The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-04
Short Legged Franchnan Walks Away With Worlds Great
 est Marathon
DORlNDO WAS SECOND
 WHILE HAYES FOLLOWED
MaIoney Took Fourth Place, Lonsboat Dropping Out and shrubb Failing Exhausted-35,0 ,0oo See Pre-
 vlous Records Smashed.
By c. E. VAN LOAN.

By C. E. VAN LOAN.
 New York April Especial )-Henri St Yves, a funny little French waiter with the shortest legs ever seen on d runner scuttled away with the greatest Marathon race of the year today, laps and laps in front of the men who, this morning. were regarded as the best dis tance runners in the world. Finishing with a tremenous spurt. the little un- known carried the lilies of France under the wire five minutes ahead of the Ital- ian, Dorando Pietro, and nine minutes ahead of the American. Johnny Hayes. Fourth money went to Matt Maloney, whose time was not taken. Longboat, the Indian. favorite and choice of the wise ones," collapsed at the end of the nineteenth mile and just as the cracl; of the pistol signaled the beginning of the winners last mile, Alfred Shrubb, the English representative, staggered off the track and gave up the race. He was in third place when forced to quit.
 St. Yves made the full Marathon dis tance in two hours, 40 mintes, 50 9-5 sec onds. This breaks the professional rec ord of this country by 3 minutes and 2s 4-5 seconds. made by Dorando in his first race with Johnny Hayes.
 St. Yves Not Considered.
 The Marathon experts did not know anything about St Yves. It is true that he came to this country credited with running the distance in phenomenal time, but the wise ones took one look at him and decided that a mans legs should be long enough to reach from his body to the ground. But the gamblers over looked this maxim and made St. Yves a lonely outsider in the betting. It Is not the first time that long shot has broken the hearts and bent the bank accounts of the smart ones and it will not be the last.
 The men ran before the greatest crowd which ever assembled in America to wit ness a foot race. In spite of lowering clouds and intermittent showers, they passed through the gates in steady stream and scattering filled the bleach CTS and packed the grandstands. At 2:3I a drizzle turned into steady downpour and the umbrellas went up but not a soul left the park. Back of the stands thousands were gathered on the bluff. There were more in the press stand. A conservative estimate places the attend ance at 5000. To add 5000 more would bring it still nearer the truth.
 very FaSt start.
 It was a real race from the start Dor ando, with his usual sprint, raced out in front, but the little French waiter was right at his elbow and a few feet behind came Longboat and Shrubb. Maloney and Hayes, starting with their long distance stride. were soon left behind After a few turns around the ampitheatre, Henri decided that the pace was too slow for him and, brushing by Dorando, went out o1n aarffvx ,,f laughter from the crowd. His short legs flying like drumstieks. the little fellow looked for all the world like a quail scuttling over the green grass.
 Dorando, Longboat and Shrubb thought he was not worth going after and all lowed him to gain nearly half lap. Ma 1oney was hanging on some distance be- hind the big three and Hayes, plodding along like a man on his twentieth mile was lapped by St. Yves at the end of the first mile.
 Shrubb was first to recognize the dan ger of allowing the Frenchman to get too far away. Lengthening his stride, the Englishman sprinted by his companions and set swift pace for half a mile, dropping back to allow Dorando to do a little pacing. The pace was fast one for the Indian but he hung to the two sprint CTS, refusing to make any pace himself but never allowing them to open a gap oH nlitl. AS ne lrOlLeu dTOuHu the IuInS the Frenchman looked back over his shoulder and his legs flew faster than ever on the straight stretches.
 That's the class of this race" said man in the press box, pointing at the big three as they swung by. now in pursuit of the Frenchman. Let that Frenchman go out and run his head off. He won't last 10 minutes.
 Great Little Sprlnter.
 In the fifth mile Shrubb put on all hls speed for the first time and leaving Iongboat and Dorando behind, set out to run down the flying F'renchman. He caught him early in the sixth mile, but as the Englishman came within striking dis tance the little French waiter took one look over his shoulder and was off like a shot. He ran like a quarter-miler and Shrubb grinned and slackened his pace In the seventh mile St. Yves was only few yards in front of the big three, scut- ting along with his head over his shoul- der. Away in the rear Hayes and Ma loney were running together, plugging away at the old Marathon gait. The big three were having lots of fun with the Comical little outsider They would pull up behind, urge him into a sprint, and then drop back again. It seemed at the time that they were acting wisely. but how was anyone to know that that funny
 
 It was in the eighth mile that the big three decided 1t was about time to end the comedy and put the outsider where he belonged. Shrubb and Dorapdo alter mated with the pace and toward the end of the mile Longboat brought out his sprint and did some very fast pace-mak- ing. By this time the leaders had four laps on Hayes and two on Maloney The big three were gradually quickening their pace. When the Frenchman's lead had been cut down to less than 10 yards, Shrubb, who had been running along be- hind the Indian, came out with a whirl- wind rush. and with Longboat hanging to him like death and Dorando Tagging be- hind the three men raced half lap with St Yves running along in front, too busy to look back.
 Shrubb ran the little quail down just at the home plate, and coming up along side turned and took good look at the Frenchman's face If he hoped to see distress there he was disappointed. St. Yves was still breathing easily through his nose and running as though his legs haA nothing to do with the rest of his