The morning times., 1896-09-14
TWAS A FAMOUS FOOT RACE
How Burke of Boston Outran
WeferS of Georgetown.
HE SET A VERY FAST CLIP
Wefers Was an Odds-on FayorIte
With the New York Audience and
Was Thought to he IA Sure Winner,
Comment of the Press-Anuther
Race VIII he Run.

The athletic event of last week was the
quarter OF a mile foot race between B. J.
Werers Of George own and TIE New York
Athletic Club and champion of The world
at 100 amt 200 yards, and Tommy Burkeof
the Boston Athletic Association.
The race was run off on Manhattan Field
Saturday and the boston Toy won IN re-
rnarkabic time, but only dIstanced tue
champion by an eye lash. IL was one OF
the events which adds To sporting history
and twill doubrIcsslead to another struggle
between the nuted pair. Werers was u
pronounced IayOrI,e, Tut BUrke upset al
calculations by cutting out such Il chp at
tue beginning that wnen the finish came
Wefers mad nothing i'll reserve.
COMMENT OF THE PRESS.
The World. Thomas L. BURKE, of the
Boston athletic Association, won Lne quar-
ter-iliile cidin npiOnsnip at the sIIJaI meet
OF the AnIat ateur -aJu4ctiC Union yesterday
III Manhattan ielu ami rda a race Inat nuuS
'ot the spectators wih ever forget. Mr.
Burke has Dcen ruEn.ns UnIy Il lew years
ana there IS nolnins wonurrtuhy pKcJty
ABOUT MS style, but MS IOHS, sweeping
stride and his rcndrkaDI sStiiIene>s CdIIcu
aim to the front III one UI The must hOtly
contested races ever seen on the pain
1uere were seven starters Iney lined
up at the head OF u chute aC the west end
OF he rIcid, 50 tnat one Of the turns could
De omitted. WEen george turner's pistol
cracked Bnrke Immediately took the lead,
with h +. McCrae, OF the New York Attn
letic Club, second, and j. b. Wersrs, ot the
ciup, third 1ney came out closely bunch he'd,
and the experts wondered why Wefers,
the marvellous sprlnter, uldn't dash OF and
Try to XIII Burke at once.
tcr 2UU yards they ran III the order
named. Then Meiers sand something
that sounded Ike sharp reprOuI, and
McCrae answered aDgrlIy. MCtrae went
out after Burke as IL lie Were trying TO
pace Wefers along TO the front. But
tne Boston man hel,t the pole aud answered
slIOo him off.
GAINED On BURKE.
Wefers was on the extreme outside
now, covering more ground than the
other two ds tncy went Hrouuu the curve.
lie srrinteu past McIrde and DeSdu TO
eaten up with burke, wuO had =. lrad Of
three Or four yards.
y roar went uJ IRON the spectators that
drowned the yeIis U. tlie BASEBALL Eoutcrs
IN the next field. Wefers was going Ike
"A scared JdCkfaJDit, BIrke n-uru the roar
and let out another niIk- lie could not
Keep Gear OF Nefers, LOweter who was
galiI,ig at every stride At eighty yards
from tiie tape the n I. \. e. mai WAS dose
enuugn 10 nave toucneu the ErstonIan, II
he had extended his hand. Heiers was
running desperately lie was almost sHOJl-
der to sho alder with Burke forty yards
from the tape Eacn man was II picture
OF agoay, mouth open eyes prptruuIng
Just as II seemed tndt Werers was going
To take the lead Burke bounded away
from hIm again Away lie went, Increas-
ing his lead by inches, then 10y feet.
WeferS began to sWeTye. he pace had
killed him
rive yards from the tape lie was Ike q
dead man Burke was not much better
off, but he made u splendId finish, with
Wefers staggering after
There Were a uoZen different opinions as
TO how far Burke beat Werers, but d iaires7
t.maJt Is from three to four Yards
GO IT, WEFERst'
The Journal: When the 40 yard run was
called the spectators IN The grant stand
rose to their feet, the better what
WAS regarded by many, as the most
tercsting event OF the meeting. II WAS all
the more interesting because WeieTs, The
fastest man IN the world at an nyJnInE from
100 to 300 yards, was entered against
Tommy Burke, the champion at the dis
tanCe II was expected that Wefer> would
make the Boston mau hustle from first 10
last, and he did.
From the crack of the revolver the pace
was terrific, and rs the flying squad swept
past the stand tine crowd dpplauGed Wildly
- 60 1t, Wefers You can du him II YOU
try. Get there, Tommy He'll never bold
you on the last hundred
Burke came past the stand III the lead
with Wefers running behind Inn So easily
that he could have lclt the Boston man ten
yards III the next hundred. Burke knew
TINS. But he also knew that the swift
hundred yards
When they passed that point the sprint
for the finish began WefeTs struggled
Eamelv and for I; willie held hiS own. fiiIy
yards from the finish, however, his head
began 10 wabhle under the terrific stIan,
and he was gone. Burke won haUdIy,
and his admirers went wild with cnthusi-
assn. They were wilder still when the
time. 4s-i-5s.. was announced 1t created
4 new A A. L record Rurkc's record
last year was 49 sos. and the record
I :, = 4.
TIE CHAMPION WEAKENED.
The Herald: First and foremost must lie
reCkOned the quartci-Iullc race, dhoHt
which So much speculation hdd been ln-
iIlged in. Would Tom Burke he ahic 10
Withstand the terrific pace of Wefcrs?
Could Wcfers last another 40 yards at lie
rate he Travelled on the y. J. A c. track
last Monday. None could give Il gICaI
answer until the issue had been set at
rest with the decision of the race itself.
Clifford of Montreal was noticeable alb
sentee, buta Held OF seven lined up for the
contest Burke at once took tie lead, and
at the l0O-ydrd mark he led MCCrac 10y i
ward. Wefers being third 1T this POINT.
Passing the top corner Burke increased his
speed. but the Mercury FoOt's" ChanplUD
sprinter went alter him and got within
a couple of feet of the Hostonian. The
latter never faltercd for moment In lis
stride. and il was evident ilfly Yards from
home that Wciers had shot his bolt, dS
from this point he dropped back and even
tualIy relaxed his efforts pcrceptihly.
The Georgetown boy =, crpteu ms defeat
gracefully, and in reply 10 inquiry said:
Il have nothing TO say hut everything
great of Burke. He defeated me fair aud
square 1t was the greatest quarter ever
run. On good track the time should have
been A. seconds fiat
burke SIId of lis victory Il WIS GER
tainly scared Of wefers, but TINY only chance
WIS to make iriuI 20 all the way, which
did. Had ! run the first part slower hs
.urplv would have tpatpu me Epul,.