WALKING TO DEATH.

Marlborough Express, Volume XVI, Issue 135, 11 June 1881, Page 2

WALKING TO DEATH.

" A more miserably-arranged walking match cannot be imagined than this whole affair has been," remarked a gentleman on Tuesday evening, at the termination of a 24.hours "go-as-you-please" race of amateurs, which began at the Third Avenue Rink at 22 minutes paßt 10 o'clock on Monday evening. "It was a catchpenny affair on the part of the managers, m the first place, a utilisation of Washington's birthday anniversary to make money at the expense of the fools paying and the entrance-fees. In the second place the prizes amounted to nothing — a mere bagatelle to the five making the best record. But this was not the worst feature. Out of the 75 who entered who entered for the race, and of the 70 who actuality put m an appearance, the majority were mere boys, whose subjection to the continuous strain of 24 hours' consecutive walking was a piece of inhuman brutality. It was very singular that no one took cognisance of the fact, and stopped the race at the outset." "I thought so when the race began," remarked another. " I was here when at the crack of the pistol fired by Bowell, the champion long distance walker, the 70 started m the race. It was a sad spectacle at the beginning, and sadder as these scores of youths, exhausted by their ambitious struggles to achieve the mastery, one by one fell out of the way, some of them no doubt sustaining physical injuries from which they will never recover, When I learned that only 13 remained m the race at the end of 12 hours, I was not at all surprised." And thus the comments continued, the same being evoked by the fainting m front of the main scorers' stand at half-past 8 on Tuesday evening, of Thomas Smith, jun., one of the contestants. This lad, for he is not yet 16, was at the outset of the race one of the most promising of the contestants. His small but compact figure, his keen bright eyes, and the grace and ease of his movements, as he swiftly sped round the rink, attracted very general attention. Whht served, besides, to give him more than ordinary prominence was the appearance of an old gentleman running by his side. Mile after mile they ran m this way side by side, ' and everybody very soon knew they were father and son. "Go it, old man ;" some would call out jeeringly. "Go it, sonny !" cried out others. But no amount of jeering or chaffing affected them seemingly m the slightest. They kept on the even tenor of their way. The father, however, remained on the ■track but a few hours. The son continued the same rate of speed through the long hours of the night, scarcely stopping for a minute's rest. Onoe m a while he would apply a wet sponge to his mouth, and his father was unremitting m encouraging him to continue the race. It was plainly evident early last evening that his powers of endurance were about exhausted. He still kept, however, on the track, displaying most wonderful pluok. At a few minutes past 8 he left the track, and it was noticed that he staggered badly, and was hardly able to support himself. After an absence of some 15 minutes he again came on to the track, supported by his father. The latter led him slowly to the front of the main scorer's stand, then suddenly his eyes closed, his head fell listless on his bosom, he had fainted dead away. "Bring police-surgeon Clemens here, quick !" said Captain Gunner, of the 18th police precinct, who had charge of the police force present, and who was an eye witness of the scene. Saying this to one of his men, the captain made a rush for the track) and, taking the boy's father by the arm, said, " You are my prisoner," and at once turned him over to the custody of an officer, with the direction, '' Take him at once to the station house." The scene created considerable excitement, and for a few moments the remnant of worn-out struggling contestants still on the track suspended their walking or running. Dr Clemens, fortunately, was m the building, and promptly answered the summons of the capt&in. The boy was carried into a side room and examined by the doctor. He brought the boy to consciousness, and then ordered that he be placed m a carriage and driven to Mb boms, at the corner of -Hicks and Contre-'

streets. South Brooklyn, which was at once done. " What did you find the condition of the boy 1" the " Herald" reporter asked the doctor. " His pulse was very low and fluctuating," answered the doctor, "vacillatiag from 60 to 120 beats a minute. His complexion was very pallid and his skin hot and dry." " Is Ms situation critical 1" " Most decidedly so. I shall not be sui prised to hear of his death during the night. " "What actuated you to arrest the father?" the reporter asked Captain Gunner. "I considered it an act of criminal cruelty to his boy," replied the captain. " I saw the condition of the boy when he left the track, and I made up my mind if an attempt was made to put him on the track again, I would arrest not only the father, but the judges also, and I should certainly have arrested the judges if they had allowed him to go on the track, and only the boy's fainting away as he did probably saved them from being arrested, for I have no doubt they would have let him go on." The father hi d bnfc little to say. He only intended to have hig boy walk two more miles, m order to score a hundred miles, and thought as he had gone so far he could easily make the additional two miles. He stated that the boy had once before run 25 miles, and that the present was his second race. Mr Smith gave his birthplace as England, his age 60, and his occupation that of carpenter. The above episode thiew an unevpected damper over the close of the race, and even the presence of Eowell and Vaughan during the evening failed to counteract the dampening effect. At ten minutes past nine the race ended, the three leaders having agreed to stop at this time, as the continuation on the track of an hour and 20 minutes longer to complete the 24 hours' time specified for the race was not likely to change their respective positions. The following was the closing score : — Miles. Thomas M. Buckley, Adelphia Athletic Club .. H7 James Saunders, Williamsburg Athletic Club ..115 Frank Carr, a wagon-driver, New York 101 To each was given a silver service, respectively valued at lOOdol., 50doL, and 25d01.— « Kew York Herald," Feb. 26.