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Show ROBE IRQIMD JOINS OUTLAW New York Club Claims Option on Giant Flinger Until 1917. New York, Dec. 4. "Rube"' Marquard, Mar-quard, one of the National league club's trio of leading pitchers, signed a contract today to pitch lor the Brooklyn Federal league club, according accord-ing (o an announcement made by President Robert B. Ward of the Brooklyn club this afternoon Mr Ward stated that Marquard had signed the Brooklyn Federal league contract In triplicate, in addition to makinp an affidavit that he was a free agent in a baseball sense and had received and receipted for an ad-ance ad-ance payment under his Federal league contract. Secretary John P. Foster of the New York National club when questioned ques-tioned regardirg Marquard's status an a free agent said that the pitcher was under contract to the New York Giants in a series of three interlocking interlock-ing contracts, which covered his playing play-ing services for 1915 and 1916. and gave the New York club an option on his services in 1917 Still another contract gave the New York club special spe-cial rights In regard to Marquard's playing services and was drawn up with the idea of covering any loop holes which might exist in the other contract. The secretary of the New York scouted the idea that Marquard could play for any other team than the New York Giants for the next two seasons and intimated that the case would be taken to court if the Giants southpaw endeavored to jump to the independent league. President David Fultz of the Base-hall Base-hall Players' Fraternity said tonight that the report of Marquard's slgn-li slgn-li f with tho Federals was hard to believe, but that if it were true Marquard Mar-quard undoubtedly would be expelled from the fraternity Fultz's statement follows. "Information has reached me that 'Rube' Marquard, In spite of the fact that he is under a binding contract with the New York National league-club league-club for the season of 1015, has signed with the Brooklyn Federal league club The report is hard to believe, as I feel that the Brooklyn P'-ople would not knowingly sign a player under these circumstances. "If Marquard has done this he will be expelled from the Baseball Players' Play-ers' Fraternity, as the directors will not countenance any such disregard o( their obligations by. its members " when Informed that the New York (dub management asserted that Marquard Mar-quard s name' was Bigned to a binding bind-ing contract io the New York Nationals Na-tionals lor L916 and 1916. with the icnda;. clau?e eliminated. Robert Ward, presidei.t of th' Brooklyn Federals, Fed-erals, said he could not tell whether he would be prepared to right tor Marquurd's services. "I must Bee the contract first." Ward said "I am convinced Mar-ouard Mar-ouard dealt with me in good faith In fact I cannot conceive of anyone makii an affidavit, as .Marquard did un'ess he was convinced that hr w.ts in the right He said that after a careful reading of his contract lie felt sure the only thinp; which bound him to the New York club was the reserve laU8C "Anyway, I can see no difference between this case and that oi Wll liam Bitter, a player whom we siened lant fall Three days later the Giants Signed him to a New York contract, taking advaniayf o: the technicality that he was a few days under age when he signed one of our contracts." |