The Washington herald., 1906-12-14
WALTHOUR MAY QUIT
Wife Pleads with Him to
Give Up Riding.
ROUGH DEAL IN BIKE RACE
Rear Team Regarded IA n Big Draw
ing Card, but They Claim They
Have Been the Victims of Acci-
dents and AEinine scOring-SpiIIs
During the Day-Makes Statement.

New York, Dec. 13-Stamping her foot
with rage. Mrs. Walthour, wife of the
famous bicycle rider, begged and pleaded
with her husband this afternoon TO stop
riding In the six-day contest In Madi-
son Square Garden. Walthours final at
tempt to gain the lap which separates him
and his partner from the leadership in
the race, which was absolutely success
ful, but was not allowed by the manage
ment because of a tTifling accident to
another rider, has so enraged both men
that they may retire at any hour. Walth-
our however, was deaf to his wife's
pleadings, saying that he only thought
it right to continue, as so many of his
friends had bet on him to win the con
test.
This was one of several incidents dur
ing the day Earlier in the day Samuel
sons partner Hollister, OF the Mormon
team, received a bad spill. which inca
pacitated him for the race, and as Van,
the Italian. who had been doing good
work all the week, also received injuries
which compelled him TO retire, Samuel
son and Breton formed a new team and
were paired, penaiized a lap. which placed
then on even terms with Walthour and
BedeH
Struggle TO Regain Lap.
Desperately fighting to regain the lap
which they We're penalized. WalthOur and
Beden to-day gave the spectators several
exhibitions of sprinting They forced the
other riders to work their hardest to
keep the favorites from tapping them,
and but for hard luck would have cap
tured the lap.
Calvin and Wiley are the two youngest
riders in the race, and the terrible strain
Of the succession Of sprints told on them
80 much that they were compelled to
slow up IN the last one, and were passed
three times by the bunch in less than a
mile
On the face Of what has happened. it
appears that the management realizes
that Walthour and Bedell are the big
drawing card, and If they keep them a lap
behind the crowds viii continue to pay TO
get into the Garden to see them sprint It
was necessary tonight 10 call out the po-
lice reserves to control the crowd that
tried to get into the Garden. Rioting was
in order. and never in the history Of six
day racing has the interest been so pro-
nOunced. II is estimated the management
viii clear $4,000 on the week
WaIthOur Makes Statement.
"Bobbie" Walthour at O'Clock tonight
made this statement:
"Beden and I have apparently had the
worst of all Of to-day's decisions. Five
times in the last twenty-four hours have
I reached the tail end Of the bunch. and
seemed to have recovered the lost lap
which by the way neither l nor Johnnie
lost. as we were never of the track but
were penaliZed by the rules. We have each
time been refused, four times by an ac-
cident and once by asinine scoring. We
are not kicking, but 1t seems 10 me TO
be a hard ruling that a man who is
some 800 feet in the lead On a track that
IS but 52S feet long. should be compelled
to stand for a penalty which loses him
800 feet distance simply because of a
spill Of the rear guard We will not
quit, however, but win continue 20 do our
best"
HOLSTER, the member of the Mormon
team who was hurt in a spill to-day, was
taken TO ST. Vincent's Hospital tonight.
He is suffering from a bad scalp wound
and shock, but DR.. Van WOrmer. in at
tendance on him, says all he needs is
rest and that he will be all right in
day or two.