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ATTACKING VOSBURGH. A novel occurrence marked the racing at Aqueduct last Monday, creating a complication that has been referred to the Jockey Club for a ruling and may be attended by unpleasant results. The affair is thus described in The Sun of Tuesday: "During the lunch hour in the clubhouse at Aqueduct yesterday, L. V. Bell, the "Wall Street broker, whose horses have been rather unsuccessful this year, made a verbal attack on W. S. Vosburgh. the official handicapper of the Jockey Club, which created a sensation among turfmen when they heard of it later. For some time past Mr. Bell has been finding fault with the weights allotted to his horses by Mr. Vosburgh, particularly in the cases of Baron Pepper and Colonel Bill. On Saturday Colonel Bill started in a race with 126 pounds on his back and was not only beaten, but also broke down so seriously that he had to be taken away from the track in a horse ambulance. Yesterday when Mr. Bell found that Colonel Bill had again received-126 pounds for the last race he completely lost his temper. He entered the clubhouse dining room, where J. H. Bradford, one of the Jockey Club stewards was sitting, and said: " This injustice, Mr. Bradford, has got to come to an end. It has come to a pretty pass when one man can ruin the chances of my horses. "Mr. Bell proceeded with further remarks Continued on second page. p ATTACKING VOSBURGH. Continued from first page. of a personal nature regarding Mr. Vosburgh and then went out upon the balcony. In a moment Mr. Vosburgh came in to Mr. Bradford and said: " I have been assailed twice by this man and I demand the protection of the stewards. I do not understand why he should thus attack me, and patience has ceased to be a virtue. "Mr. Bell, meanwhile, went into the grandstand, where he dictated the following statement for the newspapers: The public pays heavily to see races and should certainly be satisfied as to the handicapping. The racing -associations certainly make enough to satisfy . the public, owners and trainers in everything. Therefore they should be willing to appoint . and pay for a board of handicappers to in- eure just weights and fair play to every man and, every horse. " "When an owner at the present time has a grievance he is unable to approach the bumdicapper, whereas he should have a proper board to go before with any complaint he has to make. I, personally, feel that no man with a large stable of horses, with considerable capital invested, has under the present system of handicapping the protection he is entitled to. Certainly no man, through personal dislikes, if he has them, should be allowed such power as the handicapper has. " If anybody will take the trouble to look over the last two races of Baron Pepper in which he met Caller, I would like an explanation why Baron Pepper on the second meeting took up eight pounds after his first complete defeat. " I also feel that the handicapping of Colonel Bill during this season would not have been the same under a just board of handicappers. where I could have lodged a statement to show what my grievance was. Prior to my buying Colonel Bill, for which I gave many thousands of dollars, he won many stakes with light weights. Since I have owned him top weight has been assigned to him in spite of the fact that his performances of this or last year have not warranted such an adjustment of weight. " Colonel Bill has now retired, possibly for ever, after 1 have tried in vain to race him honestly with the weights assigned to him. If one man is to continue in arbitrary control of my stable I shall retire from the turf and I can say that there are other owners of the same mind. "Some time ago P. J. Dwyer expressed himself in favor of a board of handicappers and when asked about the matter yesterday reiterated his statement, with the explanation, however, that he was only one individual in the councils of turf government. When Mr. Vosburgh was informed by The Sun man of Mr. Bells statement, he said: " I do not care to make any reply except to say that in fourteen years I have handicapped more horses than any man in this country and I have never been treated in such an abusive manner before. Mr. Bell lost his head completely and gave vent to a rambling tirade, which took me by surprise, for I had always been under the impression that he was a good sportsman. There is nothing left for me to do under the circumstances except to prefer charges against him with the Jockey Club stewards. " Mr. Bell says that it has been impossible to approach you on the subject. Is that so? asked the reporter. " He has never attempted to speak to me, replied Mr. Vosburgh, with a smile, as he walked away. It was the opinion among turfmen that Mr. Bell, while possibly having just reasons for making a protest, adopted rather radical methods of expressing his feelings. There is a board of handicappers in England and it has been a success. Whether the system will be tried here or not remains to be seen."
