Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-22
JAMES MORROW AND BEDFORD, JR.
"REMINISCENCES OF JAMES MORROW,
THE LOCAL OWNER AND TRAINER
OF LIGHT HARNESS HORSES

money, and it was not long before they
were satisfied that they had Zine on
William Penn. and then they sat about
framing a race by which they hoped
to- relieve his owner of a fat roll of
money which they discovered he carried
Jacob Leary was the fastest trOtte- in
these parts at that time, and it was with
Jacob that the wise men figured they
would trim William Penn. Finally, a
race between Jacob Leary and William
Penn was proposed, but Mr.. Morrow did
not take to it and it was abandoned. Then
a series of five four-cornered matches
for 500 corner each race was suggest
ed. Mr.. Morrow still held off, but finally
consented to go into such an arrange
ment. after a lot of arguing.
Jacob Leary. William Penn and two
other trotters We're named and the money
posted. Jacob Leary was looked upon
as sure to trip off three heats around
2.40, while William Penn was, by the
horse, and when Leary won the first race
in heats around 2.45 and Penn finished
last they were jubilant and sure they had
a pipe, while Mr.. Morrow was apparently
gloomy but when he went out and won
every other race of the series with Penn.
which trotted every heat faster than
Jacob Leary had gone in the first race
the jobbers realized that they had been
jobbed, and always afterward steered
clear of further attempts to warp him.
up several thousand dollars on these
races. for he had several associates bet
ting on the side every time One of them
was trotted.
X X
Mr.. Morrow was also interested in the
famous horse of that time, Edwin For
rest. that was handled by one of his
friends, and in a three-cornered match
in which Forrest, mare called Lady
Patterson and William Penn were the
starters, he won another big bundle of
money. Forrest won two heats and
Lady Patterson won the next two. Then
Mr. Morrow, with Penn apparently a dead
one in the first stages of the race, went in
and took the next three heats, the race and
the money. Mr.. Morrow raced William
Penn in the west the next year and then
sold him for $1,000. The horse eventually
took trotting record of go.
Nearly every prominent harness. horse
man in the District of Columbia attended
the funeral of the veteran at Arlington
last Tuesday, for every horseman in the
District knew him and liked him. Among
those present to pay their last respects
were Mr. John H. Gheen, for whom Mr..
Morrow trained and drove fast horses
twenty years ago; E. F. Hail. Capt.
Charles Hartung, Gen. Henry Sherwood,
John F. Javins. president of the Bright
wood Driving Club; Thomas Cannon, who
was associated with Mr.. Morrow in train
ing and racing horses for twenty-five
years; William Brown, treasurer of the
Brightwood Driving Club; DR.. ]. D. Rob
inson, secretary of the Brightwood Driv-
ing Club; L. D. Sale, writer on harness
horse topics; Alonzo Corbin and many
others.
Mr.. Morrow spent the last two years
of his life handling the fast horses in
the stable of Mr.. Javins, who has won
the kindly feeling of all local turfmen
by the consideration and generosity he
showed the old trainer during his service
with him and during his last hours on
earth.