The age-herald., 1899-09-23
THE CHAMPIONS
 AGAIN SPLIT EVEN Peabody and Hickman Each Win
 a Race. HAIR RAISING FINISHES Riddle Makes Fine Showing in One Mile Open and is Loudly Cheer
 ed-Could Not Enter the
 Five Mile Contest
HAIR RAISING FINISHES

l Peabody and Hickman broke even in the races at the Coliseum last night, the Bir- l mingham rider winning the one-mile open 1 in a hair-raising finish. Peabody came in 1 second with Riddle pushing him. There 1 was not more than 12 inches difference be- tween the three wheels. Most of the spec tators could not tell who had won and for five minutes pandemonium reigned. After
 two unsuccessful efforts Announcer Mar
 shall made himself heard and Hickman was the lion of the hour. Riddle also came in for big share of applause This was | the first contest between the two cham pions and the odds which had been offered
 on Peabody in the five mile match began to grow lower The friends of the little
 Birmingham rider were destined to be dis appointed. however, Peabody won the five mile championship match, with twelve inches to spare. There was an immense
 crowd at the park and every race was in tensely exciting.
 On account of his great finish in the one-
 mile open the crowd yelled Justify for Bid. dle to be entered in the fve-mie match. This could not be done Hickman and Peabody were running under a special sanc-
 
 and there was permit for third man.
 Never was prettier riding seen on the
 coliseum track. Every heat was run in
 frst-cass style, the riders winning on mus
 cle and sprinting ability.
 The First Contest
 The first contest was the one mile open
 amateur. In the first heat Riddle qualified.
 On the last lap he pulled out from the bunch and after a magnificent squirt
 crossed tape with the gang far ih his wake. Hartman finished second, but on account of the slow time failed to qualify. Peabody won the next heat, with Stubbs second The third heat
 was won by Hickman, Perkins getting sec-
 ond place and qualifying for the final. The next event on the programme was | three -cornered boys pursuit aee. Hop kins, Chairsell and Leloge entered. Leloge started from the scratch, and on account ot his diminutive appearance was the favorite. His white suspenders strung across red waist created considerable amusement. He rode manfully for four laps, but his wind commenced to flag, and he soon over taken by Hopkins. The was then left with the two larger lads. Hopkins rode
 well for a mile being urged on by shouts from the crowd. Chairsell then showed his superior staying qualities, and won on the fifteenth lap.
 The track was then cleared for the final of the one-mile open. Peabody, Stubbs, Biddle Hickman and Perkins had qualified. Cooper and Hartman agreed to pace the riders and set such a hot pace that in the last two laps the tail-enders couldn't face the music and dropped several lengths be- hind. At the crack of the gun Hickman tagged the tandem and doggedly main tained his position until the finish. The riders strung out like cars to a freight en- zine, and no squirting was done until the last two laps when the tandem withdrew. The fight was now between Peabody, Bid de and Hickman. Hickman was in the lead and began one of his great sprints
 The three riders quickly drew away from
 the bunch, and it was a three-eornered
 fight to the finish Peabody sent his wheel
 spinning after the white-haire favorite
 with Riddle coming behind at terrific
 rate Hickman, seeing his danger, put all
 of his strength into his last efforts, and
 crossed the tape three inches in the lead.
 Between the three wheels there was not
 foots diffrence. Time, 2:06 S-5.
 The next event a two-mile tandem match between Peabody and Hickman and
 Riddle and Hartman. On the start Pea
 body and Hickman took the lead and kept
 it. Hartman and Riddle were never able to
 pass them. Time, 4:29, unpaced.
 Match which closed the Meet
 Then came the final match championship
 race which closed the meet Two tandem
 teams were used as a pace relieving each
 other every half mile. The two champions
 were made to hustle the entire distance.
 Hickman caught the first tandem and kept
 it for two laps. Peabody pushed past him,
 the second pace picked them up and kept his position for thrty-six laps.
 On the last two rounds both riders be-
 gan to show fatigue, and there was not
 much squirting ability left in their tired
 muscles On the last lap Peabody had I wheel length lead and though Hickman
 made a beautiful spurt, considering his
 tired condition, he failed to lessen the dis tance. Time. 12:a2 3-5.
 Thus closed the greatest meet ever held
 on the coliseum track. Earl Peabody, the amateur champion, down in two
 reces before the Birmingham boy. Ilick-
 man has made himself a record rhroushout
 the United States.
 After the meet last night Peabody said
 .r,a. he had never bFeu against a stronger