The sun., 1893-12-24
DENvER'S GREAT RACE DAY.
ORD BORDER RUFFIAN RAN ron =
$4,000 GOLD BRICK, AND LOSE
First Ssvrnr the Lives oS Two Desperate
Men The Horse Then Lost Them
Fortune-HorSe Races Rus by hobs.

| I
recent Gate reference was made to Borde
llufllan. famous old race horse. whose nam
many Of the atter-dny generation Of sportin
men have probably never heard. Yet Ru1ln
was wonderful animal and contested in som
ofthe most notable turf events that hayes.irr
the hearts and affected the purse OF the old
time sporting clement OF the West His mos
famous race and ono which involved tho larg
| est purse ever ran for in the West took plac,
| here over thirty years ago. The race fs sttl
referred to by the old tlmors who aawit
| One morning early In May Of 1870 two men
tier set settlement mel Of Denver, % from % III The so" old sa
Lake trail. Although II was not an unusua
sight TO see two mon riding one horse, Mexl
| particular men and the appearance OF theil
horse that gave them az air Of mystery, and
cabin TO cabin. BY tho time the two strangers
had reached the Elephant corral where they
put Ie inss h9rsea a cf0wH TO ar0 0
@ dressed fa suits of bucissin and hesyy
and tired. was spiritess and hooiworn. His
sides were covered with streaks OF dry foam
cbqflngs OF the heavy saddle, Altogether. the
animal was In u pitiable plight, and ptedic,,
tions were made that the next morning would
Give old Ruffian the best feed you have
got said one of the, strangers. for he de,
serves IL: lie has stood By us in mighty bard
ride and has saved our necks Fit had not
heen for him we would have been swung OF By
II was not long before the whole truth came
out The two strangers were none other than
Jim, Harrison anil Tom Hunt the, notorious
fan. the famous Salt Lake. race horse For
several years bufIlan had reigned the invinci-
ndo hi BEEN
tS Sysrysody n ttsh and he siI%inSs Tsr:
many interesting stories. No amount OF
money gould Induce his owners to part with
fessional gam mbiers. had lost a cooi. sized
fortune betting, against Hutiian in various
races. and finally decided to steal the, horse
and take him to some new country. and there
make up what they had lost against him. Bc-
fore they had completed their plans Hunt
killed a prominent Mormon ut salt Lake. and.
after very short trial. was found guilty and
sentenced to be hanged. 4 gallows was erect
ed near the outskirts Of tho town on the old
overland road. and all preparations were made
70 swing him IN due ami impressive form.
During the excitement attendant upon the
preparations for the event and on the morn ne
Of the day on which Hunt was to hang IInrri-
son entered the stable where Rnfilan was kept
and sn1.a spirited him, him away Mounted on another her
two 81 < shooters into Hunts hands. told him
his own suggestion, he wheeled his horse and
charged unon the crowd. Hunt was not mo-
ment 1nsI, behind ami the two at speed which
trail and were soon out OF sight. Before they
were out OF range. however. the horse ridden
by Harrison was struck by u bullet and short
~ afterwnrd had to be abandoned. II was then
that Kunian was compelled % carry the double
load which he TOOK into Denver Night and
day the iniuriated Mormons pursued Harrison
and Hunt. but were unable to oyertake then.
50 great was the speed and endurance of the
Lake tho two desperadoss made their first
stop Tor rest and feed, and on the morning OF
Z, ne e ten, II day they rode into Denver distance
All this was soon known, and Rufllan he
came an equine hero. In tho attention raid
the horse the two men who had stolen him
were entirely forgotten. Every possible care
was bestowed upon the horse. aud In n couple
ot weeks he was once more fit to enter into
race Capt. a. IL. Miller, a wealthy sporting
man; had in the mean time bought him and
the country for rival.
three brothers. known as tho Greer toys."
who had arrived from Iowa the preceding
year; yion: They yT were dead gan game sports pas
eral very good horses, among them a buy
almost an exact counterpart OF Ruflian. Al
which the owners had driven into the Terri
ory. Rocky Mountain Chief "a the Greers
;aces, and until the advent Of kuiiian was SUP.
posed to be the fastest horse in Colorado. His
'wners ,1I did not propose 20 let him lose the
10 so. Accordingly they accented Capt. NJ
ers challenge and arranged for a race. mile
,ide; Sept. 10 was set as the date. and the old
Nc Sasser farm, north of Denver was selected
Is the place at which to have the contest. The
lorses we're put Into active training. and the
1ews OF the coming race was heralded
throughout every mining camp for hundreds
)f miles around
IL became the sole topic Of conversatlon. and
lays before 1t was TO take place ranchers and
miners from all directions hOcked into town.
Medium then available. horses. cattle. and |
'ther chattrls and property were wagered
we're about even. The gamblers ami sports,
Who thought they had u walk away" be: on
unian, and the miners and ranchers backed |
1hei: ON the day preceding the race the own
'rs OF the two horses had u more than ordi- |
lariIy warm discussion, whica resulted in |
heir increasing the stakes to Si7. 500 a side, |
vi the money the Grorrs could raise. making
he purse Si,oOpO all in gold, the largest hung |
~ Tor mile race In the United states.
No other such scene OF wild excitement was !
Witnessed on race track as occurred when |
he time for the race llnally arrived. Enthu- |
'insm OF the hercest kind prevailed and con-
inled 10 swell until it seemed impsssibie for |
human beings to stand the pitch up to which |
hat motley crowd had worked themselves. |
ence or other screens. and no admission fee |
vas charged. 1t was regular free and go-as- |
,Rrred. Thousands of men. women. and chill |
rem, from hundreds Of miles around en- |
rc,ed the crude track in, sweltering, |
a that wild throng was armed with a six !
hooter. some even carried two or more. and |
ough boards and logs had been iInprovisei !
or the Judges who were to oitlciate. The |
'Olu dust purse hau been melted into A solid I
ump, and was suspended from ruI es stretched |
cross the track from the Judges stand 10 q !
Ost opposite Homes, stock. mining claims. |
rwelry, guns, clothlR, and monpy were |
taxed on tho result by frenZiea men and wo-
zen who were on hand TO see tho race.
Amid wild cheers and yelis the horses AT last |
ot the start. liuffian at once forged ahet,.
nd Lhiei flew the track. and before he "uIld |
@ gotten under control Ruillan had won tho |
rst heat. A veil thar fairly male the earth
remhle followed tho announcement OF tho
ldges decision, and u rush WAS made to
inch the man who had started hief hut he
managed TO escape from the mob unhaTiGCd |
VAS estimated that IN the ncighbOThOod Of |
100000 changed hands on the heat
Encouragsi by their FIRST victory. tho gam
leTs doubled their bets and stak ed everything
hey possessei on the second hsAE Ar oven
tart was secured, and when the horses passed
he quarteTsttetch the two horses were neck
nd neck At tho hall Hufiian. who was heinE
ruelly punished by his rider forged ahead
nj gained slight lead Up 10 this time Eu-
enc leAts, who was riding Chisf had givon !
is horse free rein. but had never once used
he whip on him. Charley Hamilton "A typirul |
'Ontisr GsspeTado.' who had everything he |
Wned staked on Chief stood at the back |
iLsteh with revolver in each hand. "IaYths
eats, or III dTop you from the saddle"
knowing that Hamilton would DO as he said
eats now began 70 ply tho whip and drew
lOod at almost every blow. Chief came i'm
inner OF the second heat. lully 100 feet in mo