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Show DEFUNCT FE05 DROP ACTION AGAINST 0. B. Hearing Comes to Abrupt End; Baltfeds Say They Are Satisfied. PHILADELPHIA, June 15. The Baltimore Balti-more club of the defunct Federal league today withdrew its anti-trust damage suit against organized baseball. This ia the second time within two years that a legal action brought in a United States court involving the question of whether organized organ-ized baseball, as operated under the national na-tional agreement, is a trust has been withdrawn before a decision had been given. The first suit was brought In the federal fed-eral court in Chicago in January, 1015, and was withdrawn when the American and National leagues signed a peace agreement with representatives of tiie Federal league in December of the same year. The action of the Baltimore club in dropping the suit today was taken, counsel coun-sel said, because it was convinced that the "representatives of organized baseball" had not entered into a conspiracy to destroy de-stroy the business of the Baltimore club. The members of the national baseball commission and attorneys for the defendants defend-ants said they were not surprised at the action of the Baltimore club.. The court was informed that there had been no settlement set-tlement out of court or suggestion of one. Presidents Johnson of the American league and Tener of the National and Chairman -Herrmann of the national commission com-mission expressed their gratification at the outcome of the case- All said they knew nothing of the intention of the Baltimore club to drop the suit until they entered the courtroom today. "It's a vindication for organized baseball," base-ball," said President Tener. The suit was instituted In March, 1316. The Baltimore club charged that the peace agreement between organized baseball and representatives of the Federal league, entered into in December, 1915, ignored the interests of the Baltimore club and resulted In wrecking its business to the extent of $300,000, for which it asked triple damages under the anti-trust acts. It was alleged that organized baseball as at present constituted was monopolistic in operations. |