Full Account of the Longchamps Riot: London Sporting Life Says it Was Unprecedented in the History of France, Daily Racing Form, 1906-10-26

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FULL ACCOUNT OF THE LONG CHAMPS RIOT. London Sporting: Life Says It Was Unprecedented in the History of France. The first of the foreign newspapers containing an account of the rieting sit Longchamps course, near Paris, in France, Sunday afternoon, Oqtobcr 13. reached Chicago yesterday. The London Sporting Lifes correspondent, in the account which follows pictures -the wrath of the Frenchmen even more furious than the short accounts cabled to this country on the day of the riot. "Longchamps racecourse was wrecked this afternoon by an infuriated mob, whose passions were aroused by a fiasco at the start of the third race on the card. Three hundred persons were injured. Two men are reported to have been killed, and several of the injured are in a precarious condition," says the Sporting Lifes correspondent. "The favorite. Storm, and half of the other horses were left at the post when- the signal to start was given. Five of the remainder went on with the race, but the others whb started with them pulled up and returned to- the starting post. The jockeys who got away pushed forward their mounts despite the hoots and booing of the people, and carried the race to a finish. A rank outsider naturally camo in an easy winner, but the judge had no choice but to declare the win, and as the notice bell rang to proclaim All well, the crowd suddenly surged around -the judges 1kx and howled for the race to be called off. The occupants of the grandstand and the reserved enclosure were just, as excited as the mob on the heath, and swarmed round thd horses as they walked back to the weighing paddock to weigh Jn. Amid angry shouts hundreds of men raced away across the course to the office of the pari-mutnel. The police on duty, aided by the company of infantry always on duty at the races, together with a half-squadron of mounted Republican Guards, endeavored to stem the movement, but were swept -away by the now infuriated moh. "Many women in the path of the rush were either ruthlessly pushed aside or thrown down and trampled upon by the rioters. The mob, armed with chairs from the enclosure, and paillngs hastily ripped off the paddock fences, fought savagely to get at the betting booths and weighing-room. The betting booths upon the field number sonic hundreds, little wooden huts of the flimsiest description. The clerks Inside them fastened their doors. It did not take long for someone in: the crowd to suggest firing the booths. This Tdea was immediately put into operation. The clerks inside cried alond for help, - and when their positions became untenable, owing either to the smoke and llames or to the huts being partially wrecked, they had no option but to attempt the impossible task of saving themselves and the money entrusted to them from the maddened thousands by whom they were surrounded. At the sight of the boxes containing the money the mob made a rush, and In-a twinkling cash nnd notes were strewn all about. People fought like maniacs to get a share of the plunder. "By tills time the betting liooths were blazing furiously. Some of the cashiers managed to make thefr way to the chief lietfiiig room; niost of them not only lost all their takings, but were half done to death as well. It is known that at least 20,000 Is missing, and if the further accounts can over be made up it is prolable that the losses will lie found to be much heavier, "Urgent messages were telephoned to police headquarters for assistance. The troops from Courlievoie barracks were upon the scene within an hour of the first outbreak, Imt they hesitated to use their weapons, and without them they were practically powerless. The Puteaux Fire Brigade galloped up within a few minutes of receiving the call. The mob- -cut the traces of. the .horses .and, caused them to stampede, several people lelng knocked down and badly injured. The hose was cut to pieces a"nd the fire engine damaged. Shortly after this, M. Lepine, Prefect of Police, hurried upon the scene, and there lieing nothing else for It, M. Lepine K.rected the Huards to charge. They did so. but they could make little headway against the-rioters, who clubbed the soldiers mercilessly, and even attempted to set lire to their uniforms. Until the further reinforcements telephoned for arrived, the authorities had to content themselves with guarding the enclosure and saving the main stands lind the presidential box from, destruction. In this they were successful, nlthongli three times smoke was seen to rise from tJie weighing rings aM ffcs pUrgf pltf from t,Ue stables. Owners, trainers and jockeys had an anxious time In getting away the many valuable horses. Fortunately, the mob was too intent upon pillaging the betting booths to give heed to the horses, and all the animals were safely got out and hurried away by a back road. Two motor fire engines arrived at full speed from Paris, nnd losing no time in getting to work soon extinguished the few minor outbreaks, smouldering rather than burning, within the enclosure. "Out in the open, however, matters were very different. Not a single betting liooth escaped destruction. A huge bonfire was made of the judges box, winning post, course railings, tickets, and everything else that could be got at. One gang seized a four-wheeled cab that Could not be got away In tlmev and after releasing the horse, threw the vehicle bodily into the flames. The restaurant also blazed furiously, where men and a few women, heedless of the Haines, struggled to get at the casks of wines nnd spirits. "The first disorder happened soon after three oclock, and it was not until half-past five -that there was a sufficient force of military ;on the ground to suppress the disorder. At that hour, five hundred Infantry arrived at the double, and flubbing their rifles advanced in a line four deep, and ruthlessly swept the rioters ofT the field. The mob. fought stubbornly, but could not stand against the rush of the military. Scores of persons were borne away by the ambulance detachment. The race course by now whs dotted with heaps of smouldering ruins. Nothing remained standing on the field, while in the enclosure chairs and seats were smashed to matchwood, the planking of the grandstand was ripped away, windows riddled, flower beds rained, and stables and weighing-ln rooms wrecked. Torn bank notes, money, shreds of elaborate costumes, bartered hats, torn frock coats, and broken umbrellas and walking-sticks lying about the place were an eloquent testimony to the severity of the struggle. "The damage to the race course property alone must amount to thousands of pounds, without counting the huge sums lost through the raid on the pari-rautuel. The wounded Include- several police and mounted guards, several of whom are suffering rrom stabs and bullet wounds, and two arc reported to have died. There were very few arrests, the mob in almost every case effecting a rescue whenever the police succeeded in making a capture. The occurrence- is- unprecedented in French racing liistory. There have been several minor disorders, but never anything like todays affair."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906102601/drf1906102601_2_3
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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800