Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
WILL END THE
RACES FOR CUP
No More Contests to Be Given
Over the Course Used
Yesterday.

GARDEN CITY. l.. L.. October 6--After
the race for the Vanderbilt cup today the
racing board of the American Automobile
Association held a meeting here and de-
cided that no more races should be held
under the auspices of the association over
the course used today.
Chairman Thompson said the board had
come to this decision because ii had been
found impossible to keep the crowds of
spectators in check. and to avoid accidents
such as occurred today. when several per-
sons were injured and Elliot F. Shepards
car killed a man. For these reasons it
was deemed inadvisable to hold further
racing on the Nassau county course Mr..
Thompson said that in the future IL similar
contests should be decided upon, they would
be held at some place further down the
island. He thought 1t possible that private
property might be purchased for the
adjustment Of . course. This could be
fenced in along its entire length. and any
outsider who ventured ON the course would
be guilty Of trespass. He pointed out also
that II course was established further
down the island It would tend to lessen
the crowd attending the races as many
persons would not care to pay the increased
fare. The fewer Of number Of spectators
the less danger there would be of acct
dents.
Every Precaution Taken.
Mr.. Thompson said that the associa ton
had spent thousands Of dollars In the erec-
ton of wire fences along the course In or
der to keep the public from crowding the
tracks and getting in harms way. These
fences were six feet high and surmounted
by two feet OF barbed wire. This precau-
tfonary measure had been rendered of no
avail in many cases as some of the specta-
tors had brought with them nippers with
which they had cut their way through the
fences. He said that in some places sec
tions of the wire fence two feet In length
had been deliberately cut out.
Chairman Thompson also said that he
had premonition that something wrong
was going to happen at todays races, and
had made efforts to have state troops called
out to guard the course and prevent any
mishap. He had applied. he said. to both
the sheriff Of Nassau county and to the
state authorities. but found that the serv-
ices of troops could not be had for the de-
sired purpose.
The Fatal Accident
The man who was killed was near the
dangerous turn in the course known as
krug's Corner. Two cars had flashed by
when the man ventured out upon the road
to get better view Of the others coming.
With the rush and roar of throbbing en-
gines the French car. driven by Elliot F
Shepard. an American. dashed into the
man. who. in the view Of thousands. was
hurled high into the air. When picked up
many yards from the scene Of the accident
the man was dead. His skull had been
fractured. both legs broken and he was
frightfully crushed. After a few minutes
he was identified as Kurt L. Gruner of Pas
sale, n. J.
Shepard plunged ahead at ninety miles
an hour along the straight stretch leading
to the judges stand. He was completely
unnerved. however. and did not finish his
seventh lap. It was given out that he had
broken a crankshaft. Shepard was run
ming sixth, and was in contending posi-
ton when the accident occurred.
Joseph Tracy in his American car.
crashed into crowd Of men and boys and
seriously injured Sylvester Baldwin. boy
of Norwalk. Conn. Several others were
slightly hurt. Tracey held to the course
DIR. Weilschott. an amateur driver OF an
Italian car. lost control of his big 10
horse power machine on the very first
round. He ran down two boys on bicycle.
then plunged down a thirty-foot embank-
ment. Both the driver and Colombo. his
mechanician. were picked up unconscious.
but were quickly revived. The injured boys
are John Brooks and Robert Ten Eyck
both living near the course. Several per-
sons were run down by touring cars in the
crush going to and returning from the
race.
People on the Course
1t was impossible to keep the immense
throng of the course. In their eagerness
to see as much as possible of the flying
car as it came along. they swarmed upon
the roads. breaking down the danger fences
as though they were built Of paper strings.
The blare Of the bugle and the cry of
''car coming had no effect upon the crowd.
They had their positions on the course I'M
til the on-coming car was within 100 yards.
Then like the opening of an inverted wedge
the crowd gave way with reluctance, leav-
ing barely room for the rushing car, with
its powerful engines splitting fire and fame
and roaring like a battery of small caliber
artillery. to dash through. One false mo-
ton Of the hand clutching the steering gear
and an accident like that Of an express
train crashing into 100 people would have
resulted.
Shepard. whose car killed the man today
was similarly unfortunate in France sew
eral months ago. where he ran over and
killed Madeline Marduel. at St Ouen. Mr..
Shepard was fined s120. sentenced to three
months Imprisonment and ordered to pay
$4,000 to the parents of the child After
much effort the sentence of imprisonment
was suspended. Mr.. Shepard is a son Of
the late Co: Elliot Shepard of New York
and a grandson of the late w. H. Wander
bilt.
Mr.. Vanderbilt whose donation of the
cup made the race poSslDie Saiu toilISiiI.
II am deeply distressed that the contest
should have been marred by fatalities. but
I am sure they We're unavoidable. Every
possible precaution was taken. The UNI
fortunate and deplorable accident in which
Mr.. Shepard figured is the case of the
keenest sorrow to me and I sympathize
not only with the families of those who
we're victims of the accidents. but with
Mr.. Shepard. Mr.. Tracy and the other
drivers. who could not prevent them"
Sheriff Gidersleeve was asked tonight
whether he intended to place Elliott +.
Shepard under arrest tonight i'm connec-
ton with the killing of NJ. Gruner, and he
answered in the negative. Asked whether
he intended to apprehend Mr.. Shepard to-
morrow he replied that he did not know
lust vet what action he would take.