Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-08
DEERFOOT BEATEN.
A Record Held by an American In.
dian for a Quarter Century.
From the 10 ldon Telegraph.

From the 10 ldon Telegraph.
Fully 250O0 spectators attended the Roch-
dale Athletic grounds on Saturday to wit
ness F. E. Bacon's attack upon Deerfoot $
long-standing record of IL miles go yards
in the hour, made in 1859. The proprietcrs
Of the Sporting Chronicle offered the
amateur ex-champion ESQ and half the
gate receipts should he be successful and
in case of failure he was to receive f1Uo and
half the gate receipts for having made the
attempt. Bacon trained at Blackpool, and
he felt very sanguine of achieving the feat.
Friday brought a rainy day, and this GER
tainly did not favor Bacon, who. under the
circumstances, had an immense task be-
fore him. Betting ruled at > to and to 4
on Bacon. 1t was nearly 5:45 o'clock when
he set ont on his journey. paced by Mullen
and McFern, the latter on his bicycle. The
first mile occupied minutes u 20 seconds:
two miles were reeled off in minutes -
seconds, eQualing Deerfoots time. Just be-
fore this Ansted Joined in and Mullen re-
tired. Three miles We're covered in il min
uteS IS seconds four miles in NJ minutes
3-5 seconds. and at four and half miles
Mullen gave way TO Watkins as PAGER.
Five miles were done in % minutes II sec
onds. six miles in ~ minutes - pa seconds
and at seven miles Bacon just got inside
w. G. Georges time, doing II in ID minutes
Sc % seconds. From this point the cham
pion began to improve, covering eight
miles in 40 minutes As seconds: nine, IS
minutes IS seconds; ten, 81 minutes IL sec
onds (only five seconds outside Cummings
worlds record. Eleven miles We're recorded
in ) minutes 2S seconds, and, amid |, I'D
and enthusiastic cheering, Bacon finished
the hour with IL miles .243 yards to his
credit, breaking the record by 2I3 yalcs.
Watkins ran from four and half miles
to the finish, all the pacemakers being on
the track in the last 800 yards. Bacon was
naturally done up at the finish. and fell on
the track but he was coon up again. The
timekeepers were j. Cation, J. II. Hard
wick, c. Sugden, j. Gor.on and j. Hagger-
ty.
The record of, II miles go yards In the
hour, which Deerfoot set up. and which
Bacon shattered on Saturday. was made
by the Seneca Indian at the old West Lon
don grounds, in 1863. Many attempts have
since been made to pass those figures, but
until Bacons, none OF them had been sue
cessfuL w. G. George, when he was an
amateur. had 4 great ambition to preak ii.
and in 1854 made grand attempt. He WIS
then considered TO be The fastest ten-miler
living, and special twelve-rnile handicap
was framed, to give him 4 chance of lower
ing Deerfoot's record. The race took place
on the London Athletic Club grounds, and
George, who ran exceedingly we'll, just
failed his distance being II miles 93a yards
. inches. Bacon, who holds the amateur
mile record Of minutes Il seconds, has
long been a runner of note. In 1874 he Won
the one-mile and four-mie champions hips,
the only two in which he competed, and he
also secured thfrty-siX frs and eleven Sec
ond prizes. In 1895 the mile championship
at Stamford bridge fell to his lot, and
previously he tied Georges four-mile record
Of 10 minutes 30 seconds. Among others,
he has defeated Sid Thomas, Watkins,
Pearce and Grassland. Last year. with
other prominent runners. he Joined The
ranks of the professionals. and his per-
formances since then have further en-
HANGED his reputation.