Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-03
Griffith Faces
Another Suit
By Murphy

Continued From Page CT
deceit and trickery on the COM
munity and the stockholders,
thereby FORGETTING the good will
Of the community necessary to
the successful operation Of the
team"
Named as defendants are
Grifith, his sister, Thelma Grit
fifth Haynes, assistant treasurer;
Vice President Joe Haynes, and
Eugene Young. All are mem
bers Of the board Of directors.
Ossie Rluege, named to the
board last Friday. was not
named.
Alleged violation Of the
boards July Q resolution which
prohibited any ofiicer or d.
rector from negotiating or dis
cussinR a transfer Of the team
was cited
The court was asked to order
an accounting of all expendi-
lures made by the corporation
for the last three years. Grit
nth took office as president
nearly three years ago following
the death of his uncle, Clark
Grifith.
Rodenberg charged that
"Grifnth's conduct and his bad
faith manifested thereby caused
two valued and experienced
members Of the board of d.
rectors to remove themselves
from the board. all to the
damage Of the stockholders
similarly situated with the
plaintiff"
John E. Powell and Chris
Jacobsen resigned recently, fol-
lowing an carrier resignation by
Leo Dorsey. Powell stu is
the clubs attorney.
Rodenberg charged the con-
duct Of the defendants has
seriously diminished the cor
porate revenues and, unless en-
Joined, will result in insolvency
of the corporation"
Attendance Drop Cited
Grifhth's conduct, Rodenberg
cited, was responsible Tor a
drop in attendance this season
Immediately following disclo-
sure that he contemplated a
franchise shift. Griffith was
empowered by the board to
seek league permission to move
at the time of the All-Star
Game In Baltimore in July.
Rodenberg stated that 1858
attendance up to July 4 was
0,463 ahead of a comparative
period last year, but with the
advent of renewed concern
over the possible move of the
franchise attendance on
August Is was 81, 900 less than
during a comparable period in
1857, a drop Of over 10000 in
eight weeks" So.
The complaint alleges that
had Griffith and other defend
ants refrained from considering
a possible move during July
and August the increase of
60,463 in attendance would
have reflected an increase for
the entire season of approx
mately $4,000 persons, result
ing in additional revenue OF
approximately $l50,000 over the
revenue during 1857"
Prior to Calvin's promotion
to the presidency, Rodenberg
declared, the teams average
attendance for a l0-year period
was 100000. Under Grifhth's
management, he said, average
attendance has dropped to
444 900.
Salaries Increased
Rodenberg also charged that
at a time when Griffith publicly
stated that declining revenues
in Washington forced conSid-
Grafton of transferring the
! franchise, Griffith's salary was
raised from $4,000 to $4,000
and that Sherrard Robertson,
Grifith's brother who is farm
club director, was granted a
$4,000 pay raise.
The complaint cited that
Jacobsen served as treasurer
without salary, but that the
defendants voted to put Mrs.
Haynes on the payroll as as
sistant treasurer at $4,000 a
year.
Rodenberg charged tina
shifting the team to Minneap-
oils, requiring the acquisi-
ton of American Association
territory in Minneapolis and
st. Paul, would cost the cor
poration approximately 81
million" Ed Doherty, president
of the American Association,
recently said he would seek
100000 damages for invasion
of the Twin Cities area.
Rodenbeg. a towering ESQ
FOUNDER, is a graduate of Har-
ward Business School who now
is specializing in investments
and real estate. He was an
Army captain in World War II,
served with the OSS, was para
chuted into Burma and collab-
GRATED with the guerrilla forces
lof the Kachin tribe.