The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY RACES
HARRY DEPUTY WINS THE GREAT
ANNUAL WHEEL EVENT.
C. r., Pease Takes the Time Prize
Entries Fewer than Last Year
Races in Other Cities.

First Pace-Harry Deputy. Indianapolis.
Second Place-A. Schotield, Indianapolis
First Time Price. r. Pease, Indianapo-
Second Time Prize-L. o. Gordon. Indian
apolis.
The experiment of starting and finishing
the Indiana Memorial day road race on
track and running it in conjunction with
track races proved very successful affair.
Two thousand people gathered at the Bust
ness Mems Driving Park yesterday morning,
paying q nominal admission fee, and three
or four thousand others scattered them.
selves along the road over which the race
was to be run. The race was run off with
out accident. and the track races were
pulled off with equal fortune, barring two
spills in the mile race.
The day was ideal one for the race.
The morning dawned dull and cold so that
half of the men who attended the races
wore overcoats and the women came out
with winter wraps. But long before the
morning was over the came out bright
ly and We'd with the wind for the mastery
of the situation, and, as in the story of the
original fight between these elements, the
sun won the contest, and overcoats and
wraps were discarded and carried back
home on the arms of the owners.
The crisp morning air put the riders on
their mettle and the warmth of the sum-
which beamed down it's rays about the time
the races began, gave them that oppor-
tunity to perspire which, with men as well
as horses is essential for good time.
Bicycle row was there in full force. All
the stores closed for the day, and every
man connected with store was on hand TO
help mascot the riders of the wheel he rep
resented to win the race. 1t is probable,
however, that the best man won. He was
Harry Deputy. eighteen years old. who rode
an old Napoleon wheel which had been
made over this year to conform to some of
| the fancies of the season in shape and drop.
START OF THE ROAD RACE.
| The road race started at 1890 o'clock 1t
was at this hour that the thirteen seven
minute men were sent away in a bunch.
They had barely passed out of the Thirtieth-
| street gate to the Business Mems Driving
| Park when the twelve siX-minute men were
| started Then came twelve men who had
| the advantage of the scratch men by five
| minutes, seven who had four minutes, six
| with three minutes. six with two minutes
| and two with one minute. The scratch men,
| three in number, started at 1887 o'clock.
| The first man to show himself al the gate
| after making the circuit was A. Schoteld,
| of this city. He was closely followed by
| Harry Deputy, who kept at his rear wheel
| until the stretch was reached. Then the two
| thousand people in the grand stand and
| along the fence could see that Deputy was
riding the stronger, and there were all the
| appearances of a close finish. And it was,
indeed, a close finish. Deputy was just a
| length away from Schofield when they
| turned into the stretch, and they had but
| two hundred yards to go. By hard sprint
Deputy managed to pass his weakened and
wapblng opponent fifty yards before the
| tape was reached and won the race by half
| a length. 1t was an exciting finish, and
| nothing was lacking but brass band to
make it one of the prettiest ever witnessed
| in Indianapolis. But there a crowd of
| young men in the grand stand who had
hastily composed lusty yell for the win
| taken, up and repeated by the crowd
I'M, Tnere were several other exciting finishes.
| time the winners of first and second place
had their hard sprint. Occasionally, how
ever, two or more riders would reach the
| gate at about the same time. and then
| would ensue a hard fight for the highest
| places in the prize list. Along toward the
middle of the finish, Bert Byers and 6. F..
| Kerr crossed from the road on to the track
| and began a race for the tape. Byers was
a length behind at the turn. but he gained
| this in the stretch, and finished on a dead
| line with his opponent
The most interest. after the first man in,
conferred on, the winner of the time prize.
| Everybody looked to Elmer Pierce, of Bra
| z to win it. He won last year, and it was
| thought he was the superior of all the
| riders. He and l.. o. Gordon, winner of first
| place last year. and G. r. Pease, the three
| scratch men, entered the gate almost to-
| gether. All three seemed to realize that the
| time prize waited for the man who should
| first cross the tape. They struck the track,
| making the short turn over the rough road
| through the gate without a perceptible slow
| ing up, and began the mad dash for the
| tape. The men all seemed to be fresh and
rode without swerving. 1t was to be
grim test of endurance, and there were three
hor coto Of nd 6ntnr
mined men to make the test. Pierce made
desperate sprint just as the turn was
reached, and a loud cheer went up from the
grand stand. for it seemed that he was the.
favorite. But he was not destined to win
the time prize this year. Steadily Pease and
way down the stretch finishing: Pease,
Gordon and Pierce
The following is the result of the road
race showing the handicap of the riders
and the time and order in which they fin
ished: