The New York herald., 1920-01-19
JAMES A. MURPHY,
NOTED HORsEMAN,
IS DEAD At 75
Owned Star Pointer, 1904, the First
Harness Horse to Make a
Record of Two Minutes.

James A Murphy, owner of the first har-
ness horse that ever made record Of 200
or better and for almost half a century a
notable figure on the trotting and running
ira cks of the United states died yesterday
at his home, No. 404 Riverside Drive. He
was born in Rome, n. Y, about seventy
five years ago and he will be buried there
on Wednesday
Though he had long been known to
horsemen as one who would at times bet
about as much money as anybody on
race, it was in 1897 that Mr.. Murphy came
into countrywide prominence as the owner
of Star Pointer. horse that set the pacing
record at 1914 in an exhibition against
time on the Readville track, near Boston.
with David McClary driving. The per-
formance caused a great sensation. mile
in 200 having been the goal at which gen.
erations of ambitious breeders, owners and
trainers had aimed in vain.
Mr.. Murphy was then a resident Of Chi
cago, where he had long driven some OF
Windy City in brushes on the road and the
snowpath. He came to New York abou,
twenty wears ago, attI acted by the Harlem
River Speedway. Don Derby. 2:0iA: Ar
delle. 2:04A; Free Advice. 2:10A; Marie
o.11N and Mittie Bedworth were among
the fastest PAGERS he drove in the i'm
nromptu brushes there, and they were
some Of the best ones ever seen on the
road. Mr.. Murphy never had much luck
with trotters
| Mr.. Murphy mad a passion for betting
and whether it was a horse race, base
hall game. bridge whist or a Presidential
election he would on occasions wager a
small fortune. One Of his biggest opera
Itions wah when Tenny won the Brookiyn
Handicap in 1871.
/ David Tenny Pulsifer, the owner oil
Tenny, was his business partner at thai
time. Knowing just how good the sway
hacked horse was. they employed book
makers crew, paid for the best position
] in the betting ring at the old GraVeseno
track. posted a little better than the mar
Iket odds against every other morse IN the
irace and never stopped taking the money
until the flag dropped.
'When the race was over all we had
to do was shut the suit case in which the
money had been put away and start for
home" was the way Mr.. Murphy de-
scribed the outcome. How much they
won he did not say, but it was one OF the
largest sums ever taken on an American
race track up to that time, II reports
lcould be believed.
At the Polo Ground Mr.. Murphy woulo
often bet thousands on a game or an Inn,
ling. and 1t was an off year when he anc
his friend, T.. L. Smathers, did not wager
$40 900 or more with each other on the out
come of the world series or the race foi
1.-The pennant. He was said to have wor
800 900 from his Republican friends at the
Waldorf Astoria when President Wilson
was reelected. The Grand Circuit has
never seen heavier betting than when MT
Murphy and n. w. Hubinger were goint
down the line with the harness horses
fifteen years ago.
Mr.. Murphy went to Chicago when
young man, and in the good old days whef
you could buy auction pools in the Palmel
House and when poolrooms were as opei
as grocery stores Mr.. Murphy and "Silve
Bill" Riley had the biggest and best con
Quoted betting place in the West If not II
1.-THE United States. There one could make
a wager on any ball game or horse race
! in the country, and could take his choice
OF auction pools. French mutuels or book
makers odds. In the summer IT was a:
busy a place the Board of Trade, and it:
standard OF management was almost a.
high. Before 1T. was closed by the reform
ers Mr. Murphy had made fortune. anc
! he kept it and increased it by good invest.
ments TO the day OF his death.