The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-14
made to swing him in due and imp IS G
firm
DURING TIE EXCITEMENT.


DURING THE EXCITEMENT.
Attendan upon the preparations for the
event, and on the morning of the day on
which Hunt was to hang Harrison entered
the stable where Rufflan was kept and
spirited him away. Mounted on another
horse and leading Ruffian, Harrison rode
to the gallows without being observed,
and, slipping two six shooters into Hunts
hands. told him TO hurry up" AT the
same time, acting on his own suggestion,
he wheeled his horse around and charged
upon the crowd Hunt was not mo-
ment behind, and the two, at speed
which dehed pursuit, few down the
Weber canyon trail and were soon out of
sight. Before they were out of range,
however, the horse ridden by Harrison
was struck by bullet and shortly after
wards had TO be abandoned. 1t was then
that Rufflan was compelled to carry the
double load which he took into Denver.
Night and day the Infatuated Mormons
pursued Harrison and Hunt, but were I'M
able to overtake them so great was the
speed and endurance of the stolen horse.
When fully 100 miles from Salt Lake the
two desperadoes made their first stop for
rest and feed, and on the morning of the
tenth day they rode into Denver, dis
lance of 600 miles from Salt Lake
All this was soon known and Ruffian be-
came an equine hero. In the attention
paid the horse the two men who had sto-
len him were entirely forgotten. Every
possible care was bestowed upon the
horse and, in couple of weeks, he was
A. B. Miller, wealthy sporting man, had
In the meantime, bought him and
CHALLENGED THE COUNTRY
For rival. Among the settlers of Den
yer then were three brothers, known as
the "Greer boys" who had arrived from
Iowa the preceding year. They were
dead game sports, passionately fond of
racing, and possessed several very good
horses, among them bay almost the ex-
act counterpart of Ruffian. Although
worked to an emigrant wagon with
which the owners had driven into the
territory, Rocky Mountain Chief, as the
Greers called their horse, had beaten all
corners in races, and, until the advent of
Ruffian, was supposed to be the fastest
horse in Colorado His owners did not
propose TO let him lose the title so hardly
won until actually compelled to do so.
| Accordingly they accepted Capt. Miller's
challenge, and arranged for a race, mile
heats, best two in three, for bet of $20-
900 side. Sept. 10 was set for the date,
and the old McNasser farm, north of Den
yer was selected as the place at which to
have the contest. The horses were put
in active training, and the news of the
coming race was heralded throughout
every mining camp for hundreds of miles
around.
1t became the sole topic of converse
ton, and days before it was to take place
ranchers and miners from all directions
fiocked into town. Gold dust, about the
only means Of circulating medium then
available, horses, cattle and other chat
tells and property were wagered with ut
ter recl1lessness. The outside stakes
were about even. The gamblers and
sports, who thought they had a walk
away" bet on Ruffian, and the miners
and ranchers backed Chief. On the day
preceding the race the owners of the two
horses had a more than ordinarily warm
discussion, which resulted in their in
creasing the stakes to S47 500 a side, all
the money the Greers could raise, making
the purse sos, 900, all in gold, the largest
hung up for mile race in the United
States.
No other such scene of wild excitement
was witnessed on a race track as occurred
when the time for the race finally ar
rived. Enthusiasm Of the fiercest kind
prevailed and continued to swell until it
seemed impossible for human beings to