Evening star., 1909-05-18
PACKARD GAR, NO.4, pENAL|zED
REFEREE OF AUTO RELIABILITY
RUN TAKES ACTION.
Reductions Announced by the Con-
test Board at Meeting Held
Last Evening.

AS the result of decision rendered
late last night by Referee Robert Il.
Caverly. Packard car, No. 4, which there
tofore had the only perfect score In au-
tomobile reliability run last Saturday,
was penalized four points, making a tie
with Matheson car, No. 13.
A protest was filed with the referee
yesterday afternoon by William Orme, of
the Matheson car, who claimed that
John Day, driver of the Packard. worked
on the car for thirty-one minutes after
it finished the run, and before it was
turned over to the technical commit
tee at the official garage, 14th street and
Park road. 1t was further claimed that
Day could not start the car, and that
he disconnected the wires from the mag
neto, removed the cover from the end
of the magnetic, replaced the cover, and
then tried the switch from the plug to
see IL he could get a spark. The battery
was then connected and coil adjusted
in an attempt to start the car on the
battery, although the car had been sign
ed in as having no battery. The cover
over the air valve In the carbureter. 1t
was claimed, was missing, Day beieN
ing it had been stolen. The cover was
found later beneath the engine in the
pan.
Meeting Wakes Warm.
The meeting last night waxed warm at
times, but Referee Caverly, who had been
requested to conduct the meeting by
President West, prevented any clashes,
which for a time looked imminent. In
the absence of William Orme. r. b.
Spence represented him. j. A. Muelhei-
son was the representative of the Luttrell
Company, which entered the Packard car.
Testimony was given by John Day, driver
f1,xa Doc -lynr Il lnfE -nC
dent William d. West, T. B. Spence, w.
B. McBurney. driver of car No. 13, and
others. A car was sent to the city for
Charles Orme observer on the Packard.
He testified that after leaving Olney he
noticed popping noise, which he thought
was back firing.
At the conclusion of his testimony the
contest board composed of Referee Cav
erly; II. Chadwick Hunter, one of the
judges; William S. Duvall, representing
the American Automobile Association.
and Secretary John h. Heyl, retired from
the meeting to discuss the case.
Decision of the Referee.
The decision of Referee Caverly. posted
i'm the clubhouse shortly after midnight.
Is as follows:
1.-The referee decides in the case of the
protest of William Orme, against No.
4, that the driver erred in not reporting
Immediately to the referee his inability
to start his motor, but instead proceeded
to make adjustments to locate his trouble
in direct violation of the rules, but In
view of the fact that two hood fastenings
were unlatched. though the strap was not
unbuckled, tended to show that there
might have been an attempt to tamper
with the motor, although no proof was
offered that such was the case, and from
the fact that the loose cover of the car
bureter was difficult to disengage from
the position found by the referee, shows
that It was off the carbureter some time
during the run, and a penalty OF four
points is marked against car No. A..
Owing to discrepancies by some of the
checkers at Rockville and Frederick the
contest board announced last night the
following reductions: Car No. 6. Ford.
penalties reduced from ~ to 16; Car No.
IA, standardization, from 70 to -. and
car No. 20, Matheson, from n to s points