view raw text
HOLD FINAL DAY PURSES. HORSEMEN AND RIDERS AWAIT PAYMENT OF MONEY WON AT MAISONNEUVE MEETING. Agree to Finish Out Mocting for Reduced Purses, but Are Left Without Prizes After Close of Tuesdays Racing Somo Threaten Legal Action. Montreal, Que., Aug. 3. The finish of the racing season in Montreal, which was brought to a close last Tuesday afternoon, according to the order-in-council, prohibiting betting after August 1, brought with it a hard luck tale. That the meeting at Maisonneuve was not a successful one, was shown by the numerous owners and riders around Freemans hotel Wednesday, awaiting the payment of the purses won by them on the closing day of the meeting at the east end track. The horsemen notified the management of Maisonneuve last week that they would finish out the meeting for reduced purses if they were paid each morning following the races of the previous day. According to some of the members of the horsemens committee this was agreed to and the meeting continued. Monday night, it is alleged, some of the owners were told that the purses would be paid the next morning. Some of them were, but the purses for the Tuesdays racing, which was the last day of the meeting, were not paid. The horsemen say that they were promised payment of the purses and amounts won by them after the last race. When they went into the office at the track to collect, they were told to go to room D. at Freemans hotel Wednesday morning, where they would. re-ceive their money. The majority of horsemen, as well as employes, received only part of their money. Several of the owners have already taken legal advice over the matter, while the horses of others were attached for debt, they being unable to mefet their liabilities. Numerous stories are told by owners, regarding the promises made over the payment of the purses and, when they arrived at Freemans hotel, there was no one there to meet them or offer any explanation. While these owners are waiting for their money, they are running up -expense bills and may lose their horses in the bargain. The crowd remain-ing"at the -hotel all day included one or two well-known local owners, who had no hesitation in stating that they would take action against the management df the club tq recover the amount due them.
