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CONSIDERABLE MYSTERY TO BELMONT FIRE. Every Reason to Believe that Cause Was Not of German Origin — Increased Purses Announced. By Kd Cole I. X. w Fork, April Id. — Belmont Park will be r. n-ovated aa soon as possible aad prepared for it-opening on May ut as at bed ale d, according to ■ statement made by Secretary Barbate r. who ha beea baUi acted by Aagast Beamoat to that effect. Considerable iui-Iitj attaches itself the eaaae of the Bebnwat fire. While it is declared that it was of Oilman origin, there is reason to believe otherwise. The report that the institution had been off« red to the gunman al for mUitarj i araa not tree, thoagh there is little qeestien but all the race tonaaea and stabling thereon will be placed at the disposal of the government when occasion req aires. That the oar had little to il- with the fire is conceded by those who are in a position to talK en the subject. Many iiandatamli have beea barwHi down h.ng before the war started, li certainly was not attributed to German origin arhen Santa Anita Park was horned, and Germany had little to do with the conflagrations at Havre .!■ Grace, Bine Bonnets, Hot Springs and other racing property that has saaTered bj fires, it may have beea Instigated bj personal enemies of Mr. BebaoatH, betieviag him to be the cne aha arooM sutler the greatest pecuniary tot or it may have beea some anti-raee track crank or a discharged employe. All laaa Track-. Now Well Guarded. That a like oecarrenee is not probable is aaaared from the fact that all race roavsea in this district. and it is assumed other districts, are now well protected bj ii employment of night and day watch-men. Every track in this state is now patrolled by from tw to five watehiat n. ami trainers will certainly hud ail aid possible to protect the Btnbling. Andrew Miller has ordered practicallj an army of aratchmea at Saratoga; Jamaica ami Aqueduct an also well protected. The management of the .Maryland tracks have, no doubt, added to their pro-tecttvi outfits by this time. Saratoga is so well policed tliat five nun have been employed, all of whom cany Winchesters, day and night, with orders to let no one pass t!ie gates, excepting employe* ami those who have busines* on the grounds. The same state of pn ieel ii.n applies to .I.nu s l.ullcrs Empire City institution. Jetting to mere pleasant subjects than war and Ores, it mast l«- pleasing to horsemen to learn hat few purses of less ti.an STM will be ohered at I5el-monf Park and none less than pSPp, This has n »| been brought about by the solicitation of herae ai a. bat voluntarily by the management, which believes it warranted, owing ta tic promise of greater in terest in tarf .•fairs t his year and the enormous expense earners have Incurred in providing racing material as v.,11 as the Increased running exp ns ■ of stables. i! any of the local racks can afford larger purses Belmont can. Not so with Aqueduct and Jamaica, these institutions not having the dab-la-use and general following that nertnfam at Bel-meat Park. Racing is progressing favorably since the eranade of IM« and it is predicted that in another year or two it will • nearing the old standard, if .•■ Una can be taken from tin growth during the past three years. Saratoga has enriched its st :k s this year and it is among tie- possibilities that a few of the purses will be raised, though this question has not beea absolutely settled, much depend hag apoa war and Other conditions during August.
