The Washington times., 1917-10-29
By LOUIS A. BOUCHER.

Tom Longboat, the Indian athlete,
lance corporal in the Canadian
Sportsmen's Overseas battalion, de-
nies he's dead.
"Longboat killed in action"-that's
all that filtered back from "over
there" a week or two ago. No de-
tails accompanied the fat statement.
Now letter turns up in which Long
boat, writing in a quaint fashion, in
sists that not only is he very far
from dead, but that some other man
is impersonating him in Canada and
making money doing SO.
The story of this lanky, dusky.
flat-footed athlete is replete with in
terest.
More than ten years ago the broth
er Of John flanagan, the famous
heavy weight performer of the Irish
American A. C.. happened to find him.
self in an Indian village in a southern
Quebec province on the day of an
inter-tribal race. Tom Flanagan was
a sport promoter, fooling around with
boxers and professional wrestlers and
bicycle riders. He knew an athlete
when he saw one.
LongbOat IL a Winner.
Taking a place near the finish line,
Flanagan saw the winner arriving to
receive the plaudits of the big crowd,
and the paltry prize. And that min
ute Flanagan decided that Tom Long
boat would yet startIe the world.
After considerable negotiations, for
Longboat was a minor, the shrewd
promoter succeeded in taking him un-
der his wing. Many weeks passed in
preparation, with now and then a
start in some distance race in Canada.
But the American athletic world
knew not OF Tom Longboat
Among the entries for the Boston |
annette Clubs annual marathon, run
on February %. 1907, was ''T. Long
boat. Y. NJ. c. A, Toronto, Canada
None knew him: none cared. Hel
was real dark horse" for his skin
was that OF an aborigine of aborig. |
ines.
Longboat Lowers Record.
That b. A. A. marathon in 1907 was
run on close. muggy day such as
frequently comes in New England to- |
ward the end of winter. There was
no sun, no wind and plenty Of mud |
1t was due more to these untoward
conditions than anything else that the |
far-famed amateur distance runners
of New York and New England fell
oy the waystde. But TO Longboat II
meant nothing.
Letting the others get auay 10 a |
Tying start, the Indian set himself 10
I'd along thIse twenty-five miles n,
a regular pa.'e. Fllt-footed 20 n Dc
cided degree, he Travelled on I'm hill
ana down h.li. never IN hluginy his
pace. His opponents saved them |
selves on the grades. but Longboat
never changed his speed.
One by one he cut down the leaders
and shufhed across tn, line a winner
by half a mile. His time, 2:24:2O Az
was a record that stood until Mike
Ryan. the little New York runner. COW
cred the course in 2:21:1s IA in 1912
and Ryan Is the only one to better
Longboats record.
Becomes q Professional
Shortly after that he came into the
notice OF the entire athletic world.
He was chosen to represent the United
states in the famous marathon race
won by Hayes, of America, in the
London Olympics of zoos. after Do
rando. the great Italian. had led to
within a foot or two OF the finish.
Longboat proved a disappointment
In that race, stopping after going
twenty miles, but many explanations
were offered, one being that he lost
his way and could not understand the
English OF the bystanders who sought
to assist him. That was the last an.
pearance as an amateur. Flanagan
Immediately put him into the profes-
sional ranks, distance running taking
a great boom after the London
Olympics.
That the little Indian, for he was
small and slight, was a real runner
was proved beyond argument when in
1908, he defeated Alne
the English pro. and Do
rando, the italian, before a huge
crowd at Madison Square Garden,
New York city.
Kept Very Little Money.
Longboat toured the country, win
ming race after race and making a
barrel of money. But he was always
broke" He spent his money just az
an Indian is supposed to; he prac-