The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-18
THE sWINDLE AT OHAUTAUQUA.

We are too far away from the scene and we
know too little Of either Hanlan or Courtney
to pretend to Offer al explanation OF tho re-
| markablo occurrence which LED TO Inc post
ponement, perhaps the total abandonment OF
the much talked-of race between these two
aquatic champions. or course, 1t ID quite TO
be expected that one party will accuse Court
ney of completely Id the destruction OF his
boats, for reasons which will ftt once suggest
themselves, and, equally OF course. another
party will discover In the Incident q fresh
proof OF that treaehery and sharp practlce
which many people attribute to Hanlan IN oil
his dealings. AS to the merits OF these OPP
posing theories we shall, perhaps, never be
able to satisfy ourselves. Certainly we can-
not do 30 now, with tho lights before US.
Only one fact is absolutely unnistakable, and
that Ia the prevention Of the race. Most ex-
tensive preparations had been made. Thou
sands OF dollars had been expended In arrang-
Ing accommodations for spectators. We
| nave been reading for days Of the booths
and stands the chartered steamers, barges,
etc, which were to DO on hand
for the great event. Men have spent fortune
on the faith of tho managers representing
Courtney and Hanlan, aud we are told that
| on tho appointed day not less than ten thou
sand people locked to the spot, to be dlsap-
pointed and, MS we think swindled for their
pains. As the hour for the race approached
and tho eager multitude were beginning to
grow excited the announcement was made
that some one during the previous night had
broken into Courtney's boat-house and sawed
| ii two both Of his shells. There was no other
boat which he could use; u new one could not
be built In less than ten days. II In that time,
| ind thus the great struggle over which such
widespread Interest had been aroused. and In
view Of which such serious sums had been
lavished. must be deferred for m indefinite
period II not permanently.
Very probably the Whole story will come
out some day or another, and we shall know
exactly where to locate the outrageous trans
action, but, meanwhile, 1t seems proper to OK
press surprise that such piece OF rascallty
as this should be possible under the circum-
stances. or course 1t is no concern OF the
public's Ii two shnrpers play tricks ON each
other over a wager. They are welcome to do
SO to their hearts content SO long as the con-
sequences are confined to themselves and the
blacklegs who abet them. But IN an affair OF
such proportions as this Hanlan- Courtney race
an affair almost national In the interest 1t
has aroused and, at least, public in the largest
qualification Of the term-it ought to havebeen
utterly out OF the question for so Infamous
thing to happen. We do trust, for the sake
OF fair play and common decency. to say
nothing or the cause OF honest sport that this
transaction will be sifted to the bottom, and
the guilty parties treated In fashion at once
fitting and exemplary IL Courtney be- the
offender, as some already say, but as We can
not bring ourselves to believe, 1t should be
shown In some conspicuous way that he has
not one shred OF sympathy among his fellow
citizens Of the United States. II Hanlan or
his friends be implicated, as seems more
likely. they should be taught that proceed
ings Of this complexion are neither popular
nor safe on this side Of the boundary. But at
all cost. let us have the facts.