The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-26
THE FIELD OF SPORTS

| A Strange BicycIist in Town-Some Queer
Facts in Regard to Him-The Suspicious
Stories He Tells.
A STRANGER came to this city last
Friday, went to Scanlon's bicycle store
and wished to borrow a bicycle. He
| represented himself to DO Clarence W.
Clark, professional bicyclist. who had
raced good deal, and wished to have
some races here. He said that he came
here with John Prince, another profess
sional. presumably meaning John S.
Prince world famous racing man. He
said that he had
Five 19-Pound Racing Bicycles,
coming Dy freight. Saturday morning
he said that they had come and were at
the station, but he did not produce
them, and gave as reason that they
were in the custom house. He was
mentioned in the Sunday Telegram as a
prominent professional bicylist, who had
come here to take part in possible races,
who had been practicing on the Prom
enade, and was showing some points to
Oal luClhS hichs RG01iJs pNlsOS0liy old
ride with him, but not as pupil.
BY Monday, certain events happened,
among them the failure to produce the
famous John Prince, which caused his
presence at the Scanlon store to be I'M
desirable, and he went up to the bicycle
agency of Haggett Brothers He rode
about Tuesday with Mr.. Haggett, and
on Mr.. Haggett's wheel They rode out
|sto Rigby Park, where he proposed to
race it races could be arranged. Mr..
Haggett was more or less suspicious of
him all the time, and more SO when he
proposed that they ride to Boston togeth-
er on Mr.. H aggett's wheels Wednesday.
Mr.. Haggett inquired about him and
then asked him to produce John Prince,
whom he had represented to be with
him in this city, but i'll with tonsilitis.
He said he would produce him the next
day, but Mr.. Hggett told him that he
was satisfied that he was not what he
represented himself to be, and that their
relations must be declared off. Clark
showed no emotion, but said goodbye.
That was Tuesday night. He had not
been seen all day Wednesday. Saturday
he called at Mr.. McCausland Is bicycle
ag ency with Mr.. Scanlon's wheel. He
/ said there that he had five 19-pound
racing wheels that he would not ride
over rough pavements. Mr.. McCaus-
land was suspicious of him after that
statement, and Clark soon left the store.
We can personally vouch for the fol-
lowing statements made by him. He
said that he was one of the professional
road racers who came here from st.
John last Friday. The other was John
Prince, sick with tonsilitis They were
to remain here till the 10th of July.
They belonged to party of five profess
sional road racers, who came from Eng
land in the Teutonic and landed in Hal
ifax last March. Their names were
Charles Arlington, William Martin, and
an Eglishman named Lamb, and Prince
and Clark, who were here. The three
former were still in st. John, and would
remain there till the 18th of June, when
take part in six day road race. They
were high wheel racers. They had been
racing in England in halls, under cover
O course, all winter.
Clark was formerly a member of the
New York Athletic Club. He became
professional five years ago under the in
struction of Mr.. Prince. Since then be
had taken part in high wheel, long
distance races in many places, from San
Francisco to New Orleans and New York
inclusive; in short, all over the country,
besides last winter in England, and this
spring in st, John. His record az racer
he gave as follows: He said be held the
24-hour and 4s-hour worlds records. the
distnces being 1856 and 512 miles respect
iely, also he held the 20, 80 and so mile
woIrd IS records, the time being respect
lively As minutes, 2 hours and s minutes,
and hou1s and Is minutes. He said
also that he and Prince had had talk
with men connected with the Rigby
Park management (he didn't give their
names), and that it was agreed that they
should race there the latter part of next
month and first of June, with the fast
est horses in the state including Nelson.
He said he could knock out mile in
g % and it would seem that he was not
familiar with the record of the great
Maine stallion.
In regard to the proposed trip to Bos-
ton OF himself and Mr.. Haggett he ex-
pected to start at a. M, and get into
Boston at 3p. M, if the roads were. fairly
good.
The fact is that John Prince has been
in Cuba all winter, and that his arrival
in this country was mentioned in bicy-
cling papers as occurring since his arriv-
al in st. John last March. from Europe,
as stated by Clark; also Martin and
Ashinger (not Ashingerton), were re-
corded as ra cling in France since their
arrival in this country on the Teuton-
ic: also John S. Prince is of sufficient
Importance so that his arrival anywhere
is announced beforehand in bicycling
circles, and there are many of the most
prominent wheelmen who know him
personality and do not think that he
could remain here sick several days with