The St. Louis Republic., 1900-12-30

Drs FRANCIS & FRANCIS, COD ely: t. swss ss il St.

Tuesday At Washington Park track. after
suffering for several months from the .'it'ts' @
Of hcinG fired. the OPERATION h.!NllH ~
done in such = manner that me HNiti s,i.h =, -
, ono. great S-ytar-Old. Charles Head Shlitu'
attributes to 1t The loss al N, morse lo'
which he. refused an offer OF S-h.S".
For SOM, reason he says. the deatn 90
Lieutenant Gihs II WIS kept :. s"'frt. anu 'i, ne
WAS c:srtca away ami barred late at h%ht. ~
was only yesterday that The iA'' '"N'"
The story Of Lieutenant Gibson is an IN
trrsstinG one. A. 2-year-oid n. was t!oSS
to first CLASS. although SOM" critics dcii,o dt
him that. distinction. but all agreed 'his
over II hcJVy track IA. was the peer "i any
,nir of Thai age. As a .:-year-nld he attract
,,i !. rr.gJ deal of attention by his remark
able trials over the Louisville track where
he WAS h,inG prepared by Charlie nuSncS.
:tn ol,l-iililc follower of the trotttTS. luSitH
gave the coli Il great deal 81 itS' Worn nr
fore the Derby WAS RUN. and on the StfrhEln
ri This he started tlvurite al ahout eve"
money against the field III tht classic Ft'i'-
rucky event. He Won all the way. taking
the track soon after the flag Tell ana ihahiiiS
all the running from then to the .hd 81 tii'
mile and quarter which constituted tae
race. u. ran the ,iiStInr" IN 2Nhia. Wh''h
was a record for the race. anu as u" ear
ri-d II. pounds the performance WaS on"
that showed real class \ little later i-ltn
tenant ,iiI son set the seal ~ his greatness
hy winning the Clark Stakes. a rniie and an
eighth in 81 The hest previous record at
m. distance over the louisville Track y AZ
rht. l:5i of Pearl Jennings, hut she WIS "a
A-year-old when she went the distance IN
10y Gibson.
Brt th,. colts most remarkable perform
ance was after the Derby and Clark Stakes
had been placed 10 his credit. He had the
speed of the wind. and in his preparatory
work for the I-atonia Derby, whicn was ms
next engagement. he ran Il mile and a guar
ter in a:0i3. This was really what made the
KentuCkianS to a man back Lieutenant Glib
son in the Washington Park Derby. where
le finished such a tame third 10 Sidney i-u-
cas- and James. The brown colt showed the
. bluegrass trainers clip that not even Hin
, doc had been able TO equal over the historic
course at Louisville. and the result WaS ne
carried all the smart money when ne started
in the city where he was owned. The result
of the race and the colts Subsequent rum
ming here were a great disappointment TO ms
owner. and the general opinion was tnat 'Iib-
. son had been given too much fast work IN
preparation for the big race here A little
later came the news that he had broken
down aud been fired for bowed tendon.
About the same time His ENceilency, a colt
that Mr. Smith bought for sS.e9. also went
wrong, and was subjected 10 the same severe
treatment At the time the weather was in
Sufferahy hot in Chicago. and His Excel
leucy. after enduring agony for week or
more from the action of the firing iron. died
in his stall.
Gibson was a bulldog for courage. and the
tcrtures of the firing process were fought by
him TO the bitter end The man who applied
the drastic remedy followed il with liberal
applications of vase!ine to the scared legs.
and this had the effect of keeping ( h,a result
ant fever confined. and later IL extended to
the entire system of the colt His forward
legs became practically useless.and when he
would try TO rise on them they would give
WAY and the handsome thoroughbred, by
this time a physical wreck. would pitch for
/ ward helpleSsly. This continued for months,
; until at last outraged nature could no longer
stand the strain. and Lieutenant Gibson
died, lighting To the last for his life.