The Washington herald., 1909-06-21
STABLE BOYS KEEP
HORSES OFF TRACK
Crowd of 100000 DisappOint-
ed Because of Strike.
STEEPLECHASE TO CARADEC
Race Worth I25,OOC Francs Has
Eight Starters, Instead Of Fifteen.
Angry Mob Attacks Officers In
Military Stee7Iechase-VaRs Con
tanning Horses Held Up.

Paris. June 21-The recently formed
union Of the Maisons Laftte stable boys
entered upon a course Of direct action to-
day. They succeeded in delaying and
spelling the beginning OF the race meet
ing Al AuteUiL
The suddenness Of their action lends
color 20 the belief that il was due 70 the
instigation Of the agitator Pataud. who
! presided AT their first meeting when the
union was formed.
To-day's meeting at Agteul was one OF
the most important Of the year. as il in
cluded the Grand Steeplschase. worth
5.00o francs. and began the weeks great
racing. which ends with the Grand Prix
next Sunday. L is a tradition that the
7 president OF the republic attends The
meeting in state.
When > O'Clock came this afternoon
there was record crowd Of nearly 250o00
persons present. but the stewards were
nonpluSsed 10 ind only one horse in the
nrst race in the paddock
Turbulent LabOrerS There.
Then the news came. disj0intedly by
Telephone that twenty-siz vans. bringing
/ the horses by road from Maisons LATTE.
where most OF the trainers 1--we, 20 Au-
teuil. about ten miles. had been held I'd
at Bezons. about half way. by a gang Of
forty men. some stable boys. and some
I terrassiers. the most turbulent Iaborers
I Of Paris. who with revOlvers in hand.
( had compelled the drivers 20 return to-
ward Maisons I-ahtte. police bicyclists
and automobiles full OF police were hastily
dispatched % Naisons LATTE 20 convey
( the vans back again.
Meanwhile the crowd al Auteuu grew
I impatient An arcempt was made 70 start
I the first race a. 3-I5 o'clock. but the
crowd was not willing 90 allow the only
horse present. n Neilpicard's SOupirant,
20 have a walkover, so they swarmed on
the course and compelled SOupirant % re-
I turn TO the paddock Mounted Republican
Z guards cleared the course. but not before
I the crowd set fire 70 the bushes forming
/ the bullfnch jump and one Of the hurdle
I jumps.
AT 4-I5 o'clock. when many persons. had
I left the grounds and news had been re-
| ceived that President FaIlieres had aban-
Goned the idea OF coming. a start was
made with the Military Steeplechase.
which was really fourth on the pro-
Z gramme- This race. between four officers
who trained and rode their own horses.
was not affected by the stable boys
strike.
Riders Injured by Mob.
The track on the farther side was srIl
/ crowded with an angry mob. who threw
( things at the horses and their riders. sew
eral Of them receiving nasty injuries.
while many OF their crowd was hurt IN
the rush. One woman had her collar
/ bone broken.
The remainder Of the programme was
gone through with, as six vans succeeded
under a police escort in reaching the
track at $50 o'clock. There we're eIgnt
starters IN the Grand Steeplechase. in
stead OF the fifteen. which had been en-
tered, Veilpicard's Caradec winning.
Four OF the thirteen entries started IN
| the race fo- the Prix des Avenues. OaIy
three started for the Prix d'Issy. which
was won by Yanderbilt's Herkimer.
The trouble was the sequel 20 a meet
ing held at Maisons Lafftte last nieht. az
which the stable boys voted 10 use al
means, including striking. 10 obtain some
satisfaction OF their claims Deputy Ber-
teaux. a millionaire who was formerly
minister OF war, addressed the meeting.
and gave assurances Of his moral anc
material support