Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-11-23
THE SPORTS WAR.
ATerrlbIe Time Over the Johnson
FiIan Foot Race. 81
1hsMoney Still Held and the Case at Law,
Prospects Of a Prize Fight Over
lt-Some Of the Counter
Statements.

Mike Filan, of this city, though the foot
race last Saturday was decided in his favor
will have quite a time getting bis money.
The excitement at Pittsburgh is still at its
height and both sides are uttering howls oil
indignation loud and deep. The money is
snIl locked up in the pool boxes, and the
pool rooms are continually thronged With
excited crowds demanding that it be paid
over tothem,- or al least that both sides be
allowed to draw. Seiferth, the principal
hacker of Johnston, is very bitter against
Morris and his alleged confederates, and
many other friends of Johnston denounee
the race as fraud, of which they claim to
be the victims, and not the concoctors. In
order to give both sides a fair hearing,
Seiferth was yesterday required to give his
version of the affair. and make such reply
as he might see fit to Eph Morris's charges
of fraud.
sEIFERTH's STORY.
."F,om the beginning it ives putup job
TO skin me-" said Seiferth, land the con-
spirat6rs were Eph. Morris, Mike Filan
and John Price. Every endeayor was maue
by these men before the race to induce
Johnston to throw it, but without success.
Price gave me $3.50 to use for him in back.
ing Johnston, and then went over and
trained with Eph. Morris. He frequently
came TO me and urged me to get Johnston
in good condition, saying that he was BACK,
ing him heavily, and that Teddy
was sure to win. or course believed
him, but can now trace the game
clear from the start, - In relation to
Morris statement mat in case we did not
agree upon a; referee he would act IN Una.
capacity himself, can prove that what he
did say was that in case we did not select
a referee he would appoint one himself.
We agreed upon one man, but he could
not serve, and on the track We named at
least dozen others, but the opposite side
would not agree. When he said that ne
was going to act Iiprotested vigorously,
but il wac OF no use-Eph. Morris had TO
act as referee or the scheme could not have
been carried out. There was no clause in
the articles in reference to finishing the
race in case of foul, and If such instruc..
tons were given it was part OF
THE PLAN TO RoBME.
When Johnston came in such an easy win
ner everybody expected that there would
be an immediate decision in his favor, and
there was great Indignation when Judgment
was deferred. Several men heard Morris
say that he was going to give the race to
Filan, and this was said before Johnston
came in, and before claim of foul could
possibly have been made. it was this re-
port that caused such row, and it, it had
not been for me Morris would have been
killed on the track. / afterward told him
this, and il was the effect my friendly. in
reference had that he distorted the threat
TO kill him. l never so threatened him.
The race was a fair and square one, and |
can bring hundreds of disinterested men to
swear that there was no foul. + Even men
who had bets on Filan say that Johnston
won fairly. At the conclusion of the race
Morris told me to go home contentedly and
that he would render fair decision" .
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE FIGHT.
"Let me have your story of the fight in
Alderman McKenna's Office"
We went there prepared to prove that
no foul had been made. The two judges,
they saw no foul, and Johnston stood
ready to testify that he was not guilty of
fouling Filan. Both Filan and Morris re-
fused to qualify. haven't heard of any
body who claims to have seen the foul ex-
cept Filan himself. When l went into the
back room Morris said: Lock the door and
keep that mob out When / learned his
decision was wild, and grabbed him by
the throat saying: You're trying to rob
me-. Then we had it hot and heavy for
while. / saw a revolver in Filan's hand,
but was too much occupied in pounding
Morris to pay much attention to what the
other fellows were doing. The story that
Johnston covered Morris with revolver is
not true. 1t was no put up job to lick
Morris, but was so enraged at his bare
60 hot I N
had caught
HOLD OF THE WRONG DUTCHNAN.
"In reply to his intimation that he de.
sires to fight me, have only to say that |
am not a prize. fighter; but if Morris will
put up forfeit that he will not sue me, l
am willing to go and fight him. That
now have on hand. They have brought
charges of assault and battery against me,
and have Instituted counter suits. / will
also bring legal proceedings for the recoy-
cry of my money"
Teddy Johnston was next questioned re-
garding the way in which the race was run
and the scenes in Alderman McKenna's
office. There was amost determined effort
made to induce me to throw the race" he
said, land was approached number OF
times by John Price. At first thought he
was backing me honestly, but when he said
that unless lost the race wouldn't get
cent, changed my mind. Before the race
came off Filan told my trainer, T. G. Her
bert, that Morris had given him the stake
money to play in the pools, as it was sure
thing that he would win, and I'll bet that's
where my 81, 900 is now. Since | won the
race Filan said to me: You're a nice one
amt you? If you'd lost that race you'd
have 81 900, and now you won't get ID
cent Morris told me personally that he
saw no foul"
POSITIONS OF THE RUNNERS.
GLOW close did you come to Filan when
yeu passed bim?'
THE first time passed him we were at
least thirty yards apart. He passed me
next, and we were then four or five feet
apart. The third time We came close to.
gether was on the home stretch, and we
were then about five feet apart. He never
came anywhere near me after that. did
not strike him or foul him in any way, and
there is an Allegheny policeman who stood
near the spot where we were together twice
who will testify to that.
The other side have also lied about the
fight in Alderman McKenna's Office. When
it commenced Filsn jumped on a lounge
and drew a revolver. i at once sprang at
him, when he started to run, and got to
the door and went outside, with the pis-
tol still in his hands / did not draw a
pistol at all during the fight 1t is true
that did tell Seiferth to pull off his coat,
but no one had pistol aimed at Morris at
that or any other, time" .....
Johnson further stated that il was a fact
that the Filan' side had given him some
pills to take for the purpose of disabling
him, but as he did not take them there was
no use in saying much about the matter.
There is war in the air at all sporting
headquarters, and so intense is the parti.
san feeling that more serious trouble may
be expected at any time.
POINTS ON PEOPLE.