The morning call., 1892-04-08

elghthS OF n mile race.
The Electric Battery She ran slowlyuntil she
got TO the stretch, when she forged ahead
with marvellous burst of speed and won
the race. She paid her hackers 100 TO /.
H0rsemen thought Gyda's fine form rather
suspicious, but they didn't investigate. The
horse did nothing extraordinary from that
race on until last Friday. She was entered
that day for the third race, running under
the name of the Riverside stable but backed
by TObin. She was TO carry 90 pounds
Jockey Cook of w. LOvelfs stable rode her
at FIVE pounds overweight The race was
fve-eighths Of mile. At the start Gyda
was fifth. At the one-eighth she was sixth
Passing the quarter she ran fourth. Before
reaching the three-eighths Cook dropped
his whip and fumbled in his Jacket Sud
denly the old mare shot forward through the
group of fiying horses like frightened deer.
She was third at the three-eighths and was
gaining at tie half Cook fumbled with his
jacket again and Gyda lest ground. In vain
Cook tore at his blouse and used his spurs.
The horse was run out. She finished last.
When Cook returned to weigh out his
overweight was nine pounds instead of five
pounds. 1t Is a rule at Guttenburg that
when a jockey is lighter or heavier at tho
weigh cut than at the weigh in the case is
at once reported to the judges. Secretary
Whitehead reported the overweight of Cook
TO Executive Officer Carr, who questioned
the Jockey closely. Cook at first said his
saddle had been changed and afterward his
lead pad. but his replies were so evidently
false that Mr.. Carr took him into the office
OF the executive committee, where he was
searched. An electrical apparatus was found
under his Jockey dress
This apparatus consisted of leather belt
4 inches wide. fastened at the ends by long
leather thongs. On either side Of the belt
were four metal cells the size of the car
tridges used in a 10-bore gun. Each OF these
cells contained a fluid. The tops OF the
cells were sealed with lead, and two wires
protruded from each covering. The wires
of the four cells on the right side of the belt
ran into one insulated wire about feet
long. This wire ran down Cooks leg,
through small hole In the back Of his
boots and was attached to the spur. The
wires connected with the cells on the left
were arranged in the same manner. In the
center OF the belt, an equal distance from
either row "t batteries, was small switch
lever. known to electricians and telegraph
operators as button switch.
When Jockey Cook started the electricity.
by turning the lever. and stuck his spurs
into Gyda, the old mare felt the tingllng of
the electricity and jumped forward to get
away. When Cook stopped the current
she slowed down. When he turned IL an
the second time the horse was too much
exhausted to respond. Cook said that he
did not want TO wear the belt. but that
Tobin had insisted on his using it, saying,
1T never falls
After the days racing the case was inyes-
tigated by the executive committee Tobin
and Cooley were ruled off the track. Cook
escaped with reprimand, but the board
recommended that Lowell discipline Cook.
After the trial TobiD exhibited the cleo
trlcal apparatus and explained its workings.
DE said its voltage, while strong was not
heavy enough 10 hurt a horse and that il
acted more as a tonic than as weakener.
Tobin said the electric belt and spurs are
used extensively in both England ana
France, although they are his inyentions
His ruling off by the Gutenberg authori-
ties, he says, is most unjust. He was disci-
plined not for permitting jockey to wear
the electric belt, but for sending him to the
post foul. pounds over the excess limit of
the schedul ed weight. T0bin's trainer saws
the executive committee knew of the an
paratus, as they had warned him not to
use il. "