Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-09
Fred Arehers Suicide
4 FATAL FRYER.


while in delirium resulting from fever
It is reported that be was i'll with typhoid
fever. The first symptoms of the dis
ease appeared on Thursday, after he had
been present at the Lewes races. When
it became evident that his illness was
likely to be serious he was taken to his
sisters house at New Market. He ra pld-
Ily grew worse and had been i IN rag
ing fever since yesterday morning. He
was left alone for a few minutes, and his
attendent shortly after leaving the sick
room heard two pisol shots. He hurried
back and found Archer dying, having
shot himself with revolver.
Fred Archer was in his Both year. His
first ina portant race was at Cesarewitch,
in 1872. Soon after he was appointed
Lord FalmOuth's chief jockey. His first
victory in any of the classic races was on
Atlantic in the 1000 guineas of 1874
His first great 2-year-old race was on
Lady Love In the Woodcote stakes. Since
that time his career has been wonder
fully successful one. His first
Derby win was on Silvio in
1877. In 1880 he won it again on Bend
Or. In 1881 he won it again on Iroquis.
In 1875 he won the Oaks on Spinaway; in
1878 ON Janette, and 1879 on Wheel of
Fortune. In 1877 and 1878 he won the
st. Leger on Silvio, and in 1882 the same
race with Iroquois and Dutch Oven. In
1874 and 1876 he won the two thousand
guineas on Atlantic and Canrobert. In
| the one thousand he won on Spinaway
and Wheel of fortune in 1875 and 1879.
In the City and Suburban, in 1876, he
won on Thunder at $50 pounds; in 1877,
on Julius Caesar, at 118 pounds; in 1879
on Parole, at 119 pounds; in 1880, on
| Marter Kildare at l28 pounds, and in
1881, on Bend Or, at 126 pounds. He won
the Dewkurst Plate on Wheel of Fortune,
Bal Gal and Dutch Oven. The Cesare-
witch he won on Rossberry in 1876. A
desert ption of his winning races would
fill book. Up to the time of his death
he had won over $500 races. He was
worth about 100000, and his income was
about $4,000 annually. The usual fee was
| $25 for winning and $40 for losing
amount. Archer frequently received
$500 for winning amount, and occas-
ionally $1,000 or more. Mr.. Lorillard
gave him $4,000 for winning the Derby
at Iroquos.
ARCHERs CAREER.
Fred Archer, whose death is recorded in
the above dispatch, was born Jan. II,
1856. His father, William Archer was
! jockey before him, and won the Liver
pool grand national steeplechase with
| Little Charlie in 1853. In his younger
| days he was Appended to John Day, |
| then one of the most celebrated trainers |
| III England, and began his career as an |
| exercise lad. So great was his ability |
| that he showed in this line that at the age |
of l5 he became full-fedged jockey, |
and from that time on his success was
| phenomenal. John Day soon kindly re-
| leased him from his indenture, and Lord |
| Falmouth, who then had one of the great |
est stables in England, engaged him as
his first jockey. In 1877 he won his first
Derby on Lord Falmouth's Siivio, by
Blair Athol, and two years later ne won
the City and Suburban and Cheshire
| stakes on Parole. In 1880 he won the
Derby on the Duke of Westminister's |
Ben dOr, and the next year on Iroquois
he delighted the hearts of all pa
triotic Americans by landing Iro-
quois the winner of the |
great blue ribbon. In 1885 he again |
placed the same race to his credit with |
Lord Hastings Melton, and this year he
piloted the "horse of a century" Or |
monde, the victory in the same stable. |
In 1888 Archer married daughter of
John Day, the trainer, but within year
of his wedding day his wife died, and |
afterward the great jockey paid his first
visit to this country. He was then moody
and sad, and seemed to care but little for
the many attentions that he was made
the recipient of al the hands of Ameri-
can turfmen. He Stunned notoriety
ra cher than curted it. and while univers-
ally civil to newspaper men he at the
same time avoided them as much as pos
sible. Tall and rather gaunt in appear
ance. 1.-THE Tinman," by which name he
was best known i'll England, was the last
person in appearance that would have
been taken for a jockey, but rather for a
student of divinity. AS jockey he out
ranked all knights of the pigskin," and
many are the tales told of his wonderful
skill in the sad Sic. The intelligence of
his death here was posted in all of the
ppol-rooms and -generally in sport
Ing resorts where horsemen con-
gregate, and vas by them receiv-
ed with many expressions of |
surprise and regret. Secretary Brews-
ter when asked for his opinion of Arch |
ers riding, said
He was the greatest jockey in the
world, beyond question, and probably ten
pounds better than the best we have in |
America. | saw him ride both Silvio and |
Wheel of Fortune His seat was great, /
and he was one of the best hands to get |
off with horse l ever saw. He was al
ways ready and away in the front rank
and could then place the horse to good |
advantage. When he was here I offered |
him $4,000 to ride colt that [ should |
name in the American Derby, but he de-
clined the offer. [ intended to have him
ride Orlando, but as he went wrong that
| spring, should have had to put him on
something else"
At the time of his death Archer was
probably worth 100000, as his income
| from riding for several years past has
been in the neighborhood of e15,O0O |
per annum, and he was exceedingly mod |
| est in his expenditures. He was great |
| favorite with all who knew him, and |
among his warm friends he numbered |
such celebrities as the Prince of Wales, |
| the Duke of Westminster, Lord Falmouth, |
the Duchess of Montrose, and many
| others.