New-York tribune., 1909-06-21
RIOT AT FRENCH TRACK
1UTEUIL BOOTHS FIRED
RACES HELD UP.
Many Injured and 4rrested at
Grand Steeplechdse Meet
Union Responsible.

Paris. June 20.-An occurrence unprecedented
in the history of the French turf almost pre-
vented the running of the Grand Steeplechase
OF Paris to-day at the Auteuil course Ihe
meeting was disorganized, and a serious riot oc-
Cured in which several persons were injured
and many arrests made.
Inspired and aided, 1t Is said by King
Pataud and other revolutionary labor leaders
forty militant members of the Stable Boys
Union. which organized at the time Of the
postal strike. armed with revolvers, ambushed
the vans conveying the horses from Maisons
Lafitte their training quarters. cut the traces
and forced them back to the stables. Among
the victims were several American horses.
In the mean time owing to the delay in start
ing the contests the greatest confusion pre-
vailed at the racetrack. 1t long time be-
fore the cause Of the failure of the horses to
appear became known, but finally a magistrate
and force OF police set off in automobiles to
the scene of the trouble where they succeeded
in putting the stable boys to flight and rescuing
the racers.
1t seemed at first as If the meeting would
lave to be abandoned, and President FalIares
who is always present to see the running OF
the Grand SteepIechase, was advised by tele-
phone not to come to the track. Eventually
however, the call was given for the first race,
uled time, and the crowds. already exasperated
from waiting became violent when a single
horse presented itself for walkover in the first
event Jockey and horse were forced to beat
hasty retreat to the paddock, as the crowd
swarmed on the track and refused TO permit the
jockey TO take his mount over the course.
The second race was for army officers, riding
their own horses. For some reason or other
the crowds became frenzied when several off,
GERS cantered out for the start. The officers
were pelted with missiles of various kinds and
two were severely injured. The barriers
guarding the course were broken down, and
hundreds of men invaded the track, several Of
them being ridden down and injured by the
wildly excited horses. About the same time
the booths and hedges were set on fire, but
fortunately reinforcements OF police. troops and
6remen. who had been hastily summoned, ar
rived In time to clear the track and extnsuish
the flames.
The police made q large number Of arrests
and the remainder of the programme was car
ried out in comparative quiet.
The Grand Steeplechase which was worth
SOS 600 was won by f. Veil Pichard's Saint
Caradec with O. g. Assheton Smiths Jerry NJ.
second and NJ. Champions Mademoisehe Boni-
face third.
W. x. vanderbft's Herk!mer won the Prix
dlSsS a Hurde race az 'ii' iih-~ "'''' ''''
quarters.
At "a meeting tonight, which was attended hy
delegates from the General Federation Of Labor,
the Sta BILE Employees Union voted to strike next
Sunday when the Grand Prix de Paris viii be
the feature OF the racing programme. one OF
the speakers announced that 10000 workmen
would cooperate in the strike. and that the
Grand Prix would be converted into AN obstacle
race"
It is said that the leaders in the movement
have in mind an even more effective plan of
stopping the meeting. unless the trainers accede
10 their demands II is estimated that the in
| cidents at tha Auteutl course to-day caused 4
! loss OF 5000 900 to the betting machines,