The Hartford herald., 1879-07-09
Rochester Races.

| wish to make statement of the
way matters stand in regard To the race
which came off on the ith, between Mr.
Finley and myself. We made an "up
and up" race for 500 side, to he run
on the square, by Finley's horse Bogus
Bill and the mare Anna Cox. After the
race had been made, Howard Finley
left Morgantown and crossed the river,
going To Geo. Cox's and bribcd him by
agreeing To give him $40 to take the
mare, Anna, to Rochester and had a
ferry-boat taken up the river ahalf mile
above town, crossed the river and put
the mare in II tobacco barn to keep her
hid until people had gone to bed, - as
To run them on the sly; but, unluckily
for Finley, the steam boat was late ON
saturday night, not reaching RO-
chester until near II o'clock. The Ma
sonic lodge was also i'm session, having
large amount of work to do, conse-
quently, the whole town was astir until
the wee sma hours. About day-break
two horses ran over the track, which
can he proven by good, responsible citi-
zens. When | learned of this under
handed transaction, | accused Finley
and Cox of it, and they both denied it.
Finally the thing began to he crowded
80 closely that Cox owned up the whole
bribing affair. He made il his excuse,
as Finley was trying to bribe him, he
thought he would let Anna beat Bogus
Bill the first three hundred wards. and
then let him beat the mare out, SO Fin
ley would think he had beaten the mare
and bet more money, as Mr.. Watson,
the man | made the race for, wished to
make the race for $500. was foolish
enough TO believe Cox, consequently
took him to Rochester with me. Now,
for the sequel: On Thursday before the
race Mr.. Finley, nor any of the friends
of Bogus Bill, would bet one dollar on
the race. Friday morning, up to about
IL or II o'clock, not one dollar would
Finley bet. About 10 O'Clock, Cox said
to me, 81 believe will take Anna down
To the woods and walk her, am afraid
the crowd will excite her" thought
nothing wrong. so he led her to the
woods, and was gone about AN hour,
when he walked her up through the
street by Finley's stable, waving hick-
ory over her hack. Mark this! Up to
that time people had offered Finley one
dollar TO bet SO to S25. He said he had
all the bets he wanted.
In five minutes after Cox passed Fin
ley's stable as above described. Mr..
Finley and his friends We're taking all
the bets they could get. How Was this
sudden confidence in Bogus Bill ac-
quired. Let Ills see. On Saturday we
made up purse for S25 to match Bald
Hornet against Bogus Bill, and gave the
money to George Cox, who went and
made the race with Finley. Mr.. Brown
rode the horse, Bald Hornet, and was
ay naaly beaten ,a Ft,naAR Mhen b. fstse J. %
| could not keep him in the track; he
could not run at ALL" A gentleman
stepped up and said, Geo. Cor druqqed
yo'" horse, IsdW him do il just 6efore
the race"
In few moments two or three gen
tlemen said they saw Geo. Cox have a
sponge saturated with some fluid, which
he put in the horses mouth, then hold
II over his nose. The fumes of some
thing could be plainly smelt on the
horses breath. Cox, when pressed
owned up that he drugged him. Now,
the only conclusion any person can
come to, is that he drugged the mare.
and led her by Finley's stable waving
hickory so Finley could see she was
drugged before he bet his money on the
horse. Any one who knows the mare
knows 1t was mans work to lead her
without waving hickory over her back.
Some claimed on the 4th, that NV rider
had pulled the mare, and that Finley
and myself were i'm collision to beat the
public. Mr.. Watson's agent has forbid
den the stakes being given up, and the
above facts will be proven i'm a court OF
equity. l also forbid the stakeholder
giving up the money till this matter
was satisfactorily settled. | would also
say here that Mr.. Watson failed to get
to the race, and l put up all the money
myself but S25 of Watson's money.
T. STEVENS.