Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-05
He BIT ON IN Old GAME. /
A wOODsFIELD OIL MAN NEATLY
TRIMMED TO THE TUNE OF
-FOUR HUND-l-D
ON A FAKE sPRINTING RACE.
which Took Place ON the Fair
Grounds Last Saturday Morning.
The Runners and a Woodsfield
Man Divided the Proceeds-Shrewd
Manner in Which the Game WAS
Worked.

Last week at Woodsfield there was
started much talk about foot race
between two parties of that town. A
saloon keeper took prominent part
in the discussion, and soon the talk
changed to facts, and the saloon man
bet four hundred dollars on one man
and told his friends about it. and by
request of the two athletes was made
stakeholder. The winner was to get
25 per cent. and the loser 20 per cent.
Much rivalry seemed to exist be-
tween the runners and the race was
talked of all over town, and bank
man went to the saloon man and got
on the inside and was going to put
up about $1,000. Another prominent
man had $500 to put On the sure win
ner. This, with the saloon mans pro-
posed $500, made a total of $1,000 BET
on the one man, and the stakeholder
told them there was still plenty OF
money to cover on the other man.
They all agreed to go to Bellatre
and run the race, and at that time the
Woodsfield people would put up their
money. The saloon man and his two
athletes boarded the morning train
for Bellaire Saturday but the other
parties failed to show up, having
caught on from the advice of Bell
aire man the night before that the
game was up; but the saloon man
was equal to the occasion, and finding
a prominent oil man on the train, told
him his story and how easy it would
be to make some money, as he well
knew which one would win. The oil
man became interested and thought OF
the thousands he had put in wild cat
wells and lost, but here was sure
thing. He had only small amount
of cash with him, but had money in
the Woodsfield bank, SO on reaching
Bellaire they repaired to the Dollar
Bank, and he asked the cashier to
telegraph to the hank at Woodsheld
about cashing a 5000, check. The an
swer came back saying, Good. The
oil man soon found a party to identity
him, and the bank cashier cashed the
check and the money was given to
the saloon man.
Then they got the two runners, VINO
apparently seemed on bad terms, and
went over to the Island fair grounds,
and the oil man was made referee;
but before the race the oil man was
induced to give his check for $500
more. The saloon man, on receiving
this check, repaired to one of the
buildings for a few minutes, and then
the race started. AS the runners had
marked off the ground their pace
seemed slow, but the supposed winner
was ahead, when suddenly he fell,
pretending to have sprained his ankle,
and writhed in pretended pain while
the other crossed the line. The oil
man threw up his hands in disgust,
saying: There goes my $780, but to
the oil man, Twill save your two
hundred check" and tore check into
shreds, throwing it on the ground, and
Immediately came over to town and
took a B. & o. train for GAINESVILLE.
At that town he secured a rig and
rapidly drove to Woodsfield and had
the check cashed, having while in one
of the buildings on the fair grounds
written a bogus check which he tore
up. The oil man left in disgust, be-
ing out $500. The two runners SOON
became good friends, went to Bellaire,
thence to Woodsfield. where the S40O
was divided among the three.