IRISH SWEEPSTAKES

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 3238, 4 December 1930, Page 3

IRISH SWEEPSTAKES

FOUR BUND BOYS DRAW THE WINNERS. London, November 17. Pretty Irish girls in stockinged feet danced among the 1,200,000 counterfoils of the Irish sweepstake on the Manchester November Handicap. The white slips, separated from each were scattered broadcast and fell like snowflakes on the floor of the Dublin Mansion House. Attractive nurses gathered them up and placed them in a cylinder, resembling a huge boiler, surmounted by an Irish harp. The crowd ceased

its shufflings when the cylinder beban to revolve, and the drawing'began.

While the thousand spectators held their breaths, Paddy, Jackie, Peter, and Willie four blind orphan boys from St. Joseph’s home decided who should share the £409,000 prizes.

The silence was like the silence of death as Jackie and Peter were guided to the two drums which were turned electrically. Paddy put his hand through the porthole and drew the number slips. Willie drew the horses from a smaller drum. An official with a rich Irish brogue, announced each horse and its number as they were drawn. Huge crowds had gathered outside

the Dublin Mansion House. Under protection of a police escort the counterfoils had been taken from the safe deposit and conveyed to the Mansion House.

The total subscriptions amounted to £658,000. The prize fund came to £409,000. The chief prizes w'ere, approximately:—First horse, £204,000; second £81,000; third, £40,000. Starters will divide £49,000 and nonstarters £24,000.

Canadians, South Africans, Americans and even a Burmese drew horses.