The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-07
COP WON HI BIKE RACE.
AN UNUSUAL SPORTING Event IN
MADISON AVENUE.

ReaFdon Joined IN when the Three Original
Contestants Were scorchinE. with = Negro
In the Lead, and Junped uis wheel Over
tho Nan whom Toiiiver Knocked Down.
There was q bicycle race In Madison avenue
last evening which involved some incidents not
usually included in track events, and re-
suited in the arrest of three OF the racers and
the injury OF a man who happened to want to
cross the avenue while the contest was on. The
race was arranged in the morning in a bicycle
shop on the east side. where Frank Reid, an
electrician employed by the Edison company
and living at Ala First avenue; Arthur
Miller, q bicycle repairer Of % st.
Marks place, and Joseph Tolliver. a negro
porter Of 1877 Seventh avenue, met a couple Of
betting mon. Each bicyclist In turn told how
fast he could ride, and the betting men, all Of
whom favored Tolliver. finally agreed to put up
$50 rs a prize for a race from Madison Square
to Fifty-ninth street.
Tho race was to begin at $50 o'clock, and
the three contestants were at the southwest
corner Of Madison Square Garden on time. Toll.
yer. whom the betting men called Tho Coon "
took the middle Of the avenue. with Reid on one
side and Miller ON the other. The signal
was given as soon as the men were in the sad
dies, ana they started out at a rafting clip, with
The Coon half a length ahead at 100 feet. lilo
oihO kCh0llg u4lu III 1"tnll- tlRnb StTttJ
was reached the men we're scorching along, bent
nearly double, with Toliver in front. Reid next,
Bicycle Policeman Reardon who was at Tween.
ty.eighth street, saw the racers h%urryins along
s seS ON snf his Siey Ths{ bs TSP, t e sa had dh pas ss eS Sim!
Hey" yelled Reardon. stop, you scorch-
Wait" said Toliver. This is a race. Join
us, Come to Ffty.ninth street and see us
II see your finish now, said Reardon. and he
started after III em. The three racera kent nm the
pace that Toliver set for them, and Reardon,
over the asphalt in the same relative positions
The avenue was filed with wheelmen. Three
clubs, each about forty strong. were riding down.
SfS s%Tdi The hhs's sn saT sas fo rem %fn ; sRSss T 81 sea
Of the club members turned around and fol-
lowed as fast rs they could. None OF them was
able to keep up with the racers.
Two or three cabmen saw the race. and they
Joined in with the ruck of wheelmen. 4 horse
less carriage operator was attracted by the sight
near. Thirty-eighth street. and he set out to
At Forty.seeond street ue; to the sf four if'I racers aSe 9sV were
going along without much regard for anything
EXCEPT the speed which they could get out OF
the avenue toward the Manhattan Hotel. had
curb just as Toliiver scorched over the cross
walk on the north side. Tollivcr ht him
iF]fSeEEssT on sRf his kn Shssf. f Rsid d snd Mi HS,!i wSes Tsi
Just far enough of to escape hitting the
old man. Reardon came up in the
he couldn't stop. nor did he see the old man
until he was nearly, upon him. All he
s sHa tine tine 1S de' ~itp psrs3su,s say; w yGsios to
push and to lit the machine from the
he 5st mex ( Well we tps snd H,G It is a said .R he iu aSS Do the he
prostrate man. bicycle and all. us a thorough
bred hunter takes a hurdle. ToIliyer by this
1 time had pnt on hiG Whaal aDaip md I'D atarfn1
at Rsardon and grinned.
to the policeman. wei, I'd just as soon. /
can jump hurdles as we'll as anybody else. and
started a couple OF blocks further up"
Rcardon kept on. Some people darted out
from the sidewalk and picked up the old man In
time 10 get him out OF the way OF at least $50
wheelmen and a dozen cabs. all tearing up the
avenue as fast as they, could go. AS soon as
to gain on Reid and Miller, and by the time
he reached F,iftieth street he was abreast OF
them then on R ,S.n by BY E thi5 time tine, had begun TO e
Fifty-tifth street had run up nearly abreast
Of q ToliiysT who was plainly giving out;
on the way mp. In a block more Reardon was
abreast OF them. At Ffty.seventh street the
grabbed Tolliver by the neck. He threw him
from the saddle directly in the path OF
lay with his bicycle on the pavement, and fell
knowing that Tollivcr would throw Reid from
his bicycle, keardon turned round 10 the other
side and grabbed Miller as nc came up. When
he had the three men in hand he sent for
the patrol wagon. from the East Fifty
first street station. and bundled them
all into Il with their bicycles: He
up behind him, and just as the bicycle clubs
and unattached riders and cabmen who had
been following the race drew up in a great body
and began 10 cheer for no particular reason, for
nobody knew what had happened. he started off
with his prisoners to the West Thiriieth street
police station.
The party that had followed the race enthusi-
astically followed the patrol wagon down the
avenue to Thirtieth street ana across TO the
| police station. cheering the policeman ana the
racers and themselves.
TOllivcr thought it was the best Joke he had
ever heard OF and enlivcned the ride TO the po-
lice station by repeatiny the remarks he had
made to Reardon during the race. All OF them
were locked up. The promoters of the race de-
c!ared the contest of, as II wasn't finished.