Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-06-11
tho Dca1. Of a Race Horse.

Thc Death Of q Race Horse.
Durirg three mile race last week at st.
Louis between General Buford's chestnut colt
McWhirtcr, D. Swigcrt's bay colt Mahlstlck'
Lyle & Sculy's bay gclding Joo Rhodes and
A. & G.. NJ. Simpsons chestnut colt Red bIutt,
McWhirtcr met With an accident of the most
unusual character. 1t is described as follows
| in the St. Louis Times of the 9th inst -.
When McW birtcr and Mahlstlck camc down
the quarter stretch to complete tho second milo
it was neck and neck at steady, even ruu.
Sixty yards away from the string Nahstlek
without increasing speed suddenly appeared 10
| the lead. "N1cWhrtcr is giving down u clled
ou! some excited spectator. 1t was true
warning. One leg had failed him, but he kept
on gallantly, for the game blood was hot. Had
knox, the little colorcd Jockey, reined him 10
the life Of noble horse might have been spared
| and might have served in the stud Tor years.
| But suDpospg ho could have controlled the
excited animal, there stood 10 the way Unole
Abe's Instructions. to make the race from start
to flush, or in old Jno. Ilarpcr's expressive Ian
suagc from END to end
McWhirter kept Oh. 1t was virtually on
three legs. lie rounded the lower turn and
was we'll into the second quarter OF tho last
milo, there being Just percept!blo stacking OF
| the Gait when Joe Rhodes oyerhauled blm and
went BIZ. As tho horse passed him Now hlrter
sWcEyed, and then it was that kuox. the rldor
saws the other fore leg gavo down. From that
pciott the poor fellow plunged ahead and into the
! asst half mile, every jump tearing tendons,
| muscles, fish aud skin, and Knox tugglng at
| the rcins. When at last the headway sackenod
and the horse came to sudden halt, it was With
the bones Of both forelegs torn from the sock
cts of the ankle joints and protrudlng SIX inches
| through hide aud flesh and resting 10 the DIRT,
the hoof5 lying limp and useless before. The
| sudden halt sent the Jockey flying over the
horses head.
The scene and those that followed were, for
tunstey, located on the backstretoh, and the
little crowd Of forty or fifty who went there pal,
! italy concealed the sad spectacle from the leld
glasses in the grand stand. Had the accident
been flushed where it begsn-on the last quar-
ter-it would have spoiled the sport with many
| turf lover fer days to come. Many OF those
| VINO went over to The backstretch turned back
sick at heart after single glance.
Shoot him, for Gods sake J. was the
I prompt instruction OF thc.oWncr when ne learned
re full extent Of the misfortune.
As soon as the jockey got out Of the Glrt be
had stripped the horse OF pigskin and trapplngs
| and stood crying at the woeiul picture when
| the first Of the spectators reached tho place.
McWhirtcr stood thus pitched forward and
twotbirds Of his weight resting on tho pro-
trudnp bones for fifteen minutes, painting with
thc cycrton Of the race. The fire cleaned ln
i his cycs and the perspiration rolled down bis
! sidns As the little group of Mortified specta.
rors st1od about him lie looked around as II
srrnrised that no trainer hurried up with the
snnnec and !eankct. Alas for McWhirter
not opy was h., last raco run, but there was
no more use for a t.ralner. ;,
| The command to '..'hoot him" came perhaps
fifteen minutes after tbe accident, lor tho news
of the condition Of McWh.r rter traVeIleo slowly
back across tho wide field, n>'body at trSt car,
| ipg to tell what had happened TO Old GcneraI
| BurJrj, the owner. When the ct1mmand oia
come the hall dozen policemen look >'d al eaon
other with no pleasant anticipation OF 'uco
task.
| Officer kecblc, Of the Fifth district, MN
experienced 10 horse matters, undertook It. l1e
took his stand on the left side OF McN hirter
aud, using Cots navy, fired at close range.
The bail struck square about midway between
the eve and the base Of the ear, and from the
hole the streaming blood aushed .orth: At the
|r,pcrt the horse threw himself back on bis
launches and struck cut with his .nanglcd lore
legs, but dropped down again into tho same
steady position and stood there. Lhree times
the officer lcvcllcd bis weapon and fired. Zach
time the bullet entered the brain and the s4ood
pushed cut. At the third shot Now htfter
hobblcd across the track and stood by the fenec.
| Il seemed as if he would never fall. AS nc
naptcd the blood would squirt out upon the
fence ADD run from his mouth and nose 10 grea
clots. Finally the officer stepped directly II
lircnt cl the now falling horse, and putting tne
muzzle OF the pistol ALMOST to the forehead
, fired, the ball entering right between the eyes
The horse dropped then, but 1t was not tlii ionl
after he had been dragged into the southcas
corner Ct the grounds. underneath the shade
a great oak, that life finally went out.
Jockcvs and trainers gathered about hin
, uitb The most marked manifestations OF sorrow
The mapc, which had been braided and tlct
with the Buiord colors, red and white, wa
shcarrd eff and carried away as kccpsakcs.
II vas declared at first that the bones OF tht
l. forrlcps had been broken. 10 any one acqualnt
Cd with the anatomy OF raco horses thl
seemed impos.ible, and it proved not to haV
hocn tho case. ut the conclusion OF the races
\, and while the grave was being dug, Genera
Mitchell and other we'll known horsemen mad
an examination. In one sense, perhaps, both
McWhjrtcr's legs were broken; but it was DO
hone fracture. 1cndons and muscles Wer
%. torn anart aud he bones disjointed. The acc
dent was what is known among horsemen 6
"breaking down.' 1t happens occasionally o
= race tracks, hut probably there was never sec
so aggravated case as this. The "broakln
down" OF one leg occurred just before compile
Jog the second mile, and the other geaVo WI wa
when Joe Rhodes slipped past Alter th'
? McWhirtcr ran on the 6tumps Tor 1urlon
q eripplpg himself to the death, -.
McCuyc, ouc Of the standard authorities d
s.r;hes the accident as loows:-
MD.aAl.;nn dhun-Hhis accident means