Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-05-05

Harry Bethune, Alias James Murphy.
Beaten by Pete Musgrove, OF Car.
son-Nearly $1,000 Changed Hands
ON the Race.
Some weeks ago q tall, well built individ-
ual under the name Of James Murphy enter
ed the town Of Silver City and forthwith be.
came an object Of distinction on account Of
his remarkable pedestrian powers. he being
able to distance the aeetest Of the Silver
City runners. 1t was also reported that
Murphy was in Dayton for several days.
Shortly after Murphy made his appearance
another individual calling himself James
Floed hove in sight and succeeded in max
ing people believe that Murphy was infalli
bic and working up several bets that he
could beat Pete Musgrove, the champion Of
the Coast. Bye and bye it was whispered
that Murphy was none other than Harry
Bethune, the famous Canadian Splinter.
Miles Finlen, Of Virginia, then became his
hacker and a race was arranged between
Musgrove and Bethune to come of at Reno
on the zoth Of last month, Tim Dempsey
and Jack Furlong Of Carson. being Mus
| groves hackers. The race was to be for
81, 700 q side. Great Preparations were
made and on Sunday last q train Of six
coaches left Virginia fer Reno, carrying in
the neighborhood Of 1000 people from Viz
ginia, Silver City and Carson. This special
Tram was chartered BY Finlen, Furlong and
Dempsey. Arriving at Reno all went to the
track, a 6o.ysrd stretch near the brewery on
sixth street. At three o'clock the contest,
ants were ready to start, the man Flood turn.
ing up as starter and FraEk Golden at the
other end supposed to act as q catcher and
timekeeper. At the crack Of a pistol start
was made, with Musgrove fully three yarGs
ahead. Bethune seemed undecided whether
TO start or not, but finally let himself out and
ran alsng easily until near the finish, when
he made two or three wonderful bounds and
came up to Musgrove just as he crossed the
line. Musgrove wen by foot or tive, Bethune
fairly pushing him over the line, time 6A
seconds for the 90 yards. The betters who
had backed Bethune, with perhaps the single
exception Of Miles Finlen, discovered they
had been bit, and forthwith there was howl
Of rage, but to no purpose. Bethune pru-
IDENTITY disappeared and he and his partner,
Flood. were passengers for the East on the
twelve o'clock train Sunday evening taking
with them about 81, 900 as their share OF the
proceeds. AS nearly as can be learned the
job fer throw off was put up by Furlong,
Dempsey and Finlan. Bethune was sent up
here it is said by Jack Halinan, OF San Fran
cisco, and upon leaving the Bay the city pa
pers stated he had gone to the Napa Springs
for his health. This he recovered very
quickly, and to cover expenses came into
Nevada to clean up the Suckers who were
foolish enough to th nix he would ever run a
square race. Bethune's time for 100 yards
is as seconds, the fastest ON record in the
United States. Last year he ran = race in
Canada, which is his place OF birth, and lost
for his hackers between $40 900 and $40, ooo
Fer this trick he was nearly mobbed, only
escaping by skipping the country. He re.
Gently came 10 California and had arrange
menls made at one time to run with a local
Splinter at Los Angeles for big money. This
race was knocked our by woman whom
Be,hune had bilked out of some S, 900.
She acquainted his hackers Of the kind Of
business he was up 10 and there was no race.
1t is estimated that about $1,000 changed
hands on the Reno iasco, Ed Hamilton and
Col. Quinn, of Silver City being the heaviest
losers and Dempsey and Furlong, of Carson,
being the biggest winners. Two or three
fights resulted from the race, Bethune got
his nose pulled, and it is good thing he is
fast runner or he would never have get out
Of the Reno audience. About The only way
We can think Of for the hackers of Bethune
to make him win race, would be for them
to cover HIM at the start with a Winchester
rife and tell him il he did not travel faster
than a bullet he would never reach the finish