in violation of the antitrust laws
 If such acts" continued Justice Staf- ford, "injured the plaintiff in its busi- ness or property, the plaintiff is en- titled to compensation.
 "In respect to those acts alleged to have been committed by the defendant, with particular reference to the Federal league, and for the purpose of removing that league as a competitor by persuad- ing its officers and members to break up the league. if such acts were com as charged, for the purpose and with the intent of removing and there by perfecting the monopoly attempted to be created by the general system Of organized ball referred to, such acts were done in violation of the anti trust laws; and if and insofar as they did in fact injure the plaintiff in its business and property, the plaintiff is entitled to recover compensatory dam ages.''
 The suit was instituted in the District supreme court September 29, 1917, inn mediately after similar action brought in Philadelphia had been dis missed on motion of Maj. stuart S. Jan ney, chief counsel for the Baltimore club. who gave as his reasons that evi- dence produced during the trial of the case showed that the Baltimore club had acquiesced in the arrangements for dissolving the Federal league in De- cember, 1915.
 Trial of the suit here began March 25 The defendants named besides or ganized baseball included James A Gilmore, former president of the Fed eral league; Charles E. Weeghmans president of the Chicago Federal league club, and Harry Sinclair, president Of the Newark, N. J. Federal league club. It was charged that Gilmore, Weegh- man and Sinclair had entered into conspiracy with organized baseball, having for its purpose the dissolution of the Federal league.
 Organized baseball was charged with maintaining a monopoly of the base ball business in restraint of trade be- tween the different states. The Balti- more club Alleged it had been dam aged to the extent of $30C,000 on ac- count of the failure of the Federal league, and that under the provisions of the Sherman antitrust law it was entitled to three times this amount.