The Detroit times., 1912-08-09
TQRfMAH C0RRIGAN,
WON 100000, NOW
: CARRIES DINNER PAIL
r4r
Stormy Petrol of American
Iurf, Busted at Last, Crushes
Stone for Living
HE DROVE HARNESS MACS
First Notable Turf Victory Was
at Initial American Derby,
1884, With Modesty
HE DROVE HARNESS MACS

From shirtsleeyes to broadclclh and
pack TO oyeralls is the story of Ed
Corrlgan, stormy petrol OF the Ameri
can turf, who did more to kill horse
racing than any man In this country.
The one time master OF Haw
thorne." who bred. owned and raced
hundreds Of thoroughbreds, owned an
immense breeding establishment and
four race tracks and raced the green
Jacket and white sash" in this coun,
try and England, now carries his din,
ner In a pail and works In a stone
crushing plant. In Kansas City. He
Is bankrupt with unsecured linblli.
ties of $l01, 1916.
In the 25 years he raced horses,
Corrigan won about s2.000.0O0 In
purses and stakes. He lived on the
best In the land and never questioned
the price. He was an arrogant, self
willed despot, a good friend, but q
hard-hitting enemy.
Corrigan was born In Canada He
went TO: Kansas City as a youth and
drove harness horses. He campai gned
the Monarch Of the Home Stretch" !"
old Robert McGregor, sire OF Cpesceus
1902 IA. until he turned to contract
ing, and with Jim Carlisle. afterward
state treasurer OF Colorado, built rail-
roads. In Utah, Corrigan broke into
the horse racing game. peculiarly.
He rode a handsome saddle horse,
when superintendening some railroad
work, and was bantered into a race
by one OF the natives. Corrigan lost
several hundred dollars when his
n~kA f.... a.. sfe~aA
even" he commissioned a Kentuckian
TO buy a horse that could win at
half. three-quarters and mile. Pearl
Jennings was the result, She reached
the construction camp yith a load OF
mules. In telling about the race, Cor
rigan said:
'The mare won at each distance,
and made Christians out of all the
Mormons in that part OF Utah."
His first notable turf victory was
the initial American Derby, at Wash.
tngton park, Chicago in 1884, with
Modesty. He took her east. and with
Freeland she won many classics.
Corrigan had a weakness for the
get OF Longfellow He won the Ken
lucky Derby in 1890 with Riley. and
the same horse N1st the Metropolitan
handicap by nose In the historical
struggle. with Tristan, and Clarendon.
He built the Hawthorne track, Chi
eago. ins 1891. g and precipitated the
turf war against John Condor and
George V. Hawkins, which ended In
the duel between Capt Jim Brown
of Texas and the police, in which
Brown was killed, but not before he
otx
result was the death of horse racing
in Illinois.
Corrigan then locked horns with
Tom Williams. president OF the Call
fornia Jockey club, and Spreckles. the
sugar king. He built the Tanforan
track TO fight Ingleside. Aonther turf
war followed and with the usual re-
suit,
OF the Fair Grounds track, New Or
leans. and built City Park, which led
TO another war and the end OF racing
track, was Elm Ridge. Kansas City,
completed Just as racing was killed
In Missouri.
Coney Island Jockey club, and as a
result HlS eHlTlth, WtTe Ioiuocus itO
went to England. but was not given
consideration and he returned bring
ing some good runners Corrigan
tried TO regain his fortune with his
horses, but fortune was against him
and he sought relief in bankruptcy.
More than once. In his stormy ca
rner, Ed. Corrigan looked down the
muzzle OF a gun. At meeting Of the
Western Turf congress-, In Cincin-
natl, the late Col. M. Lewis Clark. OF
louisville, drew a gun to kill Cor
rigan.
Big Ed. said: "I'd put that thing
away. Colonel, your hand trembles
30 you'n shoot yourself In the foot.
When his back was against the
wall. his last dollar gone. Corrigan
declared he was slad OF II and that
he would, start lifeS again. with his
stone crusher