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ACCUSES MADDEN. r From Washington comes a startling story to the effect that the father or jockey Cochran is about to prefer charges of the gravest nature against John E. Madden, the most prominent and tho most successful trainer of race horses in America. Cochrans father, it seems, was asked to keep away from the Morris Park fall meetiDg by the stewards, and, it is said, that he was requested to absent himself from the Bennings track in both instances presumably because tne stewards deemed it inadvisable for him to have any communication with his son during the racing hours. The stowards might reasonably have done this and still harbor no suspicion of wrongdoing by him. More than once it has been alleged that the father has been indiscreet enough to order the boy to ride his mount contrary to the instructions issued by the trainer or owner of the horse, who alone had the right to issue snch orders. More than a year ago John McCafferty declined the services of the boy, then under .contract to him, and the reason for this strange action as alleged at the time was the interference of the father. Then it will be remembered that at the Morris Park fall meeting Mr. Madden, as the manager of the Whitney stable, stood Cochran on the ground and put Redfern up on Slipthrift. With Redfern up the horse ran a good race, whereas, in previous races, with Cochran in the saddle, he had been beaten badly in poorer company; The change in the horses form no less than the reflection on Cochran, the Whitney jockey, in standing him on the ground, was responsible for a lot of gossip. So far as Cochran was concerned, Mr. Madden would say nothing further than that the boy was not strong enough to ride the horse, and that he put Redfern up simply because he believed him to be the better rider. The explanation wad reasonable, as well as plausible, and was accepted at the time, but that there was a raging tempest below the service of Mr. Maddens action is made clear by the admissions and the charges now made by Cochrans father. If the Morris Park stewards requested Mr. Cochran to absent himself from the course, they must have had what they believed good and sufficient reason for doing so. As the story runs, Cochran now claims that his boy was put up on Slipthrift and other Whitney and Madden horses "when they were to be beaten" which might mean a multiplicity of things. The boy might bo put up, for instance, when BltA would indicate that ho did not have a chance of winning, and he might be so put up without the slightest suggestion of trickery or wrongdoing. But Madden comes to a race which ho thinks one of his horses can win provided he has the servicei of a better jockey than Cochran, and he engages the superior boy and wins a race. Nothing wrong about that, surely. Owners and trainers and bettors in calculating the chances of a horse always take the skill of the jockeys into consideration. That is why Redfern has an army of followers while Cochran is practically friendless. Thus far Cochrane story has got no further than the newspaper stage, but he is quoted directly and he evidently it prepared to submit his charges to the stewards of The Jockey Club. It is doubtful, however, if tho charges ever will be prsented to The Jockey Clnb. The stewards probably considered the case fully when they acted at Morris Park. If, at that time, they could find no evidence other than that which influenced then to deny the privileges of the course to Cochran it it difficult to see how they could find such evidence at this late day. Tho charges, in fact, amount to no more than allegations, for proof of which the father mutt rely on the son, and the ttewarde undoubtedly would regard it as a foregone conclusion that the boy would support his father. If the elder Cochran hopes to substantiate his allegations against Madden he must produce in corroboration ovidenco other than that which can be furnished by his son, and this it is not likely he can do. The story is one that will create no end of goisip in turf circles; but when everything has been said and done it probably will be found that its finish, like its beginning, will be gossip. The elder Cochran, chagrined at the loss of his boys engagement with the Whitney stable and his poor form in the saddle, will cool off by and by and the incident will be closed. John Madden is a strong, unique figure on the turf. His career in racing has been one unbroken line of successful exploits in the breeding, development, conditioning and placing of thoroughbreds. It would bo difficult to tell in what department of the sport he excels. His skill and success in all of thom is surpassing great, unequaled in the history of the American turf. Never before Maddens time have we had a man who at one and the same time commanded success as a breeder, a trainer and a manager. In him aro combined the qualities which go to make succoss in each and all of these important departments and which never before have been united in one individual. Nor is his succeis confined to the blooding. development and training of the thoroughbred. To a singular extent ha enjoys the favor and the confidence of the men who control the destinies of racing. Large as his own breeding and racing interests are, he has found time to direct the affairs of the Whitney and other prominent stables. With the patronage, the support and friendship of such men aB William C. Whitney and Frank R. Hitchcock, charges such as those preferred by Cochran need to be substantiated before they will be accepted as fact, and of their substantiation there does not seem to be in fact, is not so much as the shadow of a chance. Tho Evening Sun.
