The Press., 1918-04-25
An Old Horse Suit. By w. II. GoCheF.

The files in the court house at Tolland, Conn. show that oH the third Tuesday in December. 1892. there Was horse case on the docket under the, title "Dean ya. Rock we'll" to recover $500, one- half of the amount for which Rockwell sold "blaok pacing stud hoEse." It was tried in William KiIl's hotel at Stafford Springs and decided in favor of Dean. 70 the writ the horse WAS represented Es b0ing aboEs sSeveSs years old which would make his foaling date 1925.
 Elias l. Rockwell, the defendant, was born at Stafford Springs. then known as Stafford, in 1901. He was short thick set man with black curly hair. Before he married and located in Norwich, N Y, Rockwell drove all over the country selling Yankee notions as we'll as trading and racing horses. In 1890, while in Montreal, Quebec. he heard of a black stallion that was fast paoer, but so vicious that his owner would not go into the stall with him, Rockwell went and saw the horse. He bridIed and rode him and also bought him for $15O.
 Rockwell returned to Stafford Springs with this horse and wintered there. He also equipped him with breeohing and pulleys attached to the saddle so that he could control him while at speed, the horse being 0 bad puller, and exhibited him on training day, the first Monday in May. In the interval Rock we'll sold 8 half interest in the paoer to John Dean and as soon as the roads were settled, the pair started off with peddler's wagon, tue black psoer and running horse owned by Deau being attached to the rear. While on their way west the outfit stopped at Nor. Wiob, N. Y and raced the paoer on a flat near that town.
 From Norwich, Rockwell and Dean continued their journey, selling Yankee notions and making match races until they arrived at New Orleans, La, where the runner died while the pacer was sold to Major o. Dhboise for $1 900 after Rock we'll rode him trial in ?. 26. Suoh speed at the pacing gait under the saddle was, unheard of at that date. and Duboise expected to trim everything in the southern country with the black horse. Someone told of the trial, however, and as he could not get any races Duboise sold the paoer. at cost to D. Henisohn of Louisville, Ky.
 This horse was then known as Pilot and remained tEIe property of Henisohn until short time prior to his death. He was also the sire of the gray horse Pilot Jr. that appears in turf records as the. sire of Tattler, 2.26, the i've year.oh record of the world when made in 1868; Tackey, 2.26, the dam of Pilot Medium whose son., Peter the Great, is- the greatest of all trotting stress Waterwitch. the dam of Mambrino Gift, the first stallion to trot in g. 20; Midnight, the dam of Jay Eye See, the first horse to .trot in 9. 10:- Miss Russell, the dam of Maud 8; 2.os4, the worlds record when made; and Lord Russell, the sire of Krem1in, 2.O74, a champion stallion.
 Many authorities credit True Briton, horse that was owned by Selah Norton of Hartford, Conn.,, for a number of years after the Revolution as being the sire of Justio Morgane, founder of the Morgan family of trOtteTs. This is disputed. however, and there are good grounds for same. The old suit in Holland, however, proves beyond question that Pilot, the founder of the family of horses bearing his name, was owned in Con. neotiout and left there in 1881, tied to the tail end of Yankee pedller's wagon.