The New York herald., 1922-04-23
DUNN WALTON DEAD
AT THE AGE OF 30
Oldest Horseman Long a Con-
spicuous Figure in New
York Sporting World.

In the rapidly thinning ranks OF old
time New York horsemep news of the
death of J. Dunn Walton will be read
with more than passing regret. Now
that he Is gone none lives who can with
clear recollection of horses. horsemen
and events back to 1850 tell from first
hand information the always fascina-
ting stories of great trotters. drivers and
sporting men OF the last seventy years.
Born on July IS, 1892. at the little
town OF Wakefield. Mass, where he
died on April II. Walton was almost
ninety years old, His father Oliver
Walton. was horseman before him,
and Dunn had seen Pelham, 1913, and
Mac, 2:2S, both Of them champions In
their day. in the family stable before
lie came to New York in 1850. 1t was
about this time when his father sold
Mac to Corporal Thompson. who kept
a popular road house on the site OF the
present Fifth Avenue Building. at Broad
way and Twenty-third street. Lady Sur
folk, 2:29h, the first trotter to beat
2:30 in harness, was then in her prime
and the younger Walton In later years
used to say he had not only seen but
known every holder of the worlds rec
ord from Lady Suffolk to Uhlan. :58A
The veteran horseman owned Sensa-
ton, :22A, winner of the first purse OF
Mountain Maid and numerous other
noted trotters, and on one occasion
matched the mare last named to trot q
mile In 4 100 or better, pulling ton. he
and Dan Mace gave her moonlight
triap before the race with q wagon load
of potatoes behind her. After they saw
that she could perform the task they
won about $4,000 in wagers when she
trotted her mile in the match In 3:24h
on the Fashion Course on Long Island.
Walton once estimated that he had
bought and sold 5000 horses In his
time, many of them famous trotters
purchased on commission for wealthy
New York sporting men of his ac-
quadntance.
There were at least two branches OF
horsemanship in which he was conceded
to be in class by himself. One OF
these was in hooking up double team
to get the best effort out OF both horses.
and the other was in setting up or
strengthening horses tall. Dealers IN
coach and saddle horses In New York
used to send over to Wakefield for
Walton after he was well past 81
years old to come and do job Tor
them which nobody else could perform
One Of the proudest days OF his long
career was when he hooked Ethan
such a way that the runner pulled the
whole load and the trotter besides,
enabling him to beat the great Dexter,
ATTN, in a memorable match on which
Eph Simmons, John Morrissey and their
crowd won more money than mule
could draw" in the days when Dexter
was king Of the turf.
A giant in stature, one of the best
dressed men to be seen on Broadway,
and known to everybody in the sport
ing world. Walton was a conspicuous
figure in New York for forty years or
more, even in the company of Tom
Hyer. Bill Poole, Morrissey and the
rest. Like many others Of his class he
found himself almost penniless in old
age. but so long as Major S. T. Dick
inson of lottery and trotting fame lived
and kept his hospitable apartments in
the Alpine building there was no need
to worry about money, good cigars or
mellow old Bourbon for Dunn or his old
pal. John Splan, or any Of the Majors
other favorites. When that courtly and
distinguished-looking old Maryland gen.
tleman died Walton went back to the
old home, where he was born and where
he has lust died,