The herald., 1897-01-05
FALSE AND MALICIOUS
How the Times nisrepsents Facts Even
OF Sport
The True Facts of the Trouble at the
Pasadena Race Meet-A Well
Known Authority's Letter

Cyclists as we'll as ordinary citizens
are discovering the value of the reports
of events as chronicled by the Times.
The spirit of garbling and misrepre sent
ing facts for which that newspaper is
notorious has even been allowed to creep
into its sporting columns.
well known cyclist, who has prob
ably had more experience of track
events than any other man in Southern
California, writes as follows:
1T is very unfortunate that every BIZ
cycle race meet that has been run In
Southern California for the past two
years should cause contentious among
the riders and promoters. The cause of
all the trouble is one who styles himself
the only cycling editor in the country
and has caused no end of trouble since
his unfortunate invasion of this glorious
climate. 1t matters little who under
takes the management of meet or rides
in the races, it is a foregone conclusion
that they will be numerically roasted.
The Pasadena meet was no exception.
This person, who before the meet de-
manded that he should be appointed ref
cree. informed the members of the
not seem to appreciate his wonderful
ability to act in that capacity he would
roast them. However he dealt elniently
with the club, as he could find absolutely
nothing to complain of in the manage
nlent and took his spite out on the ref
cree and the visiting crack riders. His
unfair report in the Times, used in part
by the San Francisco Chronicle and Call
made the visiting wheelmen very indig-
nant and they have good cause for
large e-sized kick
THE facts in the case are as follows:
In the one mile open the race was paced
by three-seated machine (tripleD and
was started from the top of the home
stretch and came down making a flying
start The man were on the tape wait
ing for the signal Mr.. Frost. the start
er, had given the usual signal. Are the
timers ready?' and had his eye on the
pacing machine, holding his gun until
such time as the machine should have
passed the riders the proper distance
and them fired it. Mr.. Burke, McFar-
lands starter, taking advantage of the
fact that the starters attention was talk
en- up with watching the pacemakers,
pushed his man off ahead of the gun, and
in doirg so went over the tape, as the
pacing machine dropped down on the
curve. Mcfarland was tackled on with
Forster secord. Some one called Come
back, but NJ. Forster shouted to Nc
Farland and the pace to go on. The
Times man calls the referee ineXperi-
enced' for not calling the men back.
If he was as well posted as he thinks
he is, he would know that the rules do
not give the referee any discretion in
the matter and he has no power to call
the race back. He would also know that
all racing men try their utmost to get
off first ard catch the pace and often
beat the gun from nervousness or pur-
posely and that it is the starters busi-
ness to watch the men and in case an
attempt is made to beat the gun to hold
his fire and call them back. He can then
penalize a rider by placing him back of
the tape, but should he give the signal
by firing his gun neither he nor the ref
cree has a right to call them back unless
in case of a fall within thirty feet of the
tape. In this case it was impossible for
the starter to see all the riders and at
the same time to follow the pacing ma
chine and give the signal at the right
time.
When the pace dropped out ON the
back stretch Mcfarland had the lead
with Foster tackled on and Stevens came
up on the outside even with Mcfarland,
and they came around the turn in this
order, on the turn Foster tried to pass
Mcfarland on the inside and Mcfarland
crowded him out. The able correspond
ent claims this a foul. If he will read
the rules he will find that the rules state
that rider may pass on the inside but
does so at his own risk"
When the race was over the first pro-
test was from Hewitt and was that
the race should be run over, as McFar-
land got too much start" The referee
did not allow the protest as under the
rules he could not. The next protest was
from Mr.. Foster and was "that McFar-
lands starter crossed the tape" In a
case of that kind the rules give the ref
cree the right to dsqualify the rider,
which Referee Black did. Surely that
was enough penalty to be thrown out
and lose a $50 purse for beating the gun
without being roasted in the papers and
have the papers at his own home charge
him with foul riding. There was no
protest made that Mr.. Mcfarland fouled
anyone, and the fact that Mr. Foster
protested him on a technicality shows
that he is as well up in the tricks of the
game as the other riders. If Mr.. Foster
was pocketed 1t was his own fault as
there were but three men in the race and
the track a one-third mile and thirty
five feet wide, which should have been
plenty of room for such an old track
general as he. The fact of the matter
is. that Mr.. Foster set no pace and took
advantage of Netherlands and Stevens
pace and was outgeneraled.
If the aforesaid scribe would be more
truthful in his reports and take less
space to vent his spite, it would not have
been necessary to go into the details
of this race, but the foregoing is not only
due to those whom the Times attacked
but as a corroboration of the Herald S
report.
At the Chinese legation in Washing
to,, = exto t@I n