The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-12-17
THE LONG
GRIND ENDED
FogIer, Winner In Six Day
Contest Footed.
VERY EXCITING FINISH
Madison Square Garden Battle Of
the Wheels Closed With TumuIt
0lGrosns and Kisses.
VERY EXCITING FINISH

NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-THE result
OF the six day bicycle contest at Madi.
son Square Garden was surprise aud
disappointment TO many present at the
close.
Root and Foglcr took first place.
Hopper and Downing second and Rutt
ana Mcfarland third. The distance
was 2,2O2 miles laps. The record Ii
2,I33 miles laps.
BY the sheer strength OF his power.
full leg drives Joe Fogler jumped his
front wheel over the finish line five
inches In front OF Hardy Downing and
Walter Rutt. aud $1,000 excited men
and women saw the Root-Fogler team
returned the winner for the second
time.
Less than n foot separated the first
three positions. but Eve judges were
unanimous In their opinion OF the or.
der.
As remarkable In the last ten laps
Of the long grind as In almost every
other stage OF the way the race GUIDED
in tumult OF groans. boots and Misses
as the crowd saw the Brooklyn boy
fash IN winner
Although champions ~ last years
contest. the RootFoglcr team was the
most unpopular Of any Of the sixteen
which started IN the race. Particular.
ly antagonistIc 10 the crowd was Fo.
gler. although his wrongd0ing was not
noticeable 10 any decree. aud he rode
fully ms clean n race as half the others.
When the pistol shot announcing the
beginning Of the last mile sprint-thc
ten laps in which punciurcs. falls or
other accidents cost the victim all
chance Of fighting for the long sought
victory-rang through the big building
the eight riders chosen to represent
their teams in the battle for final hon
ors whirled over the starting line in n
compact bunch four abreast.
Into the Madison avenue turn they
swung. stretched out In line. Rutt
the German champion. picked by the
talent TO win. at the head OF the pro-
N'HTiNAAs iAAfAAg ifNN ullN- was lANhfu
on Rutt's rear wheel. riding high. his
eyes covering every other man on the
track. Sweeping around the Fourth |
avenue side. Downing jumped TO the |
pole and for the succeeding two laps |
held the leading position.
At the beginning of the fourth lap |
Emile Georget dashed from the rear
and assumed the lead.
For three laps the field. we'll togeth- |
err and riding free. let the Frenchman |
maintain his position.
Rutt then rushed TO the front and
finished clear of Hardy Downing. with
daylight separating him from Georget,
who was blanketed by Downing.
TO this stage Fogler had been trail
ing the pack. As the teams began the
unwlnding of the last two lap sprint
Fogler shot by the field, riding high,
on the bank at the Madison avenue
end, The crowd roared in amazement
as the rush down the Tweny-sixth
street stretch began.
Rutt pedaling at the top of his
speed, switched the six others around
the Fourth avenue turn in an almost
continuous line Old timers stood ST.
lent astOnished at the speed with
which Fogler swept into the beginning
of the last lap.
The entire field, beneftlng by Fo-
glers pace, was in obvious distress,
but the Brooklyn lad flew out half
length further into the lead as the
pistol announced the beginning of the
last twelve seconds of riding. Even
at this point no one believed Rutt
could fail to pass Fogler on the last
jump.
But on the last turn Rutt swept up
the bank unable because of his mo-
mentum to hold his position, rubbing
Fogler's shoulder Like streak of
lightning Hardy Downing, graspng
the opportunity, jumped up off the
pole and forced his wheel down the
middle Of the stretch between Fogler
and Rutt, the latter riding close to the
box rail on the top of the bank
The other five men, headed by little
three lengths back, flashed
over the line an instant later. Three |
of the judges disputed fourth and fifth
places with the other two judges 1t
was finally settled after a long wait
that Macdonald was fourth, Netting
fifth, Clark sixth, Downing seventh ]
and Emil Georget eighth.
When finally the decslon\was reach
ed and Charlie Harvey, the announcer,
shouted Foglers name, the garden