Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-07-31
VICTORS IN OLYMPIC G.>mZS
How eliminates of Flanagan and Snsp-
pard Regard Their TriumPhs.

pard Regard Their TrIumPhs.
New York athletes generally AMI
Irish taerican Athletic club members
particL tarly have had Il general JOHN
cation over the news concerning The
success of John Flanagan. the hammer
thrower, and Melvin Sheppard. the
runner in the first finals decided IN
the Olympic sports in London.
While the wearers of the winged
fist" and many other close students OF
athletics anticipated the victory OF
Flanagan in his favorite game. the
general excellence of Sheppard's WORK
in both heat and final of the Loo
meter race was much discussed
topic.
William l.. Jones, well known New
York devotee of amateur sport when
he read the cable announcing the sue
cess of his protege, said;
1t only bears out what I've always said
about Melvin's running, and his wOrlu ;
championship in the l,5O0 meters VIII be
supplemented by a victory in the $40
meters, which is the event he went over
TO win While | have always considered
him the greatest middle distance runner
I've ever seen. barring Lon Myers. | did
not think him quite up TO taxing INC
measure of the worlds best miiers, as
he has just done.
look to see him put up time per
Torrance in the 500 meters. II was GER
tainly hardship for our team 10 have
such men as Sheppard and Halstead
drawn against each other in the trials.
/ feel confident our point column SUFFERED
because of the seeming unfarness OF the
draw as Halstead's work in the Phia'
delphia tryouts. where ne did 4 minutes
is seconds for 1880 meters, seemed to
assure him a victory against Sheppard
or any other runner
When Melvin comes home | will en-
deavor to have him assail the half mile
figures of Kilpatrck-1 minute 80 20 sec.
onds-and the 900 yard mark of Myers
2 minutes IL seconds-which have with
stood attack for thirteen and twenty
seven years respectively.
At the Irish American clubs New
York city home there was open house,
and even the competitive enemies OF
the winged fist" were well received.
Patrick j. Conway. the organiza.
TONS president to bunch of athletes
interested in the success Of the team
individually and collectively, said:
While our men are showing up in fine
style, boys, it's all for the good of tn,
stars ant' stripes and only what / ex
pected. OF course l rather looked fol
John to duplicate his fine work at Tor
rington last month, when he threw thu
hammer LIS feet IA inches, a worlds rec
ord. In all likelihood when he gets OF
his native heath he'll get it out 1856 feet
a distance I've seen him accomplish man.
times in practice. You know our boy
intend to tour Ireland after the Olympic
John Flanagan had a novel eXpe
rience short time ago as he wa
leaving New York to compete at SOM
athletic games. Following the usua
custom of weight throwers, he carrie,
along with him his own weight, SIN
teen pound iron ball, with thirty-si,
inch wire handle attached. On tn
way Flanagan met~some friends, an
they called in at cold tea house" t
enjoy couple of tall ones.
Being painfully modest, John decide
to leave the hammer outside, so tina
the folks inside would not get wise
the fact that he was great athlete.
few minutes later along came part
of Italians talking in their nativ
tongue.
Suddenly from out of their midS
came a fearful whoOp, and the bunc
scattered like widfire. seeking place
of safety One rushed into the CAT
where John and his party We're stant
ing and shrieked at the top Of h
lungs:
"Bigga da bombw BLACK Hand
"Runna fast!'
With that he disappeared and VIZ
up the street in a jiffy.
Flanagan and his friends stood
breathless silence waiting for the roc
of the building to be blown off but t
no explosion came one of the pumbt
took courage and peeped out of I'll
door to see what had caused the lta
ians to stampede There, beside II
entrance, lay the cause of all Il
furore-Flanagan's sixteen pound har
mer.
The Italians had mistaken the ire
ball for bomb and the long wire ha
die for fuse, so of course the laus
was on John.