Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-01-17
HE WON IN A CANTER.
"LUCKY' BALDWIN MADE HIS JOCKEY
RIDE SQUARE.
The Horseman Used an Argument
That Made the Crooked Riders
Teeth Chatter While He Got Out
All the Speed In the Animal.

The HOrsemnn Used an argument
Tint Made the Crooked Riders
Teeth Chatter while He Got Out
All the Speed In the Animal.
In the lobby of a hotel the other
evening a number of men were discuss
ing sports and sporting l
subject of nerve and grit S------sD -ssae
of the party, we'll known Californian,
who knew Lucky" Baldwin in the old
days, said:
Baldwin was about the hardest man
to be chiseled out of anything he set
his heart on getting that | ever met up
with. A whole lot of people tried to
put il on him in business and other sort
of deals, but none of these ever sue
ceeded in catching Lucky Baldwin
sufficiently asleep to make their plans
stick.
"Horsemen still talk about n funny
game in which Baldwin figured on one
of the Chicago race tracks a number of
wears ago. Baldwin had brought his
magnificent string of thoroughbreds to
Chicago to make an effort to annex the
swell stakes that were then on tap Oh
the tracks in the windy town, and he
got them home first or III the money in
many of the biggest events Well, he
had one of his finest horses entered in
a valuable long distance event, and
Baldwin was particularly anxious to
win this race, not so much for the
purse end of it as for the glory of cap
turing the stake. His horse just about
figured to win, too, and Baldwin in
tended to go down the line on the ami
mails chances, not only at the track,
but at all of the big poolroOms in the
country. He stood to clean up consid-
erably more than 100000 on the horse
If the brute got under the wire first
Baldwin's regular stable jockey was
taken sick on the morning of the race,
and the old man had to hustle around
for another boy to ride his horse in the
big event. From another horseman he
bought for big round sum the release
of a high grade rider, who was to have
taken the mount on thoroughbred
that didn't figure to get near the money
Jockey his instructions as to the way
he wanted the horse ridden. and then,
when the betting opened, his commits
sioners dumped Baldwin's money into
the ring in such large quantities that
the horse became an overwhelming ia
vorite.
"a quarter of an hour before the
horses were due to go to the post a
well known bookmaker, to whom Bald
win had often exhibited kindness in
less prosperous days, ran to where the
old man was standing, chewing n
straw, in his barn.
Baldwin, said the bookie to the
old man, there's n job to beat you and
you're going TO get beat. They wanted
me to go in with 'em, but you've al
ways been on the level with me, and
wouldn't stand for it. The ring has
bought up your jock, and your horse
is going to be snatched.'
"'Much obliged for telling me that,
replied the old man. III just make 4
stab to see that the boy doesn't do any
snatching. though
Baldwin borrowed another gun
from one Of his stable hands Gn those
days he always carried one of his own
about as long as your ARM, and with
his artillery he strolled over the infeld
and took up his stand by the fence
at the turn into the stretch. He hadn't
mentioned to anybody what he was go
ing to do, and the folks who saw the
old man making for the stretch turn
simply thought that Baldwin wanted
| to watch the race from that point OF
| view He did, for that matter, but he
| happened to have another end in view
well, the horses got away from the
post in an even bunch, and then Bald
wins horse went out to make the run
| ming. The Jockeys idea was to race
| the horses head off and then pull hin
in the stretch, making it appear as il
the animal had tired. Baldwin had
instructed the jock to play waiting
! game and make his bid toward the fin
| ish. The horse simply outclassed his
: company, however, and he didn't show
| any indications of leg WEAKNESS what
! ever as he rounded the backstretch or
| the rail a couple of lengths in front OF
| his field Baldwin c0lld see. however
! that the crooked jock was saving the
| horses head off in his effort to take
! him back to the ruck. When the horses
were still hundred feet from him
Baldwin let 0ut a yell to attract hi:
| Jockeys attention., aud then he flashed
his two guns in the sunlight and bawl
ed at the jock:
"Leggo that horses head, you mon
key devil. and go on and win or II
shoot you so full of holes that yol
won't hold mOlassesn
"The jock gave one look at those tive
guns that Baldwin was pointing
straight at him. Then he gave Bald
wins horse his head. sat down to rid'
for ali that was in him, and the horst
under him cantered in ten lengths t
the good on the bit. AS long as Lucky
Baldwin was on the eastern turf afte
that no jockey ever tried to yank ONT
Of his horses. Washington Post.
An Awe Stricken Witness.
|