The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-03-16
A Wild Horse Race in the Rocky Mount.
ain Region. ,

VIVA Horse Race In the Rocky Mount
| ain Region. 49,,
! The widest horse race. ever known il
this country took place on the Denye
track on September 10, 1860 The horse.
were Border Ruffian and Rocky Mountain
. Chief; the purse $95, ZOO in gold. Ruff
fian was backed by Tom Hunt, his owner
and Jim Harrison, notorious gamblers
Shortly before Hunt had murdered .
prominent Mormon, and after brieI
trial was condemned to hang for hi
crime. The scaffold was erected on tht
outskirts of Salt Lake, nearthe overland
| road, and the murderer was to. swing
midst all the pomp of legal execution II
the excitement attending the prepara.
tions on the morning of the expected
hanging, Harrison entered Ruffian's
stable ltnobserved and spirited the racer
away. Mounted on another horse and
leading Ruffian Harrison rode to the
gallows unexpected, slipped two six
| shooters into Hunts hands and before
the officials or multitude had recovered
from their surprise the outlaws were
charging down the Webber canyon trail
at speed which defied capture. One OF
| number of parting rifle shots killed
Harrison's horse, and it became neces-
/ sary for Ruffian to carry both men. The
Mormons pursued the desperadoes night
| and day. but We're powerless to overtake
them. so wonderful was the speed and
endurance of the stolen bay. Not until
one hundred miles had been covered did
men or beast eat and rest, and on the
morning of the tenth. day they arrived at
Denver, six hundred miles from the Nor
mon capital. These facts once circula-
ted Rutfian became the hero of the hour.
In the Denver race the Greer boys, who
owned Chief, backed him. Thousands
of men and women flocked to the track.
There was long delay, but at last,
amidst frenzied cheers, the horses got a
start, Ruffian forging ahead from the
stand. Chief flew the track, went over
a steep embankment, and before he could
recover the first heat was practically de-
cided in Ruffian's lead. A yell of disap-
pointment went up from the multitude
and arush was made to lynch the man who
started Chief. He succeeded in escaping
the mob unframed, however, More
than 800, 900 changed hands on the heat.
An even start was obtained in the second
heat, the two horses passing into the
quarter stretch neck and neck At the
half-pole Ruffian in response to, hard
whipping, slowly took the lead ALL this
time Chief had been given a free rein,
but had been spared the lash. Charles
Hamilton, desperate, who had all his
earthly possessions staked on Chief, stood
at the back-stretch pole as the horse ap-
preached, a navy revolver in either hand
Lay the whip to that horse, or FL drop
you from the saddle he shouted to Eu-
gene Teats, Chief rider, sighting both
OF his weapons. Teats knew that HAM
ilton would keep his word unless the or
der was obeyed, and, although he was
confident that Chief would win the sec
ond heat without urging, he lost no time
in applying the whip. He drew blood at
every stroke and Chief went under the
wire winner of the heat by 100 feet in
l:42. Then commenced a riot and tur- !
MOL the like of which was never before
or since witnessed ON race course. Men
pulled theirsix-shooters and fired madly, !
indiscriminately, and gold dust, in the
quarrel for the stakes was scattered reck-
lessly in the sand Ruffian was COM
pletely broken down after this heat, and
the gamblers appreeiating that they were
beaten, became frantic with rage. Con.
Dram and Charles Swift, who afterwards
became noted prize-fghters, stood at the, |
door to the stand and held the mob at
bay until the judges had given their de-
cision. Chief was ordered on the track. /
and after making the half-mile wire was
declared winner of the race. The Judges |
had to oe escorted from the track to town |
by an escort composed of volunteers from
the winning side. Mounted ON broneho
ponies, with pistols and bowie, knives
drawn, the Greer brothers and a party
Of friends made their way to the $95, 900
nugget and cut it to the ground. 1t was
loaded in a wagon and taken to town, a.
guard accompanying the precious freight.
There were large number OF people
stabbed and shot in the melee, but, for
none died from their wounds.
That night Denver was one blazing rev
slry, one gorgeous orgie. The immense
lugget was cut up into smaller and more
commercial commodities. Teafs was
presented with $4,000 worth of these.
The balance of the winnings were equal
y divided among the brothers and in less
han forty-fiye hours they had sduander-