Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-24

4
act Of running up the track in an en-
deavor to stop Carpenter coming
| through, and deliberately and meanly
broke the tape so as not to give hin
that honor.
They practically declared 1t no race
without authority. There was but on,
man in the arena who had authorit,
] referee did not do so, but a lot of ex
cited officials ran about screaming
foul and no race, and it was theil
decision that was announced.
/ Suppose Carpenter and Robbins ha(
met with an accident, would it still b,
| declared no race? If the officials con.
Quoting the Olympic sports had any
spirit of good fellowship and hac
! treated. our boys and officials as we
would have treated them If they hat
gone to America, our men would have
/ gone out and run the race over; but
| they have not. The race was as fab
as any race ever run.
I'VE never said a word when two
Englishmen tried to line up in front OF
Eisele in a race last week, nor when
Deakin and Wilson tried to run down
Sheppard, things which they glory in
over here and which their own papers
+, laud them for doing. Again, in the
S00-meter race, Crawford went in to
| kill Sheppard off to allow Justo, his
team mate, to win, but they could not
| do it, and If they had we would not
| have murrnured, for they believe in
doing those things over here. actions
| that would be condemned as mean
tricks in America
The formal announcement of the
American committee is as follows:
I'VE have decided to protest the de-
cision as unfair, and because the Off
Gals declared no race without consid-
Grafton
The American committee further an
nounced tonight that although Carpen-
ter and Robbins would not get the
Olympic medals, they would receive
medals from the American committee,
and they would be credited in America
with their win.
Committeeman McCabe said that the
breaking of the tape was done under
the influence of 10000 people who filled
the stands and who were infiamed by
the games, officials and newspapers.
EFT is no surprise to me-" he said,
'in view of the statements in the morn
ing papers that Haisewell had been
pocketed at Athens and that today's
race would be watched by the people.
1t is fair to assume, therefore, that the
audience was ready to denounce an
American victory in the 400-meter race
and that the officials were Influenced
by this fact"
| Carpenter, a bright and quiet young
| American, who does not look as though
he could do the trick, and who, his
team mates say, would be the last to
resort to fouling to win medals, thus
describes the race:
"As we approached the last bend
Robbins had the pole and was leading
by a yard. made my effort there, and
I certainly ran wide, as I have done
every time I have been on the track.
IT III IaI YN4c Of n
on either side.
at is ridiculous to talk of a team
boring or pocketing rs good a man as
Halsewell is in a quarter mile race
No team could do it. We had nothing
of the kind in view; we just raced him
off his feet, and he could not stand the
pace"
Raw Ewry, the American high jump
err who left the high jumping contest
to watch the men pass the turn and
who Immediately afterward made note
of the tracks let by the running shoes,
said:
"At no time was there any tapping or
confusion of the track. / tnougnt
Halsewell lost his head. He had the
option Of going either on the inside or
on the outside of CARPENTER, but ap-
parentIy he could not make UP his
mind what to do"
All the men agree that Trainer
Michael Murphy called the runners
together before the start of the race
and in telling what good man they
had to beat and how careful they had
TO be. owing to statements in the pa
pers that the Americans would try I'M
fair play, cautioned them to be fair
above all things and TO run their hard
est. They all say they were doing
this and nothing more.
F. Leroy Holmes of chicago also
had an unpleasant experience with
the spectators this afternoon. He was
giving a splendid exhibition in the
standing high jump when without any
cause whatever the spectators COM
menced to "boo.'' This got so bad
that the referee had to call out that
If the disturbance did not stop the
jumping would be postponed. This
threat served to bring quiet after
Holmes had been made very uncom-
Portable.
This and other signs OF i'll feeling
toward the Americans have not es-
capped the notice of continental visitors,
the French representatives, who have
beer following the sports, particularly
condemning the way In which the
Americans have been treated and
after the 300-meter race and the
Holmes incident they. with other of
their countrymen, took up the argu-
ments in behalf Of the Americans.
America is not alone in her protesta-
| lions against unfair treatment. Swe-
den has withdrawn all her men from
the Graeco- Roman wrestling contest
on the ground that one of the Swedes,
Anderson, was unfairly deprived of a
bout yesterday.
Whatever may be the facts in the
unfortunate episode both the English
and Americans firmly believe that their
men are absolutely right and the 9TH
ers wholly wrong, and the result is
likely to be extremely damaging to
Anglo American athletics for years to
come The British public takes sport
more seriously than any other nation,
has fullest confidence in the English
Judges and expresses their decisions in
international events with implicit con-
fidence.
Moreover the Englishman concerned
in this event, Lieut., Halsewell, is a
gentleman of the highest standing and
IN officer of popular regiment which
count for much with his countrymen
who are certain he would not knowing
ly profit by an unfair ruling in his
own favor
It is an undeniable fact that the
American athletes have not been pos
ular in England since the famous Cor
nell rowing episode. The public mind
has been charged with the belief that
American amateurs are tainted with
professionalism and this suspicion has
been vastly increased by charges of the
sort reproduced from American maya