Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-17
AN AQUATIC FIZZLE.
THE GREAT HANlAN-C0URINEY
RACE
Comes to an IngIOriOus Termination
Courtney's Boats MaliciOusly Cut in
Two-He Refuses to Row, and Han
Ian Goes Over the Course and
Claims the Stakes.


night.
MAYvILLE, n. Y, October l6.-The
great boat race has come to most In
glorious end. Late this morning the air
was filed with rumors that Courtney s
boats were stove. A visit to Courtney S
quarters disclosed the facts as re-
ported by Courtney's nephew and Burt
Brown, who had been with him as at
tendants. Last evening about 6 O'Clock
they left the boat house, locking it on the
shore side with a paddock and on the
river side simply closing it and driving
nail over the hook. Returning about
o'clock they found that the river door
had been forced, the nail broken and
The Boats Both Cut
with saw. The one made for the race
was cut two-thirds through, II feet 10
inches from the bow, and the working
boat cut entirely through, 6 feet 4 inches
from the stern. The two men kept the
matter secret from Courtney until this
morning. What will be done Is not yet
known. The referee officers and hackers
of the two men are now in consultation.
Who Did ItP
Many believe that Courtney and his
men are not in ignorance OF the persons
who ruined the boats.
Frenchy Johnson, it is said, was at
COurtney's quarters at o'clock this
morning and polished up the boats that
were cut, but knew nothingof the affair.
A large number of people came in this
morning from different sections. Ev-
erything is excitement. Blaikie, the
referee, Soule, who put up the
stakes, and James II. Brister,
his financial manager. None OF these
men will be interviewed until they
have consulted together with Hanlan s
friends. Hanlan is reported to be in
fine condition. Courtney Gains that
Johnson's boat is too light, and refused
one of Hanan's as being unsuited to it.
| CCurtney's hackers loudly declare that
he himself caused the boats to be cut.
Courtney, it is understood, asks ten to
twelve days postponement.
MAYvILLE, October l6.-The great
contest of the oars between Hanlan and
Courtney, that great aquatic event
which, for months past, has been the
one theme of conversation in sporting
circles, is now a thing OF the past. Han
Ian rowed over the course at D O'Clock at
the rate of 80 strokes to the minute.
The time was not fast. Trouble is an
ticipated over the prize.
Courtney is Strongly Condemned,
and should he make his appearance he
/ IL,
5000 people will have to remain here
over night. Courtney, owing to both
| his boats having been destroyed by
malicious or interested parties during
| the night, was out of the race, there
being no boat available that would suit
| him, so Hanlan rowed over the course
and claims the $4,000 purse. When it
became generally known that Courtney's
boats had been tampered with and rem
| dered useless, it was thought the race
would be postponed to a future date,
but referee Blake decided that the race
should take place at the time appointed,
hence the "walk over" for Hanlan.
| There was
Much Dissatisfaction!
at the referees decision and hundreds
left the lake by every train long before
the hour set for the race, everybody
except Hanlan's hackers and friends
giving vent freely to their dis
| gust and disappointment. A
meeting of the representatives
OF the press was called for o'clock, for
the purpose of ascertaining what fraud
| exists at the bottom of the tizzle. SOule
was present, and said that the $4,000
| would not be paid TO Hanlan un ess
Courtney rowed. The agreements show
| that there
Must be Race
before the prize can be paid. Sou'e says
| that this prize was offered expressly for
| the people TO see one honest race be-
tween the two men. The affair has been
branded by all newspaper men as a gi-
gantic fraud, Soule, the giver OF the
prize, has offered a reward OF 81 900 for
| the conviction of the parties who cut
| Courtney's boat. A committee has
been appointed of the representatives OF
| the press to call on Courtney and ascer-
tain, if possible, the object for which his
shell was cut.
The Race and Purse Awarded to Hanlan.
MAYvILLE, October l6.- AT nearly
O'Clock Blaikee, referee, accompanied
bv John David, of Windsor, Ont, judge
| for Hanlan, members of the press and
/ so on, called at Courtney's quarters.
Blaikee sent word to Courtney that he
| wished him to come out and row in
| Johnson's or one of Hanlan's boats, even
at the loss of the race. He abSo utely
refused to come, as did his backer and
| Judge. The boat then steamed to Han
lan's quarters. He was on the lake, all
rigged out and ready for the start, and
| at l6 minutes to o'clock, after clearing
the course, the word was given and
Hanlan started, amid cheers, rowing at
| the rate of 80 strokes to the minute.
| The stroke was only slightly varied
| throughout the whole course OF miles,
which was rowed in SO minutes and 56t
seconds. Blaikie requested Charles NJ.
| Calvin, of the Ne,r York Clipper, to act as
| Judge for Courtney, which he assented
| TO, and at the close OF the race declared
| Hanlan the winner of the race and purse.
The time made by Hanlan is the best
| for five miles by minute lat seconds.
A Statement from Courtney.
| lO-Ulgl( NOullllSN HlohIo thS StatC-
ment that when he went to Rochester,
in September, to arrange preliminaries
for the race, David Ward, of Toronto,
and Hanlan, called at his room in the
hotel, and after some talk, Ward said
| Hanlan would not go to Chautauqua,
that it seemed pity, for it was a nice
sum to row for, and they could divide
the purse. Courtney made no reply, and
the visitors soon left. He did not
see them again until he met them here,
| when Ward said that Hanlan could not
be drawn to row with logchain unless
he was sure of winning, and proposed
to Courtney that if he would let Han
Ian win he would have half the purse,
or 5000. Courtney rejected the propo-
sition, saying that he believed he could
beat Hanlan, and certainly should if it
lay in his power. He was willing to
stake his life that none OF his men cut
the boat. 1t has always been the custom
TO leave boat houses unguarded. Ward
afterwards offered Courtney the whole
prize and division of the pools to let
Hanlan win, and he had been offered
| S1O OOO apJ on intarpSt in the pools by