The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1915-02-12

n n ELvIN w. SHEPPARD. who
N up to about a year ago was
the king OF middle distance
runners. really one of the greatest
athletes In the world. has COM
peted for the last time. Sheppard
got bad fall Wednesday night in the
final forty-f,vs yards Of . soo-yard
handicap at Madison Square Garden
and last night after being looked over
by DR.. J. Ernest Gignoux was advised
to rest up and retire from active
participation In track athletics.
Sheppard was far behind whom the
field entered tho stretch In q heat Of
the 1000" and In making his squirt
his foot caught in Q loose board. He
was thrown heavily and slid along
the rough track flor nearly twenty
feet. When picked up his left knee
and arm were badly cut. The cut on
the arm Is very deep and number OF
stitches were required to close the
wound. Now Sheppard is in danger
OF blood poisoning. although every
precaution known to medical science
has been taken by DR.. Gignoux. He
says Sheppard had very bad fall and
suffered severely from shock and
doesn't believe no will ever be able to
como back strong again. Sheppard
reported for work at the Custom House
yesterday. although he was advised
to remain In bed.
ShEPPARD WAS UNBEATABLE
FOR THREE YEARS.
The passing Of Sheppard recalls
his wonderful work on the cinder
track. and how no twice helped the
United States TO win the Olympic
Championships. in London and at
Stockholm. Up to the time he met
most sought performer In the anna
teur ranks. No net OF games would
be complete unless Sheppard was
among the list OF athletes. For three
years from 1910 Sheppard was un-
beatable Mt any distance from 800
yards to 1000 yards. There were
| times in 1910 and for two years after
that Sheppard often ran distances
under n quarter Of a mile faster than
Lon Myers ever did. During the
season OF 1910. the best Of Sheppard's
career. he was considered the great
est all around runner that ever lived.
In three months he made twelve
worlds and American records.
There were times when he could
run ak miles as we'll as a quarter
mile. He was a distance runner In
his schoolboy days. In 1907 he won
the Middle Atlantic cross country
title. He covered six and a half miles
one and half minutes better than
George Oston's record for the course
He has stepped two miles in $50.
Sheppard stirred the athletic worlt
at the Olympic games In London IL
1908. In this year he achieved HI
greatest success. He was the LEADING
Individual point winner and the her
OF the meet. He scored l1N points
events and running on the four maj
relay team that won the relay cham
pionship. He didn't train for any
thing above tho 500 meter event. still
he defeated tho best milers In tn
world at 1900 meters. In both event.
he hung up Olympic records.
FIRST SIX TIMES IN LONDON
OLYMPIC MEET.
Sheppard in London started In BIZ
events, counting a heat. and In eacl
case he broke tho tape nrst. In tn
500 meter race he kept on to tho half
mile mark and was timed In LID
which smashed the British record b.
IS OF q second. After the game
Sheppard made a tour OF Europe an
practically defeated all comers. Dur
ing 1908 he ran In twenty-six half-mii
races, won twenty-three and was I'm
In 1919 ut Stockholm Sheppard va
beaten in the 500 by Ted Meredith b.
few inches. Sheppard should hay
won this race. He was Watching tn
English runner. taking care OF him,
so TO speak. when Meredith rushe'
Ip and snatched away the VICTORY
sheppard was nearly heartbroker
bu. found consolation in the fact tina
his country scored all the points u
q the race. He ran the nrst relay 10
q the United States In the i.60o-metr
d relay. He gained ten yards on tn
2 frst competitor.
Sheppard In 1910 held twelve roc
ApAa thu Aintauonn ranIinR from -