ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 848, 7 June 1906, Page 11

ATHLETICS.

The New Zealand runner L. C. McLachlan turned the tables on R. Hourigan in a match at Napier on Monday. It was for £5O a-side, the distances being 100yds, 130yds, and 150 yds. It will be remembered that when they met recently the Sydney man won. An account of the present match says that in the first distance both men got away well together, but McLachlan got more quickly into his stride, and soon had a lead of half a yard, which Hourigan reduced to about 6in at the half distance. McLachlan, however, drew away again in the last 20yds and won by nearly 2ft in the good time of lOsec. The second distance was a repetition of the first race, McLachlan leading by a foot for the first 20yds, when Hourigan drew level, but McLachlan had him beaten when 75yds had been traversed, and finishing with a great burst of speed won by 2yds in 13sec. There was thus no occasion to run

off the third race. Considering the fact that the track was rather heavy, the times given are extraordinarily good.

A new automobile electric starting and judging machine has been invented by Mr. E. S. Rowe, of Melbourne. Mr. Rowe has been in the game for twenty-five years, was a noted amateur runner, and is noted everywhere as a good all-round sport. His starting machine, which has been used with the greatest success in Brisbane, Newcastle and Sydney, as well as in West Australia, has given every satisfaction to the runners and the public. A. B. Postle, champion of Australia, considers it is the finest invention connected with the sport. The whole contrivance is worked by electricity. A small iron barrier is placed in front of each man on any mark, and is locked. The starter simply presses an electric button, which releases all the barriers simultaneously, at the same time firing the pistol and starting a clock. At the finish there is the ordinary tape in front of each man; but as soon as it is broken by thr first man it sends his number up on vhe board, and if at night lights a lamp showing the colour of the winner; and it also stops the clock, thus giving the exact time for the race. It also shows all the places of the men up to five. With this machine all the runners get off the mark together. There is no fear of breaking and getting put back a yard, or of beating the pistol; also, there is no unnecessary delay in making a start. Records may often have been made by a man beating the pistol, but with this machine, since it both starts and stops the clock by electricity, the records, even in the sprints, may be trusted. « » * » Mr. E. S. Marks, hon. secretary of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia, has received a cable from N. S. Barker, the Sydney University athlete, who represented New South Wales in the Olympian Games. The message gave the information that Barker had arrived in England. This means that Barker intends to compete in the English championships. An arrangement was made that he should cable his arrival in England if he intended to do so. * * * * The 10 stone championship of England was fought just prior to the last mail leaving, when Jack Goldswain, the holder of the title, defeated Jabez White, of Birmingham, on points. Goldswain won the title some three months ago after a battle with Buckland, of South Africa; White was

beaten in America by Jimmy Britt last year, and had not since appeared in London. White, who looked somewhat the bigger man, scaled 9st. 131 b, and Goldswain 9st 12%1b; but the latter looked rather the harder and fitter of the two. In addition to the titular championship the mei L f ough for £IOO a-side, and the National Sporting Club purse ot £l5O From the outset Goldswain forced the pace and had the best of nearly all the rounds In the third round both men tried for body-hitting, and there was a lot of clinching. Goldswain had a quaint trick in the clinches of pounding away at his opponent’s ribs m the hepatic region. The flfth round was pretty even, but in the seventh White, for the first time, began to press Goldswain, instead of waiting for the attack. In the next round Goldswain got in a tremendous right-hander on White’s jaw, to which the latter replied almost immediately with a heavy blow on the ribs, but the encounter was in favour of Goldswain. The ninth round was remarkable for a swinging backhander which Goldswain got home, but he was repaid for it by one on the jaw. The fourteenth round was the best of the contest, and both men took a deal of punishment.! White, however, scored most points. During the next four or five rounds there was some dingdong work with plenty of clinches, Goldswain keeping tapping away at his opponent’s left ribs until the breakaway. Both men made a big effort in the last round, but Goldswain held his own and was adjudged the winner. The verdict was received with enthusiasm by the spectators, with whom the Londoner is very popular.