Anything That Savors Of Trickery

Tony Mullane's case was on yesterday, as on Saturday, the leading topic wherever there exists any interest in base ball. What a general favorite he is with local patrons of the national game not even his most ardent admirers realized until the present complications arose. It may be that it is because he is such a pronounced favorite that the means which contributed to his prospective loss to St. Louis are so unanimously condemned, but the fact that they are vigorously denounced is none the less suggestive, as it shows conclusively that the public opinion is diametrically opposed to anything that savors of trickery or intrigue in base ball affairs, regardless of whether it crops out in managerial or playing circles. That Mullane of his own volition, and without being influenced, decided to break his contract with the Lucas Club, no one who knows the man will believe.

Space is given to a card from J.A. Williams, Secretary of the St. Louis Club, in which he gives an official statement of President Von der Ahe's connection with the case, and denied that the St. Louis Club had any knowledge of any pool for the purchase of Union Association players. The Globe-Democrat did not state that there was a pool, but stated that such was the general acceptance of the case. What the Globe-Democrat did state was that the defection was the result of a matured scheme arranged within the American Association, and this it is prepared to maintain. Several weeks ago information concerning the scheme was confidentially communicated to a representative of this paper by a gentleman who is very nearly if not quite as well informed in American Association affairs as Secretary Williams, and, while the name of the gentleman will not be made public, Mr. Williams can learn it at any time he so desires. The gentleman referred to made a small bet with the reporter that Mullane would play at Toledo, and also stated that Mullane's release would be granted just as soon as he would agree to sign with the Toledo Club, and emphasized his remarks with, "Now, I know what I am talking about." The results bear out the assertion that he did know what he was talking about.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 4, 1884

I'll have Jimmy Williams' side of all of this tomorrow.