The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-06-01

Witness the Contest.
 New York, May Silt was @ light weight this time in the mud, and how the crowd cheered when Howard Mann galloped home, almost alone, in the Brooklyn handicap at Gravesend this afternoon. The crowd was like the day the long shot Diablo walked off with the stake. for there was scarcely an inch of space In the grand stand or on the lawn that was not occupied when the race was being run and hundreds of people had sWarmed across the track ankle deep in mud to get good posi- tion in the inffeld. There were fully 15,000 people watching the contestants as they trotted up the stretch past the cheerings thousands.
 All looked absolutely fit and able to run for their lives and Handspring looked the king of them all as he prano- ed at the head of the string. He was undoubtedly the favorite of everybody. There was some surprise at the appear ance of Howard Mann, but he had been sent instead of The Winner as he was a good mud horse. They were at the post but few minutes and made but one false break, when at haE-past four the starter caught them in line, the barrier was raised and the red flag twirled through the air and the eleven thoroughbreds were off on their jour- ney, at the end of which $10,000 was hung up for the leaders.
 'Skeets" Marten, always quick, was first away and for an instant Howard Mann showed in front The Swain, however, soon took the lead away from him and half a length in front set a good pace down the stretch. In the first few jumps Sims brought Hand- spring up into third place then held him there a length behind the Swain, Loki and Sir Walter were only heads away. Passing the stand for the first time they seemed to gather speed with each jump and the first quarter was com pleted in 25 seconds with The Swain still in front by half length, Howard Mann in second place by a length, Handspring third, Belmar fourth, Loki fifth and the others close up.
 
 paddock and the boys steadied their mounts for the effort to hold their places in spite of the crowding and pushing. The turn was navigated in safety without any material change in the order with the exception of Volley, who did not seem able to untrack himself and was laundering in the deep mud That furlong around the two turns was run in 121s seconds, good time for the going. As they straight ened out for the long run up the back stretch, Sims concluded that it was time to get 8 little nearer to the flying leaders and began to urge Handspring a bit.
 The net result was to bring him up within short head of Howard Mann, but still The Swain was holding forth in the lead with no signs of distress. The half mile pole was passed in that order in 5OM seconds, excellent time. considering the mud, and with the ex- ception of Volley, still f1oundering in the rear, the general appearance of things was unchanged. It took thir- teen seconds to go the next furlong, and in that short space of time there were many changes. Volley walked up considerably and left Ben Eder and Jefferson to look after the rear ranks, while Lake Shore and King Arthur be- gan to move up as well, the leaders still running as they had been almost since the start.
 As they neared the % pole it could be seen that Sims was doing a good deal of urging on Handspring, under the influence of which the big son of Hanover was cutting down the gap which separated him from the lead- CTS and it looked as if he might make them all run. They passed the & mark in 1:151a. having put a rapid fur long behind them and with little change in position, although the distances were little different.
 Then came a crack in the atmosphere and before The Swain or Handspring knew what had happened Howard Mann was a length in front of the field and running like a scared cat. Loki, too, had come up with rush and was in the second place, a head in front of Handspring with Relnar In fourth place, but already beginning to feel his weight and the rapid pace of the lead CTS.
 Sir Walter was in fifth place and the others trailing. Then came the run around the upper turn. a place where Volley likes to try how fast he can run on the outside of a field, and he was at it again, for he ate up space in an as- tonishing manner and looked as if he might show his burst of speed to the end One horse was certainly out of it. for with every jump The Swain was losing ground, absolutely unable to keep up. The time for the seven fur longs was 1:29, remarkably fast, and Howard Mann even then looked un- beatable.
 Martin was sitting on him like a statue, saving the colt all he could for the final rush of those behind. Loki was a couple of lengths behind with a lot of speed left in him, while Hand- spring seemed to have lot of rein to spare for the final dash through the stretch. Volley was still coming fast on the outside and cdtting his rivals down one by one as he flew along. and Scherrer was giving Lake Shore bit of the gaff. They were at the head of the stretch with a mile behind them in the fast time of 1:42A, and Howard Mann had not faltered.
 Now they were nearly strengthened out for home and the judges were in sight Martin hitched a little uneasily I1