The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-15 00:00:00

PEDESTRIANISM".

THE MATCH TO LEAP 500 HURDLES.—The trial of
activity, speed, and strength, between J. Sullivan and
J. Thomas. wherein they agreed to leap 500 hurdles,
three feet six inches high, and each hurdle twenty yards
distant from the preceding one, for 25 sovs. aside, was
decided on Tuesday, at the enclosure of the Rosemary
Branch, Peckham, in presence of many hundred spec-
tators. At a few minutes after four, the hurdles, 25 in
number, being duly placed in a circuit of 500 yards,
which, of course, had to be two hundred times tra-
versed, the competitors appeared in racing gear. Per-
sons unacquainted with gymnastic exercises can form
but an imperfect estimate of the amount of muscular
energy necessary to such a long and repeated call on the
physical power and stamina of the performers as that
which we now record. The distance to be run is 5,000
yards, three miles within 280 yards, the length being
made up by the distance added in the rise and fall of the
leaps, to say nothing of the tremendous tax on bodily
endurance called for in the oft-recurring efforts. On
going off, Sullivan led for a round or two, Thomas
seeming to wait on his opponent. Towards the half of
their task, Thomas passed his competitor, and went a
trifle ahead, both men jumping the hurdles with perse-
verance and vigour. About the 400th Sullivan seemed
to tire, and Thomas was still further in front—say ten
or twelve hurdles. Sullivan rallied, however, and after
a gallant struggle, Thomas went in a winner by three
hurdles, amid general cheering.
THREE MILE RACE FOR A TIME•PIECE, VALUE 5/.
Six well-known runners started fur this prise, namely,
Bull, Bond, Johnson, Cook, Adkins, and Perkins. The
race was well contested, the handicap being thus ar-
sanged:—Bull and Bond from the starting place, Cook
and Johnson twenty yards in advance, Adkins and Per-
kins 100 yards start. The first round Perkins led,
Adkins, Johnson, and the other pair nearly together
thus early. At the second turn Perkins was in the
same position. In the third, Perkins having been passed,
run off the course, and Adkins soon after followed suit.
Bull now led, Johnson, Cook, and Bond, in close at-
tendance. At the fifth round Bull was ten yards in
front, Cook close to Johnson, but still second, and here-
abouts Bond also fell out of the contest. Cook per-
severed and Johnson persevered, and a game struggle
ended by Bull winning by four yards, Cook second, and
Johnson, who gave up a hundred yards from home, forty
yards behind.

BIRMINGHAM, WEDNESDAY.—WOMBRELL'S ELE-
lANTtsse.—nwoiltuthsliystusattated by persons who have just come
downui from. Coviennsturry:dt,hiaft
nMotr .
killed,l o m
by
ye I
onel's son f hasth e been
portion of the collection now in the
pabhoasvnte city. It appears that tenenagerie left Birming-
ham on Sunday last, and reachedCcorentry in the course
toa some cause the
of the day, for the annual fair
Mr.til hwi amss Owingedlifuntihsedc e and
keeper of the elephant
Womb-
well, jun., took upon
About mid-day he went to feed him, when, beineganoinaltaoli
1
temper, it is supposed in consequence of a short delay in
feeding him, he became furious, and ran his tusks into
1 several parts of Mr. Wombwell's body, after which he
beat him dreadfully with his trunk. Assistance was im-
mediately rendered, and he was removed from the cara-
van apparently in a lifeless state, and his death has been
reported.
PERSECUTION OF TRADES' UNIONISTS.—A public
meeting of the trades of London was held at the National
Hail, Holborn, on Wednesday evening, for the purpose
of taking into consideration the cases of Messrs. Drury,
Marsden, Bullass, and Hall, the four razor-grinders in-
carcerated in York Castle at the instance of the
Sheffield Manufacturers' Protection Society, and to adopt
such measures as might appear best calculated to assist
in enabling them to obtain that justice allowed by the
laws of the country, and that might tend to restore
them to society. Mr. Alexander took the chair,
and explained the object of the meeting. Ho
said " the defence of the above men had al-
ready cost the Trades Union a thousand pounds, but
to preserve them from the tyrannical proceeding to which
they had been subjected, he had no doubt they would
still extend their aid to those badly-used men." Resolu-
tions is favour of the objects of the meeting were
proposed and !token to by Messrs. Lancaster,
Roberts, Edwaras, Wood, Clark, Wilson, and Peel,
who all strongly recommended the necessity of sub-
scribing on behalf of the men incarcerated. A vote of
thanks having been passed to the chairman, the meeting,
which was numerously attended, separated.
Haymaking has commenced near Stamford, in the
meadows where the cutting is usually early. The crops
generally are pretty good, though some of them, in low,
situations, were injured by the floods last week. Mr. F.
Wildbore, of the Stamford Hotel, has carrieel and stacked
a crop from a close in Sr. Martin's, near the railway.
The hay harvest will be pretty general next week.
Everywhere, seemingly, the produce will be large,—
Stamford Mercury.