three were then head to head; the horses maintained this position until they had reached the Red House. On making the bend into straight running, Dolphin was compelled to decline the contest, and his position was taken by Malvolio. Euclid gradually improved his pace all eyes were fixed upon him. "The blood of Emilius and Whisker is telling!" exclaimed one: "He's going admirably," responded another: "He'll couple the crack!" "Now for little Conolly!" Indeed, at this moment he formed a perfect picture. On reaching the end of the white rails, the excitement became doubly increased. It was now evident that the struggle rested between Charles and Euclid, and it became extremely doubtful whether the favourite could win. Euclid was running in as true and beautiful a style as can possibly be imagined. On approaching the distance, he fairly coupled his competitor. Then commenced the slashing work, and the multitude was in commotion, swaying to and fro. The spurs were applied, the whips were elevated, each jockey appeared to fairly lift his horse onward; but it appeared, from the position occupied by Euclid, that he was pressed so near the rails that Conolly had not sufficient room for the full exercise of his strength. In proof of this, it need only be mentioned that the first stroke which he gave with his whip caught the tip of the bonnet of a lady who was leaning over the rails, and it was cut as clean through (fortunately missing her face) as if it had been done with a sharp knife. The two rivals were then head to head, and a struggle of the most determined and terrific character ensued, amid the roar of "Euclid, Euclid! Charles, Charles! Euclid wins! Well done, Conolly!" from ten thousand voices. On reaching opposite the Grand Stand, where every hat was off, Euclid appeared to have the best of the race: he was a clear head in advance of his opponent, and threatened to defeat him; but his position was not the most favourable. Scott appeared to be aware of this, and concentrated all his energies. In each competitor every muscle, sinew, and tendon were, visibly, at their utmost stretch. The head and neck of each horse outstretched to the utmost length, the ears laid back, the eye-balls fit to start from their sockets, and the nostrils distended, formed two parallel lines; and everything seemed to depend upon the reach of the last stride. For a moment the multitude was hushed into silence; then the roar became doubly loud. Euclid fetched up his hind-quarters in the most racing Eclipse-like style possible, and it seemed fearful that he would strike his fore legs with the hind ones, and dash himself head over heels. It should be borne in mind that Euclid, whose game and stoutness were, perhaps, never surpassed, was a less horse than Charles, and his stride, however rapid, was much shorter. At this moment, in a racing point of view, nothing could possibly surpass this picture of fleetness and endurance, as each competitor struggled against the other, head to head; a sight, indeed, which had never been surpassed, and, as was said at the time, will never be equalled. No one could tell-not the most discriminating and experienced eye-which had the advantage: indeed, they were both perfectly equal; and as the two noble animals, with their jockeys still hard at work, reached the post in the manner described, a loud roar, which was heard at several miles distant, burst like thunder from the assembled mass. The judge instantly declared, without the least hesita

tion, "A dead heat !"-the expanded nostrils of each horse were quite equal. The words, "dead heat," flew through the crowd like wild-fire, and were repeated again and again, and immediately drew forth the exclamation, that such a race for the St. Leger beat all that had ever been witnessed. The race was run in three minutes twenty-five seconds over heavy ground. The Provost was third, Malvolio fourth, Dolphin fifth, Fitzambo sixth, and Bloomsbury seventh, all completely defeated; but both Charles and Euclid, from their blooming and perfect condition, did not present those indications of distress which might have been expected from the severity of the struggle. Both jockeys perspired copiously, and were completely "blown ;" and both, as they went to scale, were loudly cheered. The subject of the dead heat which had just been witnessed, became the subject of discussion, each party taking their own sides, and each vindicating their own jockey; but the best and most experienced judges in racing matters condemned Scott for making too free with his own horse over the heavier portion of the ground, instead of reserving his powers till the required moment, and that the result of the final trial would all depend upon the manner in which Charles was handled. Conolly soon became lively and pleasant. Scott assumed a subdued, if not a sullen, tone and bearing; and when he was asked by one who had influence over him, and whose opinion he could not but regard, why he had come away from his horses on the far side of the ground, he merely shook his head; and when the remark was further made, that, at the pace he was going, when there was no occasion for it, he might be sure that Euclid would couple him before he got home, he merely replied by saying, in a low tone of voice, that he knew he had done wrong and had been too hasty; and when, too, the words were added, "Mind you don't do it again," he also remained silent, but appeared full of thought. It will be seen that, at the final trial, Scott's mode of riding was reversed. Conolly received the highest commendations for the admirable manner in which he had handled Euclid throughout the whole of this desperate and exciting race.

In order to afford as much time as possible before the final decision, which engaged universal attention deeper and deeper, the Four-year-old Stakes were run for, during the interval. In the mean time the utmost degree of care, attention, and anxiety was bestowed upon both Charles and Euclid by their respective trainers in this respect, nothing could surpass the solicitude manifested by each party. As may be easily imagined, the interest, as to which horse would ultimately prove the victor, was intense; and opinion, in this respect, vibrated from side to side. The betting restarted at 6 to 4 on Charles-then it became even between the two-then changed again; and finally left off at 6 to 4 on Euclid.

On the two competitors again presenting themselves on the course, Charles appeared, if anything, the more lively of the two; but Euclid still looked well, and ready for the final struggle. Never were two opponents so closely scrutinized; never did two jockeys appear more anxious to do their duty, or to feel more intensely the importance of their personal responsibility. There was no swagger, brag, or joke, but an unbroken silence which told its own impressive tale; nor the least possible indication of superiority one over the other. A cautious earnestness was the prevailing feeling. The interest of the spectators,

perched on every available elevation, as well as crowding on the ground, became increased, as the two competitors approached the post to run over the same course a second time. There was no difficulty in getting off; but excessive care and caution were manifested by each rider. They started in silence, the attention of the spectators being absorbed as to which would take the lead. The mode of running was reversed. Instead of Charles bounding off at score, as some had been led to anticipate, in the Don John fashion, the lead was assumed by Euclid at a slow pace; but at the rise of the hill the speed was increased, Euclid still keeping his position. In this way the two horses proceeded; over the hill, along the far side, the Red House bend, and past the end of the white rails, Scott evidently making a waiting race of it. The multitude were held in almost painful suspense. On reaching the distance, Charles challenged his opponent. Euclid still looked well, and ready for a second struggle. Again head was placed to head-rush answered rush-bound followed bound; and so equal seemed the chance of both, that a second dead heat was confidently expected. The contention again became desperate, and the masses of people surged from side to side. The powers of each horse-speed, courage, and endurance-and the qualities of each jockey-skill, nerve, and judgment-were again brought into full operation. Again were the whips elevated; again were the spurs at work. Victory seemed, once more, hung in the balance, as every muscular action was brought into full play, with head to head, and each determined to reach the post victoriously. Again rose the roar of "Euclid" against Charles, and "Charles" against Euclid. No one could tell which might eventually prove the winner; but at length the superior size and larger conformation of Major Yarburgh's horse over that of Mr. Thornhill's, with his immense stride successfully accelerated at the proper moment, enabled Charles the Twelfth to win the race by only just, or scarcely, a head, amid loud cheers of exultation from the friends of the gallant Major and the backers of his splendid horse. The public feeling, however, was with Euclid, mainly in consequence of his less size; and although his opponent proved the winner, Euclid, from this second manifestation of his excellent qualities, was the almost universal favourite with the masses, with the expression, "Well, Euclid has been defeated by the chance of a stride; but he's a true runner, a real good horse, and worthy of the blood of Emilius and Whisker!" The winner was trained by John Scott. The second trial was run in three minutes forty-five seconds. It is worthy of being placed on record that the stride of Charles the Twelfth, on the occasion of the dead heat, immediately after he had been passed by Euclid by a head, opposite the Grand Stand, was exactly twenty-four feet six inches and a-half, as measured by his foot-prints left plainly visible on the turf. The stride of Euclid was much shorter, but much quicker, and more clean and elastic than that of his opponent. In proof of the extraordinary interest attached to the decision of this extraordinary race, it only need be mentioned-exclusive of the absorbing feeling which filled the bosom of every spectator on the ground-that expresses immediately left for Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, London, &c., without mentioning the carrier-pigeons, eight or ten of which were on the wing in a moment, for their respective destinations. The result was conveyed from the race-ground to Rother

ham with great rapidity, employing only two horses, and from Rotherham to Sheffield on the railway by Mr. Isaac Dodds, with the Agile engine and tender, at that time the swiftest one on the line; the distance was performed in six minutes and a half. In consequence of the Rotherham and Sheffield line undergoing repairs, Mr. Dodds could not avail himself of the full power of steam; but the last half of the distance, two miles and three-quarters, was done in the short space of two minutes and a quarter at that time this speed was deemed most extraordinary. The whole distance from Rotherham to Sheffield by horses and engine, upwards of eighteen miles, was performed in little better than forty-four minutes, to the astonishment of every person. The expresses to the other towns mentioned were also extremely rapid, and ranked amongst the wonders of the day.

PALMER AS A RACING MAN.

66 BY

ARGUS."

The extraordinary and absorbing interest taken in all circles of society, especially among sporting men, in the fearful tragedies of Rugeley induces us to believe that a slight sketch of their perpetrator may not be unacceptable; and in setting about our task we have not endeavoured to endow Palmer with the qualities of a hero, but have painted him as he really lived, breathed, and moved.

Palmer's passion for the turf was displayed at a very early age; and when a student at Bartholomew's, every moment he could spare from his studies in the operating-room and the lecture-room was devoted to speculating in small sums on the races of the week, and scouring the betting-lists of the City. With but a small allowance to live on, from his friends, his ventures, as may be imagined, were but moderate; and little did he conceive, when he put down his crown or half-sovereign on the table of the list-shop, that in a few short years his speculations would have increased to thousands; that he would be recognized as the proud winner of the Chester Cup; that he would have the first favourite for the Oaks; and that sporting men in his own neighbourhood and elsewhere would be proud of the slightest mark of recognition from him, and treasure up a hint from him, as a junior barrister would, an expression of encouragement from a Lord Chancellor. But so it was. Fortune, from some strange caprice, smiled upon the horse-loving Sawbones; and upon his return to Rugeley, in 1847, he had scraped together enough money to purchase a colt called Ferry Hill (got by Plenipotentiary out of Memphis), who ran in his name for the first time at the Warwick Spring Meeting, where he won a sweepstakes of 5 sovs. with 25 added, beating Mr. Parr's Marietta and eleven others. And he afterwards, with

the same animal, won the Stand Plate at Newport in the same year. Although these two solitary races were nothing to boast of, yet by his speculations on other events he realized some money, and the first real stake he ever won was on The Flying Dutchman, at Liverpool, by whom he cleared upwards of five hundred pounds; and following Lord Eglinton's colt up at Doncaster, he threw in sufficiently to purchase some steeple-chase horses to amuse himself with in the winter, and which were placed under the care of Escrett, and ridden by Bradley. In the following year, we find only one animal, named Fitz, attached to his name, which merely won two small plates; but in 1850 he appeared to have flown at higher game, for he purchased Doubt of Mr. Meeson, and won the Leamington Stakes with her at Warwick, which were worth £955, and he netted £2,800 in bets. This, of course, set him on his legs; fresh purchases of racing stock were made, and he went shares with Abbess of Jerveaux with Wilkins, of Aintree, and with Achyranthes with Lord of Hednesford. In 1851, he came out with Doubt at the Liverpool Spring Meeting, but could only get second with her to Unity; and at Warwick he was also unsuccessful with her, but made amends for these two defeats by winning the Great Shrewsbury Handicap with Goldfinder, by which he won more than £3,000. At Wolverhampton he also got through the Wolverhampton Stakes with the same horse, and won as much as the ring would let him. But his "grand coup" was at Warwick, where he won the Leamington Stakes with him, clearing £900, the value of the race, and £6,000 in bets. At Manchester, within a fortnight afterwards, we find his star was still in the ascendant, as his mare Trickstress won the Great Autumn Handicap and the Chesterfield Handicap, and as he always backed his fancies heavily, he drew a good sum from the pockets of the betting men, and he wound up the season by "landing" the Great Shrewsbury Autumn Handicap with Doubt. It would thus be seen that if he had confined himself to his own horses, he would have been a rich man, and not have been compelled to apply to the sixty-per-cent. men for assistance; but so eager was he to bet and back other peoples' horses, with whose merits he was only partially acquainted, that he was continually falling a prey to the more mature heads of the bookmakers, and to parties who were only too glad to take advantage of him, by laying him less than the market price. And it being known that at times he was short of money, his commissioners would frequently insist in hedging a great portion of the sums they had invested for him.

In the following year Doubt again proved a useful friend to him, as she won him the Great Warwick Handicap in the spring at Warwick, the first race he ran for that season, and also the Shrewsbury Handicap at Shrewsbury, which was the last race he was engaged in during that season. This success was, however, wofully counterbalanced by the disappointment Goldfinder iuflicted upon him, by running second for the Liverpool Cup, third for the Nottingham Handicap, and third also for the Leamington Stakes. By this trio of successive defeats, we have no doubt Palmer was very seriously embarrassed, as he backed him for an enormous sum for each race, and was so disgusted with rage at losing, that he attributed the cause