A STORY OF THE TURF.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1701, 16 January 1874, Page 3

A STORY OF THE TURF.

{SAN FRANCISCO NEWSLETTER.] . The horses have drawn another wellknown man to the dogs. Sir Joseph Hawley, after many years' struggle with fate, during which time he has had wonderful luck of both kinds, ia at last compelled to own that fortune ia too strong *.-%;. for him, and has finally retired from hope racing. His stud was sold a week ago, and brought fair but not long prices. E.oßicrucianj which fetched 6200 guineas, is one of the very finest horses that ever ran in England, and certainly would have come nearer to the enormous price' of 12,000 guineas brought by Blair Athol last year, were it not that the rising generation shows signs of being tired of the ruin that follows horse-racing. This is not the first time that Sir Joseph Hawley has been " flat broke," though probably it will be the last. Some years back he came a great "cropper," and to settle his debts of honor, had to embarrass himself so heavily that his legal liabilities became enormous. There was nothing to be done but to leave the country, as arrest was quite common in those days ; but it was very difficult to get away, as he was well known, and spies were after him everywhere. At last it oozed out that he was going away from London by the " Continental Express" from the South-western Station, one evening, and all the "limbs of the law" were in force on the platform with their little documents. The train was searched, and it seemed a dead certainty that he could not pass to it, but as it moved out of the station, to the horror of the Sheriff's officers, the head of the wellknown racing man was protruded from the rapidly retreating carriage, and; he shouted, shaking his tist at them, " D— n yon, 111-c ome back, and be even with you yet." A ticket clerk, who had in time gone by won money on Sir Joseph's stable, had passed him on the wrong side of the train, which, from the construction of the stations, is not accessible from the platform. He did come back, top, and the^very next year won the Derby with headsman, father to the horse RosicruMMvi, that I have just- spoken of.