New-York tribune., 1906-12-18
PLANNED TO STOP RACE.
Police Commissioner Says Sir-Day
Grind Was q Menace.


that the investigation into the sx-day bicycle
race last,week, at Madison Square Garden. was
not over so far as he was concerned, and that
he believed the police did not do their duty in
failing TO furnish him with reports as to the
state of affairs. He said further:
I am going TO get at the head of the bicycle
race I will see the owners of the Garden, and
I am determined TO get at the root of the evil.
| The race menace to the public II 1t had
run twenty-four hours longer l would have
stopped 1t public nuisance. I did not know
things were as bad as they were until Ii was
too late.
Asked why he did not have policemen at the
| Garden when the race started, General Bingham
said
1t is the same as the Grand Central Station.
| 1t was the business of the management to have
the Garden privately poliCed I didn't know un-
til the race had been going on three or four days
that the conditions were as bad as have since
found out. My men did not report IL was as bad
as it was, and I don't believe they did their
duty. 1 want to say this If they ever hold
another six-day race, and l Commissioner.
will have something TO say about it.
When P T. Powers had finished paying off
the contestants in the six-day race. at Madison
Square Garden yesterday. using the pressroom
as a cashiers office, he gave out the following
statement
The six-day race was as honest a contest as
any in the history of man, all reports 10 the
contrary notwithstanding. My conscience is
clear as to every detail. At no time during the
race was there particle of friction between the
management and riders. Before promoting
other race I will consult with the officials of the
National Cycling Association to the end thet
more satisfactory rules will govern the race and
along lines that the public will more clearly un
derstand.
Fully an hour and a half before the hour set
for paying off, which o'clock. the riders
gathered at the Garden in little knots and
groups. talking over the and discussing
the prospects OF another one next year. A
score Of carpenters and twice many laborers
were at work taking down the track upon which
the race run The carpenters sawed the
track into big triangular sections. like slices OF
pie. and each loosened ii torn
down with crash like thunder. The Iaborers.
each with crowbar, tore apart the sections and
carried them to side of the Garden. BY +
o'clock the demolition nearly completed. and
scarcely n sign remained of track other
paraphernaa
Among the first of the riders TO arrive We're
John and Menus Bedell. The latter broke his
collarbone early in the race and carried his
right in sling. Soon after them came
WalthOur Vanoni and the others. The riders
were admitted TO Mr. Powers's office in the
team order in which they raced.
The teams taking first. second and third places
got, respectively, 81 800, $50 and $500. These
were Root and Fogler. Downing and Hopper and
Rutt and MacFarland. Substantial guarantees
were made before the race ii said among
the groups of riders yesterday, TO all the teams
who should finish stay in the race until the
last day. The foreign teams, in particular. had
these guarantees in writing. it said. APP
parenty everybody satisfied, no COM
plants were heard about the amounts re-
Ceived. One of the riders said:
Mr.. Powers has treated US fairly. We have
complaint TO make We tried 10 give the
public the best had. and think we did. The
charge that the race race in name only is
an unwarranted one. II is no reflection that
some Of us were promised sums for entering
the race. II is a big expense 10 the riders to
compete in this siX-day race"
The greatest friendiness seemed to prevail
among the riders and there was nothing that
even savored of a discussion among them Fall
ing into conversation with Fogler on the floor of
the Garden, man who, it is said is a prom
nent boOEmaker, offered in the afternoon 10
post $500 TO 81, 900 a guarantee if Fogler
would agree to race Walthour within any rea-
sOnable time at any track to be selected.
Fogler, according to reports, would not consider
the offer.