The Washington times., 1901-12-15
WALTH0UR WON
IN WILD SPRINT.
Scenes Of Excitement at End
Of SiE-Day Race.
RIDERS FINISH IN FINE STYLE,
Huge Crowd in Madison Square
Garden, New York, Goes Mad
With Enthusiasm When the Man
From Georgia Crosses the Line

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW
YORK, Dec 14.-Robert Walthour. OF
Atlanta, Ga. better known as Bobby,
rode across the black paint line that runs
across the track in Madison Square Gar
den. one length ahead OF Lester Wilson.
Of piusburg. at 12.lO o'clock tonight.
Behind Wilson one length was Benny
Munro, the boy from Memphis, Tenn. Two
lengths behind Munro was Oscar Babcock
OF New York. and last Of all. FIVE lengths
behind Babcock, was Nat Butler. OF
Boston.
That was the way the six day race Of
1901 ended. Only five teams of the six
teen that started last Monday morning
finished. and it was practically a one-mile
sprint at the end. because the FIVE teams
were tied for first place. 1t was a close
ending to a glorious race.
Fooled d., wnIthour.
Many thought that Walthour did not
have his speed with him. but they we're
fooled He cut out pace for the las;
mile that made the other riders weaken.
Wilson and Munro we're the only real
rivals he had. The final sprint showed
that neither Babcock nor Butler was quite
as strong as the others.
The one mile sprint began with Nat
Butler leading and the other four closely
followed grouped about him. For half
a mile they all rcde at about 2:30 clip.
Then Walthour broke out his sprint. He
took the lead for the sixth lap. let Wilson
have it for the seventh. then went to the
front again, and after that never was
headed. The lnal score of last weeks
race was:
Walthour and McEachcrn. 2.555-4:
Maya and Wilson. 2555-i; Newkirk and
Munro. 2555-4; Babcoek and Turviile, p
555-4; Butler ana Mclean. 2.555-i: King
and Samuelson. 2,555-l; Hall and McLar-
en-. 2,ii2-9. Frederick and Jaak. 2.231-2
The record for 142 hours is 2. 733 miles.
4 laps. made by Charles Miller and Frank
Waller in 1899.
Scene of fPandrmonium.
The scene at the finish was Of a char
acter that is furnished by nothing else
than six day races. There were ten thou
sand persons who had paid double prices
in the building. Not one OF them was
sitting down and when the orange colored
sweater OF Bobby" flashed across that
black line on the yellow pine boards. IL
Is doubtful If 2 ter cent OF those watching
kept their mouths closed
The upr0ar was made by whlstlng. Yell
ing. horns and foot stamping. 1t was
enough TO deafen a fish
Before Walthour could complete one
circuit OF the track after he flashed across
the tape winner he was grabbed by en-
thusiasuc friends and lifted from his
wheel while going about ten miles an
hour.
THOMPSON. his trainer. hugged WaIthour
and then led him to Mrs Waithour to be
hugged by her The ten thousand specta-
tors yelled frantically while Bobby"
kissed his wife. Then the band played
Dixie"
While Walthour was putting on his
bath robe. preparatory to going TO his
training quarters, carpenters began TO
saw tie track in order to take-it up in
sections.
Record Breaking Crowds.
Although the men were many miles be-
hind the record. it was the closest and
one Of the most interesting races ever
sceh. The attendance during the week
was also OF a record d-breakiag kind.
Neither at horse shows nor prize fights
have there been such crowds as in this
rasa IL 10