Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-14
oLD-TIME RINGERS
 CLEANED UP THOUSANDS
John Nolan. Once Famous Distance Runner, Gives Side!ight on Methods of 25 Years Ago.

The famous time professional
 runners have passed away, and with them have departed the methods which they successfully practiced and which
 filled the sporting pages of those days
 with stories and schemes that seemed incredible to the sunsOphisticated mind. The schemes and races of such fa- nous sprinters as Harry Bethune the prince of ring gers, who died short time ago, friendless and penniless, in a Cleveland, O., hospital, H. M. Johnson, M. K. Kettleman, the Kansas ranch man, Jim Quirk, Billy Boyd, Archie McComb. and, in later years, those of 'iSkates' Brehm, Cuckoo" Jim Collins and other well known sprinters, would fill the pages of a large and interesting book.
 It is said that Bethune and Kettle man won over one hundred thousand dollars each during their racing ca reers, and all the others won and squandered good sized fortunes. The period between 1875 and 1892 witnessed the greater number of these races, after which the schemes and methods of these speedy gentlemen of the c1nder path were exposed so often by the sporting press that the game became unprofitable and was gradually abandoned A ringer was a runner who, concealing. his identity under an assumed name, travelled about the country arranging races that he might ind difficult to arrange if his identity was known to his opponent.
 The greater number of ringers were sprinters. but there were also a num- Der of successful long distance men, chief among whom were Jimmy Little of Boston, George Caton of Pittston, Tim Reagan of New York and John D. Nolan of Norwich.
 Nolan ran 80 out of a total of 160 races under an assumed name. He relates the following story of how the members of the Brooklyn Athletic club and several prominent business men of Brooklyn, N. Y.. were fleeced by the old game:
 'In the autumn of 1887, when I was trainer of the Pastime Athletic club of New York city, a friend wrote me from Brooklyn, asking me to come over there and witness great 100 yard race between two travelling salesmen named Brown and Boynton for $1.000 8 side. The day of the race found me at the trackside. where the betting was brisk and heavy. with Boynton a pronounced favorite. Several thousand dollars were wagered, as well as diamond pins, rings and watches, on the result.
 T noticed that two men were taking all bets against Brown, and on i'm Quiring was told that Brown and his packers were strangers, while Boynton had resided there for more than month ana mad furnished $500 of his $1,000 stake. Moreover, he had repeat edly shown trials of g 3-5 seconds, and could not possible be beaten by any one.
 Promptly at o'clock D. m. the men toed the mark. At the crack of the pistol Brown was under way and won by two yards in g 2-5 seconds The crowd was dumfounded. but the time made left no excuse for a protest. The crowd soon scattered and I then sug- gested to ths trainer of the Brooklyn A. c. that we remeasure the course We did so and found it to be 94 yards. The course had been measured by a 50 foot tape owned by Boynton which had three feet cut out in the center of it and was then glued neatly together an old trick.
 sThe winner, Brown, proved to be Harry Bethune, of Canada, and Boyn- ton was his partner, Billy Boyd, also of Canada. They cleaned up about $5,000 on the race and left many sor- rowing friends in Brooklyn.