The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-15
SIX DAYS OF TERROR
MADIsoN-SQUARE GARDEN RACE
WORSE THAN NERO'S SPORT.
Pathetic Incidents Of Brutality on the
Track Were Applaudcd by
ThOughtless Thousands.



as any in Nero's time could be seen in
this Christianized land in this enlightened
nineteenth century he would be laughed at
and dismissed as a pessimistic crank, harm
less as he was ignorant. And yet il does
not require a vivid or distorted magma
ton to liken the spectacle in Madison
square Garden last week to those of the
Circus Neronis nineteen centuries ago. The
great amphitheater with it's tiers of seats
rising from the arena to the dome, was
not unlike the interior OF the ancient Roman
structure, and lent an effective setting to
the spectacle and made the similarity the
more striking. AS for the spectacle in the
arena itself, Nero, eager to appease the
sullen wrath of his people, could not have
devised a picture of human agony more
exquisitely cruel and refined.
With all its horror there must have been
something fine and brave in the spectacle of
gladiator walking erect and unflinching to
his death some excuse for the ecstasy with
which the multitude stated its eyes with his
writing and cried out at his sufferings.
There could be nothing fine or brave in
the sight of handful of miserable wretches
whipping around huge circle day
after day, night after night, without food
and without rest, scourged by jeers and
taunts as keen as the leaden-tipped lasheS
of the Roman slave drivers. urged on to
greater torture by the sight and smell OF
food which men held before the mouths OF
the miserable wretcheS, only to withdraw
1t again that they might writhe and twist
around the circle a few more moments. No
DOUBT, had such spectacle been presented
IN the Coliseum or In any OF the blood
stained arenas of ancient Rome the popu-
lace would have turned from 1t in disgust
and loathing, treated it as contemptuously
as they would the scourging OF a galley
slave who had fallen at his oar. And that
is the spectacle which for the last six days
has been seen in Madison-square Garden.
The New York populace did not treat it
contemptuously. The throngs which filled
the amphitheater from floor to dome every
night gave evern sign of enjoying the sight
Intensely. As the wretches huddled one be-
hind the other went spinning around and
around the circle like some grotesque NOV
ing frieZe of nideOusy distorted figures the
multitude shouted itself hoarse, and when
the music struck up and the wretcheS tried
10 respond to it's enliVening strains by NOV
ing their stiffened limbs faster the same
multitude went into ecstasies of joy.
BEATING THE NEGRO.
AS often as a wildeyed wretch fighting
with a madman's fury was thrown back
into the arena the crowd yelled Justify and
watched him with greedy hunger to see
him stagger and fall For three days it
laughed uproariously at the ludcrous pic
ture made by one of the wretches less hardy
than the others. He was negro, and after
the first twenty hours of the race he coll
lapsed and begged to leave the track His
trainers laughed at him and refused to
listen to him. Whenever he attempted to
dSmount they would run after him and
menace him with their fists, and when he
became insensible to these threats they
struck him on the head and shoulders with
n oh nF11 tk.rI@ ia
with delight.
Not, however, until the men who were
handling him rushed out on the track and
held a Steaming broied chicken under his
nose, shouting that he would not get a
pite or 1t. until he had ridden another MILE
did the merriment reach its height. AS the
negro twisted his features into look that
was intended to be of determination, but
was more like the griInace of monkey, and
pIodded around the yellow boards, his legs
drawn up by cramps into knots, the big
amphitheater echoed with cheers and laugh
ter. FINALLY he fell exhausted, and when
another delirious wretch ran over him and
turning, kicked him in. the face, the crowd
congratulated itself that it had STAYED and
had not missed anything.
Inc deHrlouS state into which the strain
and loss of sleep threw all the wretches
after the first thirty-six hours only added
TO the excitement and uncertainty of the
spectacle. Crazed by pain and maddened
by exhaustion the riders were likely at any
time to perform antics which the crowd
never tailed to appreciate and applaud. The
tne minds OF most of the riders. They
fancied that conspiracies were being PLAN
ned to beat them" One wretch who at
the time was leading the miserable little
band, shrieked and cursed at the managers
ana sWore that he would kill them before
ne would let them do him" They tried
furiously, crying all the time in his de-
lirium that they We're trying to do him.
ana ne would murder them first.
Ahother one imagined that the crowd was
throwing rocks at him and was trying to
smash his machine. When he shook his
INST and cursed the spectators they answered
MIN with merry Jests and told him to stop
making speeches and to do more riding
SENATOR MORGAN'S EXPERIENCE.
Only man who has been through the
torture of a six-day race can understand
In all its horror what it really means w.
j. Morgan is one of the men who have gone
through one and lived to tell about it, Mr.
Morgan, or Senator" as he is known in
the cycling world told reporter some of
his own experiences.
Il have taken part" he said ''in only
enc night-and-day race, but that one was
enough. 1t took me long while to recover
from it. 1t left me with nerves shattered
end vital organs so strained that they have
never been the same. / sat in the saddle
for 234 miles without dismounting, and when
l left my wheel it was only for forty sec
bicycle, with hard tires.
THE sensations during and after BIZ
cycle race are frightful. man does not
sleep, even when he is supposed to. 1t is
only a sort of delirium. The wheels and
noises are constantly echoing in his brain
The exhaustion, both mental and physical
no man can appreciate until he has been in
race.
No rider can possibly be sane at the end
OF the fourth day in a six-day race
was out of my head after the third day
and 1t was a number of weeks after the
contest ended that l regained all my facul-
ties. think the small of my back was af-
fected first; Pains as sharp a knife
shot through the muscles and up and down
the spinal column. After that comes a
physical and mental collapse, and then only
the will power drives the exhausted ma
chinery. For two weeks after the race my
legs were constantly moving up and down
in my sleep. and l could hear the scorer
calling out my name as | rode around the
track. l believe six-day racing is doomed"
S1X-day raclng-that is, the racing for six
consecutive days and nghts-received the
first black eye when the Chicago six-day
tournament, in which some of the Madison
square riders competed, was denounced by
the more humane citizens of Chicago and
the Illinois Legislature prohibited six-day
racing, Notwithstanding the fact that II was
held under the sanction of the l.. A. W.
Some people laugh al the rules of the big
cycling body which holds up it's hands in
horror when girl riders compete on track
but indorse things that the Illinois Itegis-
lature condemned and which the better por-
ton of the citizens of New York have con-
demned and Will condemn. II IS quite prob.
able that the New York Legislature will
pass a bill the same as that passed I'm
Illinois, prohibiting -hundred-and-f Orty-
four-hour contests, and many prominent
New York men believe that such races arc
to the best interests of cycling and the L.
A. w. cannot ignore this sentiment.