The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-06
SIR JOHN AND THE
CESAREWlTCH MYSTERY.
From London Truth.


Sir John Kendric was not a man who
had enjoyed particularly good luck upon
the turf, and the general impression in
well-informed circles was that he had now
pretty well run to the end of his finan-
cial tether. Only one animal now remain
ed to him of all his numerous stud. This
was the famous mare Sister Mary Martha,
whom he still refused to sell, and whom
he took down with him into Wiltshire.
She was understood to be in foal to The
Bishop. And Sir John cherished linger-
ing hope that her offspring might turn out
to be flyer, and in some degree help to
recoup him for his many numerous losses.
| His friends said that he was fool to
refuse 1900 for the mare. as he had ac-
! tually done. When Sister Mary Martha
| had been down at her owners Wiltshire
| stables for few months the expected foal
! arrived. The greater portion of the sta
! bles had been shut up, and Sir John had
| only one groom-an old family servant
upon the premises. Amid such surround
| ingS was The Canon foaled. To the SUI
perstitious element in Sir Johns eharac-
ter, more than to anything else, The Can
| on owed his name. The extraordinary and
wonderful good luck which had attended
| Sir John in the matter of the Bishop-the
story of whose Derby victory is too well
| known to need repetition-had aroused in
Sir John a sort of blind faith in ecclesi-
| astical nomenclature. And that faith had
| been rather confirmed by the career Of
| Sister Mary Martha. True, there had also
| been many examples among his horses
| which contradicted this idea His The
| Dean, The Vicar and The Archdeacon had
all failed conspicuousy. His st. Agnes
and Mother Superior had turned out
worthless, both in their turf and stud ca
| reers. But this did not put Sir John off
! the church. His obstinacy was impene-
| trable. And if he once got a notion into
| his head, there it became a fixture
That year or two went by. And. in the
course of time, The Canon entered upon
his turf career He proved himself less
| OF treasure than his owner had proph-
esied, though more valuable than Sir Johns
/ friends had imagined probable. He was
unquestionably speedy In fact, at his own
distance he could make a race of it with
! the best. But that distance was only
about seven furlongs. He was utterly de-
| hcient in stamina. He could never stay a
| yard further. At a mile and a quarter. a
| hack would have beaten him. At a mile
and half he could not have given two
| pounds to a donkey. AS a consequences
| most of the richest events in the calendar
| were out of his reach.
In this respect, he reproduced, to an ex-
| aggerated extent, the characteristic weak
| ness of his dam, but differed entirely from
his famous sire. The Bishop, as is well
| known, had styled the Cup course at Ascot
| and won against strong lot; but Sister
Mary Martha has always cracked up IL she
were called upon to gallop more than a
| mile and quarter, and was really at her
| best inside a mile.
Though the Canon proved time after
time, his utter lack of stamina, his owner
| either could not, or would not, bring him
luE.N 70. 80 tv1 . 4
| ming him in races that were outside his dis
lance; and the climax of his folly was
reached when he actually accepted, on be-
half Of his colt, for the Casarewitch. The
| sporting world could hardly believe Is ears
| when II learned the astounding intelligence
| How could horse for whom a derby or a
| Leger course was half mile too long, be
expected to negotiate the longer and more
| furnishing Cesarewitch? The Canon should
! have been scratched year ago 1t
was ridiculous, idiotic, TO leave him in Any
| bookie would be glad to lay 200 to against
the colt, and think he had favorable terms
| Certainly, he was sadded by the handicap
per with a merely nominal weight. But
| what of that2 If he only had to carry a
grasshopper. The Canon could never finish
| the Casarewitch course. one explanation
alone was feasible Sir John must be GO
ing "dotty" No sane man could have
acted with such Uncomfortable idiocy
IN Que COuSes the Gay OF lHe A+rdftWltch
| arrived. Sir Johns action had naturally
excited widespread remark. and when the
candidates for the big handicap turned out
i'm the preliminary canter, The Canon was
watched by the crowd with considerable
interest. He was a beautiful colt, pure
light chestnut. and his glossy coat and
general air of "niness' showed him TO be
in the pink of condition. His action. also
was magnihcent-the perfection Of ease and
| gace But that every one knew already.
aud what was The good OF IL to nom
slayer in such racey There was no
doubt how it would be- He would travel
splendidly for six or seven furl0ngF; and
then his bolt would be shot. Why a COM
mon hunter would stand a better chance In
the Cesarewitch than this snowy short
distance animal.
Such was the universal criticism. But
Sir John blinded by his infatuated super
stftion, never lost confidence 70 the last
His friends who we're standing near him
remarked tho keen. excited loOk-thc air
OF eager anticipation with which his face
eiowed al the flag zen 10 fair start and
Tho canon got away we'll Most Of them
felt quite sorry for hini-though he WIS
far from popular, even With his friends