Ultrarunning Stranger Things: Part 4

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By Davy Crockett

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Today’s ultras usually have few disruptions from outsiders or spectators. The most serious disturbances are typically from people who take down course flagging which can cause runners to go off course, potentially putting them in serious danger. But during the era of ultrarunning more than 120 years ago, with thousands of spectators watching exhausted runners go in circles for six days, strange disruptions were commonplace. During high profile races, squads of policemen were required to keep the order. This is the fourth part of the Ultrarunning Stranger Things series. See Part 1, Part 2 (Hallucinations), and Part 3 (Sickness and Death).

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Disruptions

In 1879, at Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York, an indoor six-day walking competition was taking place between five walkers in front of a nice crowd in Lehmann’s Hotel. It was put on by William Van Houten (1857-1914). The event was going along fine until two well-known local men entered the room, John Wilson, and Aleck Fisher. At the time most of the competitors were off track, sleeping, and so were many of the spectators. “Wilson jumped on the track and commenced breaking it up, while Fisher went about the room upsetting the benches on which were the sleeping Canarsieites.”

“One of the walkers, Clinton Drake, requested Wilson to desist from breaking up the track, whereupon Wilson caught Drake by the shoulders, shook him and threatened to throw him out the window. Wilson broke the track up to such an extent that it became necessary to stop the walk.” The two men were arrested by a constable but pleaded not guilty. Drake pressed charges of assault and battery again Wilson, who pleaded not guilty to that charge too.

In 1879 at the 3rd Astley Belt Race in Gilmore’s Garden, New York City, as the leader, Charles Rowell (1852–1909), was trotting on the track, a man rushed from the west side of the building and yelled “an offensive epithet” at Rowell. “At this instant the English pedestrian got afraid, and there was tremendous excitement. A policeman arrested the man and took him out, and a policeman accompanied Rowell round the track until order was restored.”

A Gang Interferes

Also in 1879, a contest in the Industrial Art Building in Philadelphia experienced many disruptions. Melville B. Apgar (1950-1934), of New York City, who fought in the Civil War as an underage infantryman, was in the lead on day four of a six-day race when an incident ruined his race. “He was going around at a fair gait when a drunken man came on the track, and the acting referee, Jones, ordered him off. He refused to go, and a scuffle ensued, during which the drunken man fell against Apgar as he was passing and knocked him down.” Apgar tried to continue for several miles, but his knee had been sprained and he had to withdraw from the race. Apgar and his friends criticized the race management, and one of them, Clark, made a very inflammatory speech about the terrible treatment received. “He was instantly surrounded by a crowd, and cries of ‘Put him out,” and “Kill him” and the like were freely used, and a rush was made.” The race manager asked the police to kick Clark out of the building and they did.

Rumors circulated that there were further threats against Apgar and his friends from John Comber’s notorious “Reading Hose Gang”. A large police force of officers was brought in to prevent any more disturbances. But still, “Tricks” Muldoon, a member of the gang stole a cornet from a musician who was playing in the band during the event. The Reading Hose gang was an infamous group of ruffians that made their headquarters near the Reading Railroad depot. Over the years several murders had been traced to the gang along with many arrests for other crimes. “Night after night citizens were beaten, robbed, and left lying in the streets.” It took many years for the authorities to break up the gang.

A Mob Ruins an Event

A similar disturbance occurred that same year during a walking exhibition at Oraton Hall in Newark, New Jersey. Josie Wilson, “The Jersey Peach Blossom,” was seeking to walk 3,000 quarter miles in 3,000 quarter hours. She was described as, “twenty years old, comely, blue-eyed, brown-haired, plump in form and modest in deportment.” After reaching 2,700 quarter miles, in front of several hundred people, it was announced that admission would be free the next day.

There was so much interest in the free tickets on a Sunday, that people were asked to take turns viewing in half-hour shifts. “A few gentlemen quitted the hall, but the majority refused to go. Meantime, the crowd outside struggled to get in. A rush was made, the street doors were burst open, and a howling mob surged up the stairway.” The two policemen there were quickly overwhelmed and brushed aside. “A crowd of roughs entered the hall and refused to leave and make room for others. There was a row, which caused wild excitement. Oaths, curses and blows followed.” A telegraph was sent asking for more police.

As Miss Wilson finished a lap, she became terribly frightened and nervous because of the unruly crowd. “Several ruffians began quarreling near the track. She trembled violently, and her face became white with fear. The next second she fell in a dead faint on the track. She was carried to her room and placed on a lounge. In another minute she was seized with an epileptic fit.“

A squad of eight police soon appeared, but the trouble was over. The chief of police ordered that the exhibition be closed. “Practically, this was done already, for Miss Wilson, upon reaching her quarters, swooned away, and two physicians were called to attend her. It was said a matter of life and death, and her trainer therefore requested the audience to retire. In a few minutes, the hall was cleared.” It took the doctors an hour before they could bring Miss Wilson back to consciousness. She would go on to compete in just one more event.

Gate-Crashers

The pedestrian events were so popular in New York City that those who did not have the means to pay the admission fee would try all sorts of ways to get in for free. Tickets at times were counterfeited, but crashing the gate was the most common approach. In 1879, as midnight approached during the 3^rd Astley Belt race, a gang of gate crashers used a beam of wood as a battering ram to break down a door to get in the building. Police eventually rounded them up, arrested them, took them out of the building, beat them, and then let them go.

Teenaged boys would gate-crash events by climbing up pipes through high windows and then later causing disruptions. During an 1882 race in New York, a group of boys started fighting among themselves right on the track. The police eventually caught them and evicted them from the building.

The gate-crashing technique was sometimes enhanced using a rope that was let down from one of the round windows up under the eaves of the south side of the Garden. “The rope was rather short for the purpose, and it was necessary to raise the candidate several feet from the sidewalk before he could catch hold of the end. When he had secured a firm hold and had given the word, he was slowly hauled up inch by inch till his heels disappeared through the window. Boy after boy was laboriously drawn up in this way. There were cheers loud and prolonged as each boy accomplished the ascent and the commotion drew a crowd.”

At an 1884 race at Madison Square Garden, the crowds who wanted to enter were huge. Many brought their lunches to stand in line for hours until the doors were opened. “Outside the Garden, the sights were as remarkable as they were inside. Fully, 1,000 men and boy surrounded the building last evening, howling at every new scoresheet displayed and waiting for a chance to crawl in through the open windows. As policemen were distracted chasing a crowd of boys down Fourth Avenue, someone inside let a clothesline down from one of the portholes and 12 boys climbed up, hand over hand, to the roof and mingled with the multitude inside. Planks and barrels were taken from an adjoining car yard to aid in the assault on the admission fee.”

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Mob storms Madison Square Garden

The most violent known incident of gate-crashing occurred during the Third Astley Belt Race held in New York City in 1879. When the first mile took place cheering inside Gilmore Garden (Madison Square Garden) was very loud. Those who were left outside the building, heard the roar. They turned into an angry mob and rushed for the entrance, overwhelming the two policemen out there, broke down the door off its hinges and pushed into the building.

A dozen policemen inside rushed to meet the mob, including police captain Alexander “Clubber” Williams (1839-1917) who was known for his brutality. “Then occurred one of the liveliest scrimmages seen in New York for a long time. The police used their clubs freely, and the blows fell thick and fast at random. This harsh usage was effectual, and the mob was driven clear of the building. The sound of the heavy blows rained upon the defenseless heads and bodies of the unfortunates who happened to be in the front ranks was sickening.”

The riot that took place was not only because the crowd was denied entry, but also because of the police brutality that injured seventy people and sent them to the hospital. Rocks were thrown at the windows of the building, breaking at least one, and some climbed onto the roof. Police patrol lines were eventually established so that nobody could approach within a block of the Garden. Those inside the building didn’t dare to venture out among the angry thousands. After two hours the outside crowd finally dispersed.

A Brick Thrown at Runners

A bizarre incident took place during the Fifth Asley Belt Race in Madison Square Garden in 1879. As George Hazael (1845-1911) from London, England, and Sam Merritt (1850-) of Bridgeport, New Jersey, were walking around the track a brick fell between the two, just four feet behind Hazael. Police accused and arrested Ephraim Holland (1836-1887) of Cincinnati, Ohio of throwing the missile to disrupt Hazael’s race. Holland was a notorious figure, linked to election corruption (stuffing a ballot box with 300 fraudulent votes) and gambling fraud. He had served time in prison but had been pardoned by President Rutherford B. Hayes for political reasons.

At a trial held the next day in the Jefferson Market Police Court, New York, as the race continued, Holland showed up, “a middle-aged man, well-dressed, and wore a brownish moustache.” Unfortunately, Frank Creamer, of Williamsburg, New York, the witness to the throwing of the stone, failed to appear. Another witness, Otto Lecher did sign an affidavit charging Holland with the assault. Holland’s lawyer asked for a dismissal because the was no evidence that the missile was aimed at Hazael. But the prosecution maintained that for 36 hours Holland had been trying to injure Hazael because he had heavily wagered on the order of finishers and Hazael was doing too well. Hazel’s trainer testified, “He tried to get into Hazael’s tent and at his food and was driven away.” He had been warned that Holland would try to put drugs in Hazael’s food. Holland yelled, “I never threw that stone.”

Officer McCoy was put on the stand and testified that Holland was about fifteen feet from the track, and he had seen the brick pass over the heads of the crowd and by several ladies and then rebound on the track. “Lechler, the complaining witness testified that he saw Holland’s arm raised as if to throw something and immediately afterward the stone fell.” The second witness was needed to convict but still did not show up. “Eph Holland left the court with a crowd of sporting men, who shook him by the hand and expressed their conviction that Eph could not have committed the act. Holland himself stoutly denied the throwing of the stone and claimed that he was the victim of a mistake.”

Holland continued in his corruption activities. The following year, Holland was shot in the thigh on the streets of Cincinnati in a gambling dispute. He finally met his demise in 1887, at the age of 51, thought to be caused by the continued problems from the pistol ball wound in his thigh. He had been credited for establishing the largest gambling house ever run in the country up to that point.

Other Disruptions

Money Scramble

There were many other disruptions on the track. Sometimes wealthy spectators would cause a welcome distraction for the runners. They would throw money on the track in front of a group of runners and watch with amusement as the contestants sprinted to go secure the prize.

Race Officials Assaulted

Those who had wagers on the results were so intense that sometimes they assaulted scorers if they thought that they were short-changing their runner of laps. This took place in 1882 in Madison Square Garden. A scorer named Roberts was attacked by an angry mob at 3 a.m. It was reported, “Many in this crowd were intoxicating and insulting. They accused him of putting up the wrong figures. Being unable to quietly rest under these aspirations upon his character, Roberts descended the ladder from the platform where he was on duty and undertook to reason with the excited men.

They pitched upon him and beat him unmercifully. The police officers were at the other end of the Garden, and the ruffians only desisted in pounding Roberts when they were satisfied with their work.” He left but returned to his scoring work the next day with “a bruised head and discolored eyes.”

Scorers did make mistakes and had to be watched closely. In another race, an amateur athlete was keeping score on Robert Vint’s score dial and gave him an extra mile. This was discovered by a young man in charge of the official score sheet. Because it was the second time, the dial turner was fired.

Angry mobs were a fear to those who officiated these races. In 1880 in England, during a 50-mile walking match held at Agricultural Hall in London, the referee, George W. Atkinson was brutally assaulted by a mob for disqualifying a walker named Jack Hibberd after repeated warnings. “The police were called upon to give Mr. Atkinson safe conduct from the building. He was attacked merely for daring to assert the rights of his office. For a time, the police kept them at bay, but finally the mob broke in, took possession of the track and surrounded the referee, who was threatened with annihilation. One ruffian struck the referee on the head, where upon the police came to the rescue and no further violence was offered.” One “rascal” tried to throw down another walker and fights followed. Atkinson gave orders for the race to be stopped because it was impossible to clear the course and let the walkers compete safely.

Spectators Join the Race

At the 1st Oleary Six-day Race in Madison Square Garden in October 1879, the crowd was confused at first when a big man came on the track and seemed to be helping and pushing runner Ben Curran (1833-1907) along. “It was met with strong disfavor, and on the second lap which the big man made, someone who objected put for this foot. The big man stumbled over it and fell as a drunken man sometimes will fall. His hat rolled ren yards away, and he seemed to sprawl over the track. A great laugh went up, and the big man gathered himself up only to find that a policeman was escorting him kindly off the track.”

During a six-day race at Madison Square Garden in 1891, a detained man broke out of a nearby building, rushed into the Garden and started to run around the track. On his third lap, he was finally arrested, taken to the police station, and later sent to Bellevue Hospital.

In 1888, a one-legged boy of fourteen years came out on the Madison Square Garden track. “The cripple refused to leave the path of the men, and when the policeman attempted to take him out of the Garden, the boy fought him, using his crutch as a weapon. The rebellious lad was locked up.”

Spectator Fights

In that same race there were bigger disturbances. “A general fight among a lot of men who gathered on the track opposite Peter Golden’s booth was created. There was a little clubbing by policemen and pummelling by combatants, but no arrests were made although some men were ‘fired’ out of the building. Another ‘come all ye’ occurred in the big barroom during the morning hours, but there were no casualties.” Even women at times caused disturbances. “Two loudly dressed women engaged in a fight in a box that distracted attention from the contestants until they were ejected.”

Quest for Arrest

Oddly, during the morning of a race, a spectator came into the building and asked a man who had been there the whole week what disruption he could do to get arrested. “The boarder told him to kick in the glass of a showcase containing goods, placed on exhibition in the Garden. He did it. The hint proved a valuable one. The citizen was arrested with great promptness and could not find words to express his gratitude to the boarder.”

Police Control

The police at times liked to show their muscle by causing their own disruptions. “Police Captain Reilly called on Manager Frank W. Hall and warned him that he was violating the law in furnishing music and selling liquor together, and Manager Hall concluded that there was more money in drinks than in music, and the band was dismissed.” In another instance, the 12-year-old son of Henry Vaughn, or England, came on the track to run six miles in under an hour. The crowd cheered, but Captain Clubber Williams, always wanting to show he was in control “stalked over the sawdust with his club tucked under his arm and laid his hand on the boy’s shoulder and said, ‘that boy is underage, he must stop.’”

Unruly Spectators

More and more, the events were becoming unruly. The New York press noticed and wrote, “The walking mania has reached a queer stage. The halls have in many cases been turned into drinking places, and loafers spend their nights there in boisterous fun. Give us a rest.”

At 1:30 a.m. of a race, a Mr. Waldron wanted free tickets from the race manager. When the manager replied gruffly, the man struck him with his fist, flooring him. Police took the man into custody. At 3 a.m. there was another small disturbance. “The only female in the audience emitted a sort of wail. She was carried out. Nobody seemed to know the cause of the wail nor the name of the ‘wailer.”

At times, the spectators would be amusing spectacles for the runners to watch. Frequently people thought it was cheaper to sleep in the building rather than go home and pay another day’s admission. One evening a boy and his best girl settled into slumber in their box and soon were snoring. Runners thought it funny to try to hit them with bits from the track as they ran by. Finally, the boy moved a bit causing the girl to slide off him. “She tumbled off the guard-rail of the box and down upon the floor of Madison Square Garden, going head over heels in the maneuver. Of course, this awakened her, and her escort realized the situation instantly. He reached over the railing and grasping her hand, pulled her back to the box, the crowd of spectators howling with laughter.” The two quickly left the Garden “followed to the door by a crowd of hoodlums.”

Pickpockets went to work as others slept. A fight between two spectators occurred. John Clute had been the most dedicated fan who had been there every day and night, never leaving. He ate at the in-house restaurant and slept for a while each night in the back chairs. On Wednesday night, someone stole his pocket watch while he was sleeping. On this day he recognized a man, Charles H. Thompson, who had been sitting close to him on the night of the theft. “He immediately accused him of having taken the watch. Hard words followed, resulting in blows. Clute proved too much for the man, and finally the stranger admitted that he had taken the watch, but it was then beyond recovery. Clute had him arrested at the station house.” The watch was eventually returned to Clute.

Sideshows

Sideshows at times were a distraction to the runners. During an 1881 six-day race in the Garden, a five-mile race involving 20 boys lined up on the track. “John Hughes (currently in second place) who had been in an ugly temper all day, became enraged and threatened to leave the building. The other regulars worked through the crowd of boys and jogged on uncomplainingly.” As the sprint took place, half the competitors, including Hughes, went to their huts until it was over.

Fights Between Crews

Fights between runner crews were a risk for the events. In 1884, American, Patrick Fitzgerald’s trainer objected that a Mr. Mitchell was coaching Englishman Charles Rowell, even though he was not on his team as a regular handler or trainer. It was said that he had no business being on the track with Rowell. “Michell walked into the enemy’s camp to explain matters, when a war of words occurred, and signs of a rattling sparring match grew promising. Partisans of both sides edged up. All were looking for a fight. It was reported that some of Fitzgerald’s henchmen had procured brick bats to be used as ammunition. The referee requested Mitchell to return to the English camp. Policemen were placed on guard; the danger of any serious disturbance was averted.”

Ultrarunning Stranger Things Series:

Sources:

Chicago Daily Telegraph (Illinois), Mar 17, 1879
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), Mar 17, Sep 26, 1879
The Sun (New York, New York), Mar 25, 1879, May 25, 28, 1881, May 2,4 , 1884
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Mar 19, 22, 1879
The Raleigh News (North Carolina), Sep 30, 1879
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), Oct 11, 1879
New York Daily Herald (New York), Oct 9, 1879
Philadelphia Times (Pennsylvania), May 3, 1879
The Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), May 3, 5, 1879
The New York Times (New York), Mar 2, 5, 1879, May 3, 1884
Sporting Life (London, England), Nov 10, 1880
The Boston Globe (Massachusetts), Mar 15, 1879, Dec 5, 1880
The Evening Review (East Liverpool, Ohio), Nov 23, 1887
The Cincinnati Enquirer (Ohio), Nov 24, 1887
The Evening World (New York, New York), Feb 7, 1888
Brooklyn Times Union, Mar 20, 1891

114: Ultrarunning Stranger Things – Part 4: Race Disruptions

By Davy Crockett