The record-union., 1896-11-20
JOHN R. GENTRY SOLD at AUCTION.
LEWIS q. TEWKSBURY OF NEW
YORK THE PURCHASER.
Nineteen Thousand Nine Hundred
Dollars the Price Paid for the
Champion Harness Horse.

NEW YORK, Nov. 19.-Before the
largest crowd ever seen at horse sale
in this country, and after most SenSa-
tional auction, John r. Gentry, the
champion harness horse of the world,
passed into the hands of Lewis G.
Tewksbury of this city for $4,000 at
Madison Square Garden to- night.
1t was $50 O'Clock when the band
which was stationed over the main en-
trance of the garden struck up Hail to
the Chief" and Gentry was With diff
Guilty brought through the crowd to the
front of the auctioneer's stand. The
whole section of the west side Of the
garden, boxes and reserved seats, were
as full as they could hold. while inside
the ring and on the miniature track the
throng of people were pushing and fall
ing over each other in their efforts to
get glimpse of the pacing king. Thir-
ty-five hundred was a lost estimate of
the number present.
When the horse was fairly i'm front of
Auctioneer Balm of Lexington, KY. who
sold him here last February when Will
lam Simpson was the purchaser at 81
600, the band ceased playing. 1t was
not, however, until the assistance of
the police was called that space was
made barely sufficient to allow the horse
to move around. A cheer went up from
the crowd, and in a few we'll chosen
words the auctioneer called for bids for
the champion harness horse of the
world, who had paced the fastest three
heats ever accomplished-2:03a 2:03lA4,
2:03A-had lowered the harness record
TO 2:0l1@, and to crown his glory and
indeibly stamp himself lord and king Of
the turf had covered a mile against time
in 2:00Ia, a second faster than any other
horse ever accomplished the distance in
harness.
Bids came in with such rapidity that
the auctioneers could scarcely keep
track o fthem. Four. six. eight, ten and
eleven thousand dollars were offered
from different parts of the house, with
scarcely breathing time between. But
the real battle Of bids was to come
when the struggle narrowed down to
two-Loufs w. Wor1nser and Lewis G..
Tewksbury, both New Workers. Mr..
Wormser came into the battle at S12,-
600. his bid being delivered in a loud,
clear voice, an the crowd applauded.
Promptly Mr.. Tewksbury went $500
better. Thus the battle waged between
the two without a moments hesitation
up to $4,000, which was Tewksbury's
bid. Then there was a pause, followed
by round of hand clapping from the
audience. who We're by this time worked
into state of excitement The applause
greeting Wormser's jump to $4,000 had
scarcely died away when the other came
back at him with his favorite rise of
5000. There wa sanother short pause
and Wormser shouted $4,000. being a
rise of $1,000; no reply followed for a
moment, and the tension could be felt
What is bid?' asked Mr. Tewksbury
lars" was the reply.
Then / raise it Si00"
The auctioneer turned to Mr.. Wormser
expectantly, there was no reply. and on
the three" the auctioneer's gavel fell.
The gallant son of Ashland Wilkes and
Dame Wood. who stood like the thor
oughbred he is, became the property Of
the owner of Robert j., the only horse
that has shown himself a dangerous
rival To the king. who will in future be
his comrade.
With Gentry. Robert ]. (2:O11b) and
Mascot (2:0D Mr.. Tewksbury has a
stable of phenomenal greatness
The rest of the horses sold to-day
brought fairly good prices.