Show As A's President Taken by Death PHILADELPHIA Feb 17 IT UP Thomas S. S ruler of the Philadelphia Athletics died last night of complicated complicated complicated f. f aliments ailments The veteran organizer organizer or or- Jj and technical technical tech tech- t ill expert exper in the sporting e equipment equipment equip equip- qui 72 ment business iff I Iwas was 70 years old oId I i Two per persons persona son 8 0 i Af prom prominently I nen tl y Jd Identified Iden Iden-i entitled en- en titled with the 4 i meteoric rise and fall of the once U i powerful As A's were rl I men mentioned ti 0 n e d as rJ probable r 1 A successors T The They h e y It we were r e Con Connie n I e t Mack year old manager and guiding genius and John B. B brother of the late president and vice president of the organization Mack was the more likely choice He is reported to own a a. controlling interest in m the club The Athletics' Athletics president who was likewise a a. partner in the baseball manufacturing firm of A. A J. J Reach Wright 8 Ditson Inc had been ailIng ailIng alling ail ail- Ing for tor 10 years In December he was afflicted with an unduly severe cold which aggravated his general condition and is fa believed to have hastened his death was born in Philadelphia January 13 1866 He played amateur amateur amateur ama ama- baseball until he was 25 and often donned the Athletics' Athletics uniform in later years to work out with his men during training He joined with his father Benjamin Benja Benja- min F. F and Mack in buying the franchise of the club He was made vice president while Mack was given free reign as manager Upon his fathers father's death in 1922 he became president and his brother vice president |