The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-01
FRANK KRAMER is
GIVEN DECISION
Judges So Decide in the Great
Bicycle Race on the
Saucer.
IT WAS A RECORD
BREAKING CONTEST
Both Riders Finished So Close
That an Official Decision
Was Necessary.

| FRANK Kramer Is still the American
| champion Before the largest crowd that
| mas ever attended a race meet MT tho
saucer rack he twice defeated Iver Law
son last evening. There are those, how
| ever, who Will never admit that he bested
| Lawson In the one mile heat but two
OF the three judges said he did and their
verdict is final. After riding neck and
neck for two laps the riders whIrled
! across the tape so close together that
the thousands present could but pity
| the poor judges who had to make a de-
| cision. But however great the difference
| OIL opinion here, all must admit that
hramer's victory in the tbree-mile heat
| was clean cut and decisive By three
| quarters or a wheel he won and by win
ming he cinched his claim to the American
| championship and at the same time dem
| onstrated himself to be- the speediest
rider that pedals a wheel
With the eyes OF six thousand people
glued upon them, the two riders, Lawson
| leading and Kramer close behind circled
the wooden saucer six times with pace
| maker Palmer breaking the wind Just
as the riders started the seventh lap
both Jumped and the battle was on.
! Kramer quickly worked himself abreast
! or Lawson and neck and neck they sped
| around the oval. Now Kramer led by
| inches, now Lawson and so the riders
| see-sawed. On the last half-lap Lawson
| puiieo SllSuLlS dHcdus lnS ulSIdHCe WAS
| not great and yet perceptible. Is Kra-
| mer weakening? But before tho specta-
! tor had asked himself the question the
| Newark cyclist had closed the gap and
| the riders were abreast again. In this
| position, moving their legs like piston
rods, SO that they seemed but TO shoot
| up and down and not 60 round IN a cir
Gle. the riders whirled onto the tape,
| going in neck and neck. The expression
| OF agony their faces was terrible.
Bending low over their handle bars,
straining every nerve and muscle and
| making their wheels spin and hum like
| knight errants from hades. the two riders
came on. Five yards from the tape the
men were abreast, neck and neck. Kra-
mer made a last spurt. such one as has
often brought victory both at home and
abroad But Kramer's sprint was met
| by Lawsons jump. liver seemed TO throw
| himself wheel and all through the air
| and in this wise the riders crossed the
| tape. Time, 2:1S.
| The race was over. Who had won?
| Standing tier above tier the thousands
of people waited for the verdict of the
judges Those people saw Kramer dis
mount and run down toward the judges.
| He said something, presumably. Il won.
| When Lawson dismounted there were
| cheers and presuming he had won, 1ver
| hurried TO his dressing room. And then
silence fell on all again. The three judges
| had their heads close together a stake
holder passed by them, walked up the
track and gave fellow who had bet on
Lawson the money, saying. liver won
| Still no word came from the judges. The
silence was Irritating. the suspense pain
| full The race was SO close that there
could be little protest against any de-
| cision,
And so when the Degaphone carried
| the message, Kramer WINS there was
applause mingled with deep murmurs
| The spectators In the reserved seats back
| OF the tape were for Kramer, those on
| the other side for Lawson. This decided
difference OF opinion was due 10 the angle
| az vision But to hear the verdicts OF
| those at the tape was the most interest
ing Kramer had it by three inches
| declares the first questioned. He
didn't" chimes in another. II had my
eve on the tape and Lawson won by
| rim. and after that raw decision
wouldn't blame him IL he never rode
again"
And Lawson came very near not riding
| again He was heart broken when tho
decision of the judges was carried TO
| him and at first refused TO ride the hnal
| heat. Later he changed his mind. All
this unpleasantness could have been OBJ
| Waited had the judges but stretched
| cord at the finish. Charles IL. Dowse
and ]. II. Moore are the two judges who
said Kramer won. II. - AhueIson gave
| his decision for Lawson,
! Kramer was the first OF the TWO riders
| IN make his appearance for the three
| mile race. He was cordially received.
| hui his reception did not compare in
| warmth or vlgor with that accorded Law
| son a moment later. In this race hra-
nner went to the front with Lawson tol-
| lowing
Agraz and Monroe furnished pace until
| two ,ans from home, Just as the riders
| rounded onto the first curve of the sew
| enth lap in tho last mile Kramer gave
| lump and opened up a gap between him.
! self and Lawson. IVer closed II up d.
rectly and until half lap from home
| remained glued TO Kramers rear wheel.
| Then he drew up on the Newark rider,
who was travelling at terrific pace For
| = moment It looked as though Lawson
would go round.
| On the north bend OF the final lap Iver
| almost pulled up abreast with kramer.
But the Lawson jump was met with the
Kramer sprint and the latter won at the
| taoe by a scant wheel length. Time, $40.
| The regular races were good. There
n,era hard fought contests, close and ex-
citing finishes. The results OF the regular
events follows:
one-rnile match team race-Pye and
Clark defeated Hopper and Bardgett.
Time. 1855.
1past frst. Giles second, Mccormack third
and Diefenbacher fourth. Time 30 sec
Three mile lap race. amateur-Hume
6rst. Berryessa second, Holiday third
and West fourth Time, sly.
One-mile. open, proressional-Mcfar
land frst, Hopper second, Clark third,
pardgett fourth. Time. SO seconds.
FIva-mile open, motor race-Samuel-
sop Sret. Turville second and Schmidt