GUIDE TO THE PAPERS of the FEDERAL LEAGUE SUIT National Baseball Hall of Fame Library National Baseball Hall of Fame 25 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326 www.baseballhall.org This guide to the collection was prepared by Claudette Scrafford in January 2010 and reviewed by James Gates in February 2010. Collection Number: BA MSS 85 BL-39.2010 Title: Federal League Suit Inclusive Dates: 1914 - 1945 Extent: 4 linear feet (9 archival boxes) Repository: National Baseball Hall of Fame Library National Baseball Hall of Fame 25 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326 Abstract: This is a collection of correspondence, agreements, court transcripts, affidavits and newspaper clippings relating to the Federal League Suit. Acquisition Information: This collection was donated by the Commissioner’s Office in March 2009. Preferred Citation: Federal League Suit, BA MSS 85, National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, NY. Access Restrictions: By appointment only. Available Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm. Copyright: Property rights reside with the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the library. Processing Information: This collection was processed by Claudette Burke in January 2010 and reviewed by James Gates in February 2010. Provenance was maintained. History: In February 1913, executive John Powers announced the formation of a new independent baseball league in the Midwest. The new league vowed to respect the National Agreement and said it would find players among “free agents, semi-pros and unsigned youngsters.” A second meeting in Indianapolis on March 8th unveiled a revised list of franchises and a new name: The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs. Initially, Organized Baseball adopted a policy to ignore the new independent circuit which was operating outside of the National Agreement. The Sporting News predicted the Federal League would quickly disappear like most of its predecessors. But before the end of the 1913 season, the outlaw Federal League would prove itself and a potential baseball war loomed on the horizon. On January 5, 1915, the Federal League of Base Ball Clubs filed an antitrust lawsuit against Organized Baseball in the United States District Court of Northern Illinois. The Feds charged Organized Baseball with being a combination, a conspiracy, and a monopoly, in contradiction of the Sherman antitrust law. They named as defendants the sixteen presidents in the organized major leagues and the three members of the National Commission. The Federal League asked the court to declare the National Agreement, under which Organized Baseball operated, to be illegal and declare all contracts “null and void and of no effect.” In an addendum to the Federal League’s eleven-point complaint, the league maintained it should share in the major league’s World’s Series to determine the eventual champion. Source: Robert Peyton Wiggins. “The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs: the history of an Outlaw Major League, 1914-1915” Scope and Content This collection is primarily comprised of correspondence between the members of the National Commission, their attorneys and baseball club presidents. Correspondence subjects range from attorney fees, affidavits, player contracts and court proceeding preparations. Also included are the National Agreement with revisions, Cincinnati Peace Agreement and Major-Minor League Agreement. Court transcripts of 1919 of opening statements, direct and cross-examinations, Court of Appeals transcripts, individual affidavits of 1915. This collection is organized as one series by subject matter and chronologically. Provenance was maintained. Items of interest are highlighted in the content list. Controlled Access Terms These records are indexed under the following terms in the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Library catalog. Researchers wishing to find related materials may wish to search under these terms. Corporate Names National League American League American Association Federal League National Commission Cincinnati Exhibition Company Pittsburgh Athletic Company Baltimore Federal League Club Baltimore Club of International League Newark Federal League Fidelity & Deposit Company United States Supreme Court District Court of Appeals Personal Names Tener, John, 1863 - 1946 Heydler, John, 1869 - 1956 Herrmann, August, 1859 - 1931 Toole, John C. Barrow, Ed, 1868 - 1953 Dreyfuss, Barney, 1865 - 1932 Landis, Kenesaw Mountain, 1866 - 1944 Ward, Robert Killifer, Bill, 1887 - 1960 Gilmore, James A. Pepper, George, 1867 - 1961 Minor, Benjamin Sinclair, Harry F. Case, Harold H. Johnson, George H., 1886 - 1922 Croon, Hermann Weeghman, Charles Subject Headings Agreements Cincinnati Peace Agreement National Agreement Major League Agreement Collective labor agreements Major-Minor League Agreement Correspondence Telegrams Finances Invoices Lawsuits Affidavit Transcripts Newspaper clippings Law, (documents) Sherman Antitrust Law Content List Box 1 Folder 1 Attorney correspondence, 1915 Folder 2 Attorney correspondence, 1916 – 1917 - Feb 9, 1916 Proceedings before Landis to dismiss suit Folder 3 Attorney correspondence, 1914 - Kinkead & Galvin Folder 4 Attorney correspondence, Jan 1915 - Kinkead & Galvin Folder 5 Attorney correspondence, Feb – Nov 1915 - Kinkead & Galvin Folder 6 Attorney correspondence, 1916 – 1917 - Kinkead & Galvin Box 2 Folder 1 Correspondence, National Commission, 1913 Folder 2 Correspondence, National Commission, Jan – Mar 1914 Folder 3 Correspondence, National Commission, Apr – Sept 1914 Folder 4 Correspondence, National Commission, Oct – Dec 1914 Folder 5 Correspondence, National Commission, 1915 Folder 6 Correspondence, National Commission, Jan – Apr 1916 Box 3 Folder 1 Correspondence, 1913 – 1915 - re: Federal League, player contracts - Apr 13, 1914 – Arthur Soden, reserve rule Folder 2 Correspondence, 1914 - Killifer case, re: reserve clause - Attorneys’ invoices Folder 3 Correspondence, 1914 - Financial situation of - Baltimore Club of International League - American Association Folder 4 Correspondence, to and from - John Tener, 1916 – 1918 - John Heydler, 1918 – 1919 Folder 5 Correspondence, Peace agreement -Attorney John C. Toule, 1913-1914; 1916-1918 Folder 6 Correspondence, Dec 1915 – Mar 1916 - National Commission, International League - National League - Dec 31, 1915 – Barrow resigns from Special Committee - Feb 3, 1916 – Signed agreement-NL borrow $35,000.00 Folder 7 Correspondence, Dec 1915 – Jul 1916 - Consolidating Chicago Nationals & Federals - Dec 22, 1915 Agreement to consolidate - Jan 14, 1916 NL financial condition Folder 8 Correspondence, 1916 – 1917 - Newark Federal League park lease - Brooklyn lease - Peace agreement Folder 9 Obligations to Federal League, Feb 26, 1917 - Brooklyn, Newark, Pittsburgh Folder 10 Correspondence, Jul 30 – Aug 3, 1917 - Arrangements for a meeting with Federal League Folder 11 Correspondence, Jul 1917 – Mar 1918 - Attorney Pepper’s fees Folder 12 Correspondence, Mar 1917 – Jan 1918 - Attorneys Toole, Sinclair, Pepper Folder 13 Correspondence, Nov 1917 – Jan 1918 - Beirne Kinney v Newark Federal League Club - Attorneys Murphy & Fultz Folder 14 Correspondence, Jan – Mar 1918 - Night game corporation, George F. Cahill - Brooklyn Federal League grounds Folder 15 Correspondence, 1916 – 1917 - Pittsburgh Federals settlement - NL authority to borrow $35000.00 Folder 16 Correspondence - Jun 1917 - Philadelphia trial - May – Jun 1919 – Attorney Hindman Suit v. Pittsburgh Trust Co. - Fees due Folder 17 Correspondence, Dec 1915 – Feb 1922 - Brooklyn Federals - Feb 25, 1918 – letter detailing settlement Box 4 Folder 1 Correspondence, Jul 1917 – Apr 1918 - Washington trial, Attorney George Pepper - prep notes, information Folder 2 Correspondence, Jan – Apr 1919 - Washington Trial, George Pepper, attorney Folder 3 Correspondence, Jul 1917 – Mar 1919 - Washington trial Folder 4 Confidential minutes, Dec 17, 1915 - Federal League meeting Folder 5 Correspondence, Mar – May 1919, Nov – Dec 1919 - Washington trial Folder 6 Correspondence, Jan – Sept 1920 - Washington trial, George Pepper, attorney Folder 7 Correspondence, 1915 - Fees, attorney Pepper Folder 8 Correspondence, 1916 – 1917 - Fees, attorney Pepper Folder 9 Correspondence, May – Jun 1918, Apr – Jul 1919, Jun – Sept 1921 - Attorney fees – Pepper, Clement, Minor Folder 10 Correspondence, Jan 1925 - Heydler, Pres., NL - Barney Dreyfuss, Pres., Pittsburgh Athletic Co - re: debt to Robert Ward estate Folder 11 Correspondence, Mar – Apr 1922, Oct 1922 - Appeal of Baltimore Federal League Club Folder 12 Cost of Federal League war, 1916 – 1923 Proposed remarks for Joint Meeting, Dec 1923 Folder 13 Attorney bills & trial expenses, 1917 – 1923 Box 5 Folder 1 Correspondence, Sept 1920 – Jan 1921 - Washington trial, appeal - Copies of decision Folder 2 Baltimore Federals appeal to U.S. Supreme Court - Apr – Jun 1922, Oct – Dec 1922 - Invoices, newspaper clippings Folder 3 Correspondence, 1919 – 1925 - Fidelity & Deposit Co. of Maryland - Renewal premium on bond Folder 4 New York Times index of Federal League was - 1914 – 1915 Folder 5 August Herrmann outline of testimony, no date Correspondence, Dec 1914 – Jan 1915 Watkins’ affidavit Criticism of “Bill of Complaint” filed by Federal League Folder 6 Cincinnati Exhibition Co. v George H. Johnson - Appellate Court, brief & argument, Mar 1914 - Superior Court, opinion & decision, Jun 3, 1914 Hermann Croon v Charles Weeghman - Bill of Complaint, Apr 1914 American League v Harold H. Case - Plaintiff’s