Clipping:Lucas's attempts to sell the St. Louis NL club
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| Date | Thursday, August 12, 1886 |
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| Text | The Washington dispatch in reference to the base ball situation published in the Post-Dispatch of last Thursday seems to have hit the nail on the head so far as the “big guns” of the League using the Washington management as a mouthpiece is concerned. The rumored deal of Lucas with that management offering to sells his players for $8,000 must have been very nearly consummated, for on that day, Tuesday, Manager Von der Ahe received a telegram from Mike Scanlon, then at Washington, asking whether the St. Louis Browns would enter the League in case the League would demand no bonus. Mr. Von der Ahe, so he says, replied “no” to the message. The evidently hasty manner in which the questions was asked was proof that, had Mr. Von der Ahe replied “yes,” Mr. Lucas would have been bought out. This shows conclusively that the rumored deal with Pittsburg had not been adjusted at that time and that the League could not fill the vacancy caused by the withdrawal of St. Louis. While Mr. Lucas was dickering with Washington he had other schemes on foot by which he hoped to sell out at a better advantage than the trade with Washington would give, and on Sunday night he communicated with Manager Schmelz, who was then at Washington. He told Schmelz that he had received a ltter from Erastus Wiman, the Metropolitan millionaire, asking him upon what terms the Lucas team and the League franchise at St. Louis could be purchased. With this in mind, he instructed Schmelz to go on to New York immediately and offer Mr. Wiman the franchise and all the players under contract for the sum of $22,000 to be paid in cash. Should Mr. Wiman agree to the proposition Schmelz was to make the sale on the spot with the stipulation that Wiman was to take the franchise on the risk of the deal being refused acceptance by the League managers. Schmelz followed Lucas’ orders and left for New York on Monday evening. A private message filed to reach him at Washington on Tuesday. These transactions on Mr. Lucas’ part were made, of course, without the knowledge of the other League managers and explain fully the refusal of Mr. Lucas on Saturday to entertain a proposition sent by telegraph from Spalding of Chicago who wired him asking at what price he would dispose of Glasscock, Denny and Meyers. Mr. Lucas, through his manager, is now endeavoring to sell his club and franchise to the best advantage, and will, no doubt, hol on in playing form until some such arrangement can be perfected. St. Louis Post-Dispatch August 12, 1886 This afternoon there was filed in the Recorder’s office a mortgage of all the properties of the St. Louis Athletic Association to L. A. Coquard, as follows.... St. Louis Post-Dispatch August 14, 1886 [Speculation follows that this is actually a move to ensure clear title for a transfer to Wiman. Espenschied states that it does not affect the operation of the club, but is security for a loan by Coquard to Lucas.] |
| Source | St. Louis Post-Dispatch |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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