The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-17
THOMPSON BEATS CoNNERAT.
FLORIDA CRACK DEFEATED THE
SAVANNAH RIDER TWICE.

ShW sunni ooDh AANAAes We AeAAN'
Won the Novice Thompson Cap
turcd both Che Vile Open and the
Lap Hace, Nut Was Beaten by Con-
merry in the Five-miIe Handicap.
Bits of Bicycle Gossip.
After remaining In Savannah for four
weeks and training daily. II. r. Thompson,
Jacksonville's speedy young cycle rider,
defeated Connerat, the Savannah rider, In
both of the races in which they met at
Wheelmen's Park yesterday afternoon.
There was a very small attendance,
much smaller than It ought to have been,
for the races were all good. There does
not seem 10 be much interest In cycle rae
ing this season, and 1t is doubtful II any
more meets win be held, though the man
ayers have not yet decided that yester-
days was the last.
The big grand stand looked grim and
bare with the few scattering spectators.
1t was decorated with American flags,
and a string Of flags crossed the track
from stand to judges stand.
The novice was the initial race. There
were five starters. Jim Cleary paced the
race and brought the riders around in
fast time. r. G. Ellis had no difficulty in
winning and finished ten yards ahead of
L. w. Crovatt. who was second. A. c.
Cherry was easily third. The time was
2:22 3-5.
The races in which Connerat and
Thompson met were the ones in which
most interest was felt, and when Con-
nerat, Suits and Thompson came out for
the one mile, 2.30 class, the spectators
moved about In their seats and began TO
speculate upon the chances Of the men.
Connerat beat Thompson when they met
last, about four weeks ago. and as he was
considered TO be in good trim a great
many thought he would have no trouble
in repeating the dose. There were others,
however, who thought that the youngster
would win. Connerat and Stults were
logged out In striking yellow suits trim
med in black, while Thompson wore
suit made of red white and blue bunting,
dotted with stars.
d. 10. Hull Jr, acted as pacemaker,
and when the word was given Thompson
was made to take Hull's rear wheel.
They went around this way for three laps
at fair clip. When the gong sounded
for the sprint Stults pushed ahead of
Thompson and they all began to hit il up.
Thompson jumped out at the beginning
of the last eighth and was never headed.
Connerat came in fast and made a des-
perate effort to beat the Florida crack In
but he finished half wheel behind. The
finish was close enough to made it excit-
ing, however, and the crowd enjoyed 1t.
Inompson's win was a popular one and
he received an ovation, such as it was.
The time was 2:a SIS.
OF the original eight entries in the one
mile 2:S0 class five withdrew and there
were only three starters. c. P Connery
won easily, with Henry Sulter second, and
A. c. Cherry last. The time was 2:27 rs.
Descombe Wells acted as pace maker.
The two-mile lap race was the feature
of the afternoons sport and was ex-
tremely exciting. The finishes In every lap
were close and some of them were hair
splitting. The race was between Connerat
and Thompson, as Suits did not seem 10
be able TO count, though he rode exceed
lngly wen.
Thompson won the first. second and
third laps and Connerat won the next four
The score after The seventh lap was
Thompson l5. Connerat Is and Suits H.
Thompson Won the last lap in furious
finish with Suits second and Connerat
third. This gave Thompson 10 points
Connerat Il and Suits Is.
This was Thompson's second victory of
the afternoon over Conuerat and showed
that he was riding better. The young rid
er's friends. and he has made a great
many in Savannah, were delighted at this
second conquest.
The boys race had three starters, and
the youthful riders rode a pretty fast
race. Angus Walden. with a handicap Of
90 yards. got the jump on the other riders,
and was never stopped. He won handily
with Harry Butler, scratch, second The
other rider was Richard Hunt. who had
handicap of 40 yards The time was 2:s0
There were several Withdrawals from
the fiVe-mile handicap and but five riders
started. Taking the riding in the previous
races TO judge from, Connerat at Scratch
and Suits with 50 yards were az a disad-
vantage with Thompson at the 120 yard
mark, though in a five-mie race handl-
caps do not always amount to much. Con-
nerat and Stults We're evidently tired
though. and dropped out after the third
lap. ii was afterwards learned that they
only started 10 prevent the possibility of
beinS brought up for entering and not rid
inS
Connery had go yards and he COM
mcuced to plug away at a good clip
Thompson caught suffer. who had 100
yards carly in the race, and they paced
each other. alternately. for several laps
but Thompson saw that he stood no
chance TO catch Counery at this game and
started out after the leader. C0nnery inn
mediately began to hit it up and little by
little the space between he and Thompson
grew larger, until at the nineteenth lap
he had gained a fun lap. Connery and
Thompson sprinted en- Connery's last lap
and Thompson beat him out a wheel The
Florida rider had another lap TO ride to
finish, however. Suffer dropped out at the
end of the fourth mile.
The quarter mile exhibition that Thomp-
son was to ride was announced 10 take
place. Immediately, but most of the spec
tators did not wait Thompson rode the
quarter in :27 40, exceedingly fast time
when 1t is considered that he had just
finished FIVE hard miles. He was paced
by Hun and ConnerY on a tandem, but
left them at the eighth and came over
the tape IN a beautiful burst of speed.
Thompson has fine sprint
Hun and Fallig0nt rode a quarter-mile
exhibition a-tandem in %
The prizes in all of the races were well
worth riding for Thompson received n
handsome watch for winning the lap race
and Connery won a beautiful diamond
ring in the flve-mile handicap