The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
GOOD LUCK WAS TOO MUCH FOR PULLMAN Former Tout Made Bets on
 500 to 1 Shot SUDDEN JOY KILLED HIM Story of Race in Which Shieldbearer Romped Home a Winner at St.
 Louis While the Rain
 Poured Down.
SUDDEN JOY KILLED HIM

Virginia about Colonel Simms or Huntington. who died from ex- citement a moment after having filled a royal flush was another prop to kind of theory, that I've formed about these things" observed veteran turfman who is racing a small string at Benning to representative of the Washington Post.
 "The theory is that a big piece of sudden good luck is more dangerous to man with anything wrong about his heart than a sudden slam of the worst kind of bad luck. I've seen at least half a dozen Tel lows, some of them husky and robust- looking, die suddenly on racetracks in the very moment of victory after having pulled down winnings such as they'd never dreamed of before.
 "The most remarkable case I ever saw of quick cash in following big win was that of Skid Bullman, well-known badge horse owner and tout on the old St Louis fair grounds track, back in the early sos.
 'The game had been breaking bad for Skid for a good many years, for the track detectives had got after him for touting, and for two years he was kept out of track grounds altogether Upon his solemn promise that he'd flag the touting he was allowed to enter the track grounds on his badge when the racing season of 95 began at St. Louis.
 "Everybody who ever raced in the west remembers that funny performance or old Shieldbearers. He was a horse that couldn't travel fast enough on dry and fast track to keep himself warm. But he was Awkins's 'oss in the mud, al though that fact was little known around St. Louis at this time, for this was Shield bearers first season there
 "rhe field that Shieldhearer went in with that day was made up of the best horses at the St. Louis track, fourteen of them, and, as the track was hard and lightning fast-the same kind of track as that on which Shieldbearer had been beat en a sixteenth of a mile by bad field only q couple of days before-the bookies chalked him up first 200 to 1, and then, as there was no sign of even a dollar play on him, punched his price along until he stood at 300 to l.
 Ten minutes before Shieldbearers field was to go to the post one of those sudden green and black wind and rain clouds for which St Louis is famous came romping down the bed of the river. As 1t didn't obscure the sun few people at the track noticed it. The bookies, caged as they were in the betting ring, didn't know any thing about it.
 But a select bunch of wise pikers, who were familiar with old Shieldbearer's 8 great ability as a slush runner kept their e es on that cloud and got line of dope working to whether 1t would break be- fore the next race was off. Seeing that the cloud gathered in momentum as it sped toward the track, these pikers just about TWO minutes before the bugle sound ed for the parade to the barrier, slunk into the betting ring and began to clap their little $1 and $2 notes down on Shield bearer to cop, all of them getting the 800 to 1 figure and the laugh from the bookies with whom they made their bets.
 skid Bullman. the ex-tout was one of the Shieldbearer players. Skid had maced somebody for S20 note before getting to the track that day, and so confident was he that if that cloud broke in time to muck up the track old Shieldbearer would win the race in the grease that he got the whole SEQ down on Shedbearer to cop. in ten $2 bets made with different bookies.
 The horses were already on their way to the post, but they hadn't made half the distance to the webbing before the heav- ems opened. It was a cloudburst. It seem ed as if the whole ocean was right above the track and was coming down in Jumps. The thunder roared and the lightning flashed.
 Tt was a six furlong sprint, and the horse started on the far side of the track. opposite the grand stand. Of course, not a glimpse of the field at the barrier could be seen for the blackness and the solid sheets of pelting rain, but the bell in the judges stand tankled, showing that the field had got away from the post. and then the folks in the stand settled down 10 wait the result.
 fad as n himself. a low key It was a queer kind of numbling he kept up, when l came to think about 1t afterward.
 This is one O my days l heard him humble as he stood bit behind where was sitting I cop all right I've had a bum break the last few years but this Is my day all right Nothin but Shield bearer. Shieldbearer all by hisself. Pipe. He kin fall down and beat 'em in tn mud. Bet he's forty lengths out in front now know he is Wat'll he streels in all alone. Jes you wait, people. All alone. All alone.
 ".Aw, stow thatv lot of people In Skids neighborhood grouched at him, and he stopped mumbling as queer splashing on the track. down to the left of the stand, brought us all to our feet.
 ''Tne splashing didn't sound like any field of horses. It was splashing made by just one horse.
 .'The horse could only be seen dimly through the black rain. But he came clomping along about his business, and not until he bore right down upon the judges stand was there any sound of the hoof beats in the mud of the field away back wonder behind him.
 As the solitary horse in front zipped past the stand the sky was ripped by a purple blaze of lightning, and the horse, as well as the number on his saddle cloth. was made out by the sharp-eyed race callers in the press box.
 "'Why, it's number 9-Sheldbearer" four or five of the men in the press box shouted.
 "'Oh, you baby!' l heard Skid say, right alongside of me, on the steps. He said 1t quietly, in sort of choked, muf- fled tone.
 "Then he sat down on one of the isle steps, folded his arms in tired sort Of way, and was quiet.
 Skid" said l, reaching out and hand ing him a light clout on the back, I'm glad I sure am glad
 "Ie didn't make any reply. nor did he even look up.
 Kind O bad for you. S0,OoO win on a 800 to 1 skate, ehg l said to him.
 Skid didn't make any reply, and so I bent down to take a peek into his face, wondering what ailed him, for he was a