The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-06-13
GAME TO THE DEATH.
THE STRANGE ACCIDENT THAT
BEFEL Il RACE HORSE.

Eow McWhirtcr BI oke Down Running
on Bare ST, mps--A Narrowing Spec
tacle TeEacity Of Life.
During q three milo race last
week at St. Louis between General
Buford's chestnut colt N1cNVhirter,
D. Sw;gert's bay colt Mahlstick,
Lyle & Scully's bay gelding Joe
Rhodes and A. and G. M. Simpson S
chestnut colt Red Bluff, McWhirter
met with an accident of the most
unusual character. 1t is described
as follows III the st. Lonis ZTmcs:-
RIDDEN TO TIE DEATH.
When McWhirtcr and NIahlstick
came down the quarter stretch to
complete the second milo it was
neck and neck at steady, even run.
Sixty yards away from the string
Mahlstick without increasing speed
suddenly appeared in tho lead
"McWhirtcr is giving down !" cried
out somc excited spectator. It was
q timely warning. One leg had failed
him, but he kept on galiantly, for
the gamo-blood was hot. Had
Knox, the little colored jockey,
reinel him in the life Of noble
horse might have been spared and
might have served in the stud for
years. But supposing he could
have controlled the animal, there
stood in the way Uncle Abe's in
structionS, to make the race from
start to finish, or in old John Har-
pcr's expressive language, from
''cnd to end"
McWhirter kept on. It was vir-
t1,ally on three legs He rounded
the lower turn and was well into
the second quarter of the last mile,
there being just II pcrccptiblc
Stacking of tho gait, when Joe
Rhodes overhauled him and went
by. AS the horse passed him Nc
Whirter swcrvcd, and then it was
that Knox, the rider, says tho other
fore leg gave down. From that
point the poor fellow plunged ahead
and into tho last half mile, every
jump tearing tendons, muscles, flesh
and skin, and Knox tugging at the
reins. sWhen at last tho headway
slackencd and the horse camo to Il
sudden halt, it was with tho bones
Of both forelegs
TORN FROM THE SOCKETS
Of the ankle joints, and rrotruding
six inches through hide and flesh
and resting in tho dirt, tho hoofs
lying limp and useless before. The
sudden halt sent the jockey flying
over tho horso's head.
The scene and those that followed
were, fortunately, located on the
bnckstretch, and the little crowd of
forty or fifty who won't there par
TALLY concealed the SAL spectacle
from the field glasses in tho grand
stand. Had the accident been
finished where it began-on the
last quarter-it would have spoiled
the sport with many turf lover for
days to come. Many Of those who
went over to the baclzstrctch turned
back sick at heart after u single
glance.
"Shoot him, for Gods sake !" was
the prompt instruction of the owner
when he learned the full extent of
the misfortune.
AS soon as the jockey got out of
the dirt, he had stripped the horse
of pigslsin and trappings and stood
crying at the woeful picture when
the first of the spectators reached
tho place. McWhirtor stood thus
pitched forward and two thirds Of
his weight resting on the protruding
bones for fifteen minutes, painting
with the cxertion of the race. Tho
fire cleaned in his sides. AS tho
little group of Mortified spectators
stood about him he looked around
as if surprised that no trainer hur-
ried up with sponge and blanket.
Alas for McWhirter not only was
his last race run, but there was no
more use for trainer.
THE COMMAND TO "sHoor HIM.
came perhaps fifteen minutes after
the accident, for the news of the
condition of AIcWhirter travelled
slowly back across tho wide field,