Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-28
THE DRUGGED JOCKEY.
Murphy's Pitifal Exhibitions While Rid
Ing the Great Firenxi.

Murphy's Pitifal Exhibitions While Rid
Ing the Great Firenxi
The New York Times gives the following par
ticulars Of Jockey Isaac Nurphy's disgrsceful
exhibition 1t Monmouth Park, Nj, Tuesday,
mention Of which was made in yesterday STAR:
"A popular idol was shattered ct Monmouth
Park Tuesday. That Isaac Murphy, who has
always been considered the most gentlemanly a.
well a. the most honest Of jockeys should have
made such an exhibition Of himself a. he did
was past belief He rode Firenxi In the Mon
mouth handicap, and that be did 90 Was alone
the reason for the ridiculous way in which she
was beaten, finishing last in Q field OF horses
that she should have defeated with but little
trouble. Sunday last he fell into the clutches
OF gang Of politicians who call themselves the
Salvador Club. Loading q car and themselves
up with liquor, they went to Eatontown, and at
Chestnut Grove had clam bake with a liquid
annex. the annex being the largest part Of the
affair. These roysterers called themselves the
Salvador Club because they had won Q lot of
money by backing Salvador in his races this
year. They. incidentally to their racket, pre-
sented Matthew Byrnes. trainer OF the famous
racer. with a magnificent diamond pin, aud to
Isaac Murphy, the jockey who had ridden him.
they gave o fine silver-mourted whip. There
was drinking and toasting galore. Murphy
there laid the foundation for tuesdays exhibi-
ton.
with Murphy up and presumably sober,
Firenzi. even with 12S pounds in the saddle,
seemed to have a certainty OF winning the
Monmouth handicap at a mile and a half.
There we're ak other starters, the best Of which
were Tea Tray, Prince Royal and Los Angeles
on public form. But the plungers could
naturally sec nothing i'm the race but Firenzi.
and they stood over in q corner and tickled
themselves, and felt as il they were robbing
the bookmakers when they got to and even
money as their odds. The plungers did not
look upon the odds As suspicious until after the
race had been run. Then they came TO the
conclusion with one accord that the bookies
must have known something about Murphy's
condition, and must have profited by their
knowledge with the seductive odds they
offered. And the Salvador Club left lot of
their good money in the ring. That was bit
of retributive justice.
''Firenzi was the last horse to 60 to the post,
because Murphy was slow in weighing ont and
did not show mp to take his mount until some
time after the bugle call, a fact which made
Trainer Byrnes somewhat nervous. When
Murphy did mount. however, Mr.. Byrnes did
not Suspect the jockeys condition, nor did Sec
Rotary Crickmore when Murphy weighed out
At the post his condition was not particularly
noticeable.
Murphy got away we'll with the others,
Firenzi and Los Angeles going out In front
But after quarter of mile had been run
Murphy pulled the marc back and let Tristan
and Lavinia Belle cut out the running. Peo-
pie on the grand stand supposed he was simply
restraining the mare to keep her from running
herself out. But he kept holding her back
until the head Of the stretch was reached, with
Tristan leading and hhono and Los Angeles
running on even terms with the queen of the
turf. When Murphy began to ride her in the
straight it was then apparent that the pull
Murphy had had on the mare was ono used ITO
frv nd Ea.v iunaa aiohk in, he
His attempts to ride we're futile. He pulled
the mares head first to the right and then to
the left, and hauled her all over the track. She
fell back rapidly under these manipulations.
and Tea Tray, on whom the stable boy Moore
had the mount. moved up from the rear to the
front and eventually won the race by length
from Rhono, who was three lengths in front of
Lavinia Belle with Prince Royal Tristan, Los
Angeles and Firenzi following in the order
named.
..Murphy's pitiful attempts to ride Firenzi
eliminated just after the mare passed the
judges stand last. when she should have been
first He could not keep her straight and she
bolted over to the inner fence. Murphy had
strength enough to prevent collision. That
was all. As soon as he had practically stopped
her what strength lie had was gone, and he fell
out of the saddle in a heap to the track. Then
for the first time the crowd realized what was
tho matter and that ii was an animated cham
payne bottle instead OF the peerless jockey,
Murphy, who had been riding the marc. 1t
was u shock to every one Starter Caldwelrs
wagon was near the mare when Murphy fell,
and his assistant, Pole Jim,' caught the mare
and helped the jockey to remount. That the
crowd was panied at the exhibition Murphy
had Vadc of himself instead of being angered
was shown by the fact that he was not Missed
when he rode back to the paddock to weigh in.
I'm the paddock the truth as to the condi-
ton OF the jockey was made more apparent
He could hardly stand straight on the scales
when Secretary Crickmore was weighing him.
Mr.. Withers, suspecting tho condition of af-
fairs, hurried to the paddock and began an in
vestigation on his own account That was
carried only far enough to convince him that
Murphy was under the influence of liquor
Ho accordingly notified Secretary Crickinore
that Murphy was suspended until further
orders. That order undoubtedly means that
further investigation and possibly further
punishment may follow as AN example to
other jockeys as well as punishment to Muir
ply, whose condition meant the loss of
thousands OH thousands Of dollars by the pub
lie.
"Murphy's past reputation may stand him in
good stead to prevent expulsion from all race
courses. punishment which would probably
have boon meted out to most any other jockey
in America for such an exhibition in the saddle.
No punishment that can be given him will, Of
course, restore the thousands OF dollars he lost
for FirenZis hackers, nor can it reimburse Mr.
Haggin for the loss of the race, for, much as
the many-tmes millionaire loves money. he
would probably rather have given up $4,000
than have had his marc beaten"