Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-12

McWHIRTER.
Ho,0 the Celebrated Race Horse Ended HIS
(nreer

NOVEMBER.
Ho,D the Celebrated Race Horse Ended Hts
Career.
ISt. Louis Republican,
The saddest and most heart-rending scene
ever witnessed on any race-track in the world
happened above referred to in the three
mile dash yesterday. when McWhirter's fore
legs broke down on the back stretch while the
third mile was being run. McWhirter Mahl-
stick, Red Bluff and Joe Rodes were the
starters IN the race, the former too soon taking
the lead and keeping e-en neck and neck until
the three-quartar mile pole had been passed in
the second mile. About midway between the
three-qusrter-mile and eighth-mile posts Nc
Whittier stumbled. Old horsemen standing
near that part of the track knew Immediately
that the horses career on the race-course was
ended forever, for it was only too evident that
his foreleg had broken down. Mr.. Geo. Cad
wallader shouted to the driver to stop the horse,
but with persistence unexplainable he kept
ahead pushing McWhirter to his utmost speed,
as was perfectly evident to all. By the time
the first quarter in the third mile had been
reached McWhirter had dropped behind Mahl-
stick length and a half. and wien just enter
ing on the back stretch he
STUMBLED AGAIN,
and before the half-mile post was reached Joe
Rodes had passed him and Red Bluff was pretty
close behind. just about at the second turn
Red BluH was seen to pass McWhirter and at
the same time ran against him throwing him
down and sending he Jockey into the dirt. A
little farther on Red Bluff stumbled and fell
down. As soon as mahlstick and Joe Rodes
ha 1891 ha md o5o cfo
made for that part of the track where McWhir-
ter fell. most sickening 81 !ht met the eyes
of the crowd as it gathered around McWhirter
who by this time was on his legs again, hut
only on two feet The poor horse was hobbling
around on the stumps of his foreiegs, the linn BIS
having become unjointed at the pastern Joint;
and the hoofs were hanging loose, joined to the
leg by only a small portion of the skin. The
jockey, Link, stood near the head of his horse,
crying and saying that "they must not blame
him for it; he didn't know the horses legs were
that way" It was decided Immediately that
the horse must be shot, and Offer Keeble
of the Fifth district was detailed 10
do the unpleasant job. When the officer
pulled out his revolver and placed its muzzle
against McWhirter's head the poor dumb brute
did not even wink; and when the shot was f red
he only jumped a little with his fore legs, and
the second shot did not affect him much more.
Neither of these shots was placed where it
the left eye, evidently more painful than
the first shots, and made the horse jump, and
he finally started across the track, hobhling on
the bare bones of his fore-legs. It was then
that the spectators turned away sickened from
THE HORRIBLE SIGHT
and quite number cried out to the officer ''to
end his miserable job without any more blum
dering;' and he did, shooting the racer for the
fourth time in the forehead. The horse reared
hrv,I %l>~,, ell
dead by any means. He laid ON the ground
kicking for several minutes, and when hauled
away few moments afterwards still alive.
AS soon as he was down, number of jockeys
and stable boys gathered around with pocket
knives in their hands and began to cut off little
punches of his name and tail for mementoes,
but the officer did not allow them to make very
many hauls of the long chestnut hair. The
celebrated racer rests under an elm tree in the
southeast corner of the grounds, near the track
where, in after years, they said, he could hear
other racers speeding over the track which was
his death bed.
From all that can be learned of the unfo,-
tunate affair, it seems that McWhirter's right
foreleg broke down when be stumbled the first
time, and the other leg when he stumbled the
second time. He ran nearly quarter of a
mile after the second leg broke down before
the bones broke through the skin, and then he
ran about quarter on the bare bones before
Red Bluff ran against MIN. Such a spirit Of
gameness ccul: only be exhibited by thorough
bred horse, and not many of them would dc
the same thing.
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
Some lime last fall one Of McWhirters fore
legs became weakened in some of the fal
| races, ard since that time everything possible
has been done to give strength to the aft, ctec
limb, and it is thought by too much attention
HOW frf ho< 1arvf ha h.
other limb was not noticed. Although the colt
did not exhibit any signs of lameness, it was
known to those familiar with him that his
career on the race course would necessarily b,
very short. During the three days and night!
previous to the race, Abe Perry, McWhirter's
| trainer was continually bathing his legs, botf
day and night, and it was very much feared
that he would not be able to make the race. L
he had held out during the race it would have
been his last one anyhow. for Gen. Buford hat
determined to take him off the track.
WRITERS RECORD.
McWhirter was very pretty chestnut, grace
fully built, we'll proportioned and his only
fault. probably, lack of strength anc
large bones. He was nearly 16 hands high ane
| worth about So, 900. He was not insured. II
the Clark stakes at Louisville last fall he mad,
two miles in 9301s, and he has beaten Solicito
| in 1884. He also ran in the Cincinnati DERBY
and made mile and one-half in 2:4OH.
Abe Perry, Gen. Buford's trainer, feels til,
loss very much, as he was strongly attached tt
the pretty chestnut colt from having beer
with him SO long and given him so much at
tention. After the accident yesterday Perry
sat around the stables, looking as though b,
had lost his best friend. and in conversation b,
said he thought more of McWhirter than he dit
of any person living. Gen. Buford, too, was
very much affected by the loss, and it is Ger
tainly very sad affair to all.