The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-06-26
McWHIRTER'S WOE.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF HIS CRUEL
RACE TO DEATH.

The St. Louis Times has the fol
lowing narrowing description Of the
death of the mighty race horse
McWhirter:
"When McWhirter ard Mahlstick
came down the quarter stretch to
complete the Second mile, it was
neck and neck at steady even run.
Sixty yards away from the string
Mahlstick, without increasing speed,
suddenly appeared in the lead.
"McWhirter is giving down." cried
out some excited spectator. 1t was
4 true warning. One leg had failed
him, but he kept on CALAMITY, for
the game blood was hot. Had
Knox, the little colored jockey,
refined him in, the life Of a noble
horse might have been spared, and
might have served in the stud for
ye RS. But supposing be could have
controlled the excited animal, there
stood in the way Uncle Abe's IN
structions, to make the race from
start to finish, or in old John Harp
er's expressive language, from "end
to end"
McwHIRTER KEPT ON;
it was virtually OH three legs. He
rounded the lower turn and was we'll
into the second quarter Of the last
mile, there being just a perciptible
slackcning Of the gait, when Joe
Rhodes overhauled him and went
Ivy. AS the horse passed him Nc
Whittier swerved, and then it was
that Knox, the rider, says the other
fore leg gave down. From that
point the poor fellow plunged ahead
and into the last half mile, every
jump tearing tendons, muscles,
flesh and skin, and Knox tugging a,
the reins. When at last the head
way slarkened and the horse came
to a sudden halt, it was will. the
bones of both fore legs
TORN FROM THE SOCKETS
of the ankle yoint and protruding six
inches through hide and flesh and
resting in the dirt, the honfs ing
limp and useless before. The sui.
den halt sent the jockey flying over
the horses head.
That scene and those that. fol
! lowed were fortunately located on
the back stretch, and the little
crowd of forty or fifty who went
partially concealed the sad spectacle
from the field-glasses in the gran.
stand. Had the accident been fin
ished where it began, on the las,
quarter, it would have spoiled the
sport with many a turf lover fol
days to come. Many of those whit
= went over to the back stretch turned
back sick at heart after a single
glance.
, s'SH0OT HIM, III
! for Gods sake,' was the prompt in
, struction Of the owner when h,
learned the full extent of thu
j.. misfortune.
D AS soon as the jockey got out o
f the dirt he had stripped the horse o
pig-skin and trappings, and stoot
crying at the woeful picture whel
, the first of the spectators reache,
| the place. McWhirter stood thu
pitched forward and two-thirds o
}. his weight resting on the protrudin'
). bones fifteen minutes, painting witt
the exertion of the race. The fir
d cleaned in his eyes and the perspi
ration rolled down his sides. A
Q the little group of Mortified specta
r tors stood about him he locke
3 around as If surprised that no train
Q er hurried up with sponge and blan
, ket Alas! for McWhirter, not onl
n was his last race run, but there wa
- no more use for q trainer.
The command to "shoot him
e came perhaps fifteen minutes afte
4 the accident, for the news of til
j, condition of McWhirter travele
> slowly back across the wide fiel'
ri nobody at first caring to tell wins
u had happened to old General Bufor'
), the owner. When the command di
, come the half dozen policeme
# looked at each other with no plea
ant anticipation of the task.
OFFICER KEEBLE,
;. of the Fifth District-a man exper
; enced in horse atters-undertoc
y it. He took his stand on the le
~ side Of McWhirter, and using
. Colts navy, fred at close rang
;, The ball struck square about mi
way between the eye and the base