Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-15
Veteran Runner Captures SPEC
cial Event, DisprOving Theory
That He Is Stale.
TWO CLUBS CLAIM TROPHY
Long Island A. C. Protests Eli
gibility of Lake, Winner Of
Bicycle Race.

gibility of Lake, Winner Of
Bicycle Race.
The First Regiment Armory was
thronged last night with a host Of
athletic fans gathered for the purpose
of witnessing the fifth annual indoor
games of the Father Mathew T. A.
B. Society. Many of the fair sex were
in the boxes which lined the track.
From the athletic as we'll as the So
cial viewpoint the meet was a great
+ success.
The feature event of the evening
was the 300-yard handicap. special
race, which was the magnet that drew
most of those assembled at the Jay
street drill floor. Mel Sheppard, the
Irish-American A. C. middle dis
lancer, who has just completed the
thirteenth year of his athletic career,
proved false the report that he was
to retire in order to avert the loss of
prestige attached to defeat at the
hands OF the younger generation In
metropolitan athletics. Sheppard DEM
onstrated that he was still in his hey
day by uncorking a terrific burst Of
speed on the Dickinson street turn
and breasttng the tape in the fast time
OF thfrty-three seconds.
Four Faced Barrier.
Three men faced the barrier with
sheppard. Sharing the honor mark
with him was Hal Holland, the local
lad, who holds the outdoor record for
300 yards, the distance of the special,
at 80 2-5 seconds. The Xavier lad
was the most feared of Sheppard s
opponents, as he Is a remarkable per-
former In a one-heat event. Ameri-
cans at the last Olympic games in
Stockholm still avow that Holland
defeated Patching, the South Afri-
can Splinter, in his heat of the
100 meters. Nine yards ahead was
p. w. Meyer, Long Island A. G. one of
the best of the new crop of sprinters.
Willie Kelly, of the Belleville Catho-
lie Club, had the limit mark of eleven
yards, and 1t was forecasted that a
new record would have to be made
, In order to beat the local lad.
Kelly Out in Front.
At the bark of the starters pistol,
Kelly leaped to the fore with Meyer
close upon his heels Rounding into
the jay street stretch the handicap
men drew abreast with Holland and
Sheppard gradually closing up the
gap. This order continued down the
back stretch until the Hecker street
curve. where the runners all but col
lided disastrously. 1t appeared as if
Sheppard pushed his way on the in
side past Holland on the beginning
of the turn. The speed of the peer
less one" grew too great for him to
slacken and an effort to do so appar-
emily caused him to bump Kelly with
his arm. Once on the home stretch,
the Irish-American flyer extended
himself to the limit and pulled ahead
after a momentary brush with He'll
and and Kelly. Kelly took second
place, with Holland and Meyer close
astern. The officials disagreed on the
validity of Sheppard's victory for sew
eral minutes, but after the contenders,
especially Kelly, who was the victim
of the pushing. asserted that the jost-
ling was unavoidable, Sheppard was
announced as the winner.
Trophy Award Held Up.
The rivalry between the New York
clubs in the competition for the point
trophy eliminated in the only un-
pleasant incident of the games. When
the score-sheet was completed 1t was
found that the New York A. c. led in
the final tally with a total of IL
points, the Long Island A. c. was one
count behind. At this time Harry
Mathews, of the Long Island A. c.,
iiOu a WIlttcn pTOleSL concerning the
eligibility of Al Lake, the winner of
the two-mile bicycle race, to compete
for the New York A. c., and Referee
John O'Hara ordered the nom
awarding of the cup until decision
was handed down by the registration
committee of the A. A. u.
Ravenell Tastes Defeat.
The first event of the evening was
the 75-yard dash. handicap. J. Raw
enell. the st. Christopher A. c. COL
ored boy. arrived just in time to get
in the start of the last of the preliin-
iaary heats. Although he failed to
warm up. Ravenell managed to place
for the final. All in vain. however.
as in the final e. D. Maurer, former
ly of the Second Naval Battalion,
with a handicap of five feet. and
H. f. Rood. unattached. with an
eleven foot lead, battled to the tape,
Maurer winning in the last stride.
with a time of eight seconds fiat. A.
Woods, Loughlin Lyceum, nine feet
handicap, was third. Ravenell came
In a bad fourth.
Lennon Has Hard Luck.
Junior 22O-yard champion Tommy
Lennon. New York A. c., started in
the first heat of the 3OO-yard handi-
cap. Lemons placing in third posi-
tlOn was a c0mmendaDle bit OF sprint
ing. One of the field fell on the sec
ond lap and Lennon had to leap over
him, breaking his stride at a most
critical moment. He regained his
gait quickly and managed to qualify
Kraft. the Belleville C. c. runner, was
fourth. e. d Maurer, the winner of
the 75-yard event. placed easily in
his heat and looked due to repeat in
the final of the 300 until he struck
the hurdle bounding one of the turns.
thereby spelling his chance.
McDonough Triumphs.
William McDonough, O local lad
running for the Xavier A. A., with a
handicap of IL yards, breasted the
worsted first in 80 is seconds, in the
final, closely followed by Paul Finn
pei, of the Long Island A. c., and H
w. Park, jr., Elizabeth Y. M. c. A.,
who started from the 10 and 11-yard
marks respectively.
Lake Takes Bike Race.
Alfred Lake, racing under New
York A. C. colors, won the emile
bicycle event, which marked the mi
tial appearance of the nat floor brand
OF game In this city. Jack Townsend
Bronx Church House; Eddie Goodwin
American A. c., were the other
starters, and they finished in the
order named. The race was full of
thrills. The riders exchanged posi-
tions several times with their wheels