The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-11-25

players owned by two major league clubs found guilty of violating base- ball law.
 He settled the 1914 feud between organized baseball and the federal league, but engaged zealously in bitter feuds of his own, and while his interpretation of justice" was sometimes under fire, he never backed down.
 Landis was born in Milleville, O., Nov. 20, 1866. His father, Dr. Abra- ham Landis, was wounded in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain during the Civil War and when his next son was born, named him Kenesaw Mountain.
 h At Logansport, Ind, Landis aban- doned high school to become 8 grocery clerk while he studied short hand, and soon moved to Crown Point, Ind, as court reporter There, the law got into his blood; he served a term as assistant Sec- retary of state, then attended col lege in Cincinnati and Union College of Law in Chicago from which he was graduated in 1891.
 Except for two years when he served as secretary to Walter Q. Gresham, secretary of state, LandiS practiced law in Chicago until the late Theodore Roosevelt appointed him to federal court bench in 1905. Until 1920, his name was before the public as central figure in one major trial after another.
 During the World War, the judge attempted to enter active service but was rejected because of his age. He was intensely proud of his son, Maj. Reed Landis, one o1 Americas aces in 1918, and wal veterans always received his sym pathy when they came into his court; often, he had tears in his eyes as he passed sentence on them.
 Once, following an IWW trial Landis escaped death when a bomb was hurled into the Federal build- ing, killing several persons. He also received threats during the Blackhand trials of 1911.
 A federal judge for IS years Landis signed a contract in Nov 1920 as high commissioner of base ball at an annual salary of $42, 800 voluntarily subtracting his salary of $7,500 as federal judge from the $50,000 he was offered. The office was created when the Ameri- can and National leagues were split widely on policy and baseball faced loss of public confidence following the Black Sox scandal" which rocked the gamei n 1920. He restored the confidence by barring forever from baseball the eight players found guilty, and went on to rule the sport with an iror hand for 24 years. In 1924, a feuc developed between Landis and the late Ban Johnson, then president of the American league, who pro- posed another general cleanup oi baseball including the elimination of the high commissioner as czal of the game, but the fiery, white. matched judge won out. Unyielding and resolute, Landis won all arguments until 1886, wher he met his first setback as the minor leagues rejected his proposa, that all clubs submit to him full information on any players recom- mended by major or minor league clubs.
 It was a mild uprising compared to 1899 and 1940 setbacks, following | nvNGic' vTyIn n1nco1n afVN n| 100 players from the St. Louis Car dinals organization and 91 from the Detroit Tigers for coverups and illegal manipulations of players, and the czar's subsequent issuance of a seven-point edict regarding work ing agreements and transfers. The edict created a storm, and the minor leagues appealed for years respite which LandiS finally was forced into accepting, comprom- ise and a temporary truce in his fight against illegal operations in chain store baseball.
 Both major and minor leagues re- jected is proposal that all clubs submit to him full information on any players recommended by major ard minor clubs.
 His emancipation proclamation needed the uprising again in 1889 when he lashed out at chain store baseball. Because of "cover up" deals he freed nearly 100 players from the St. Louis Cardinals chain and 94 from farm teams of the Detroit Tigers.
 Then, in 1940, when he laid down 8 seven-point edict covering work ing agreements and transfers of players, there arose such storm of protest that Landis was forced to compromise for the first time.
 Landis often worked at his job seven days a week until he was seized by pneumonia in 1941. After that, his health forced him to stick to a more conservative working week.
 No funeral service will be held.
 ''In compliance with his wish, no funeral service will be held," his secretary, Leslie O'Connor, said in g statement issued immediately after his death.
 aAlso in accordance with his le- sires, cremation vii ltake place pri- vateIy and friends are asked not to send flowers"