Judge Leon Wing Killed: Presiding Official at Reno Fatally Shot by Ex-Jockey Zeigler-Latter Commits Suicide., Daily Racing Form, 1922-06-29

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J I in j * ■ n j :: j -; s « ■ j 3 ■ ? of to v "■ -1 l * f . fc f . . r E . f t , , j j , f j . J j ] j i h k , i i ; i JUDGE LEON WING KILLED] | ■ Presiding OiUcial at Eeno Fatally , Shot by Ex-Jockey Zeigler — Latter Commits Suicide. RENO, Xev., June 28. — Without a word of warning and with no chance to defend himself judge Leon Wing, who held the distinction of being the youngest racing official the country, was shot and killed at the local race track this morning by Arthur A. Zeigler, a former jockey. Zeigler had been ruled off the turf at Vancouver last year and had made a futile attempt to ride here, but the stewards, recognizing the rules of organised racing, had refused to grant him a li- i cense. Judge Wing, who was officiating i here as one of the judges and also racing secretary, had just finished taking the entries for the races of tomorrow and had i seated himself in an automobile to return to the city for his lunch. With him was George W. Schilling, a co-worker for a number of years. Just as jude Wing was starting his machine and before Schilling had any thought an attempted tragedy Zeigler stepped up . the car and began to converse with his . victim. In a second five shots rang out in quick succession and judge Wing cried out that he had been shot Three of the five shots fired by Zeigler took effect, one over the judges heart, proving fatal. The other-two lodged in his shoulder and arm. The victim w;is rushed to a hospital, but died before the operating room had been reached. Zeigler ran to a near-by stable after nring the fatal shots and before the many who were running after him could reach him he fired one shot into his breast. This lodged in the heart region. He was taken to a hospital and died there at 2:30 p. m. Judge Wing was a resident of San Francisco and, before becoming associated with racing, was a writer on the San Francisco Examiner. He was 28 years of age and is survived by a mother and a brother. His brother will arrive here tomorrow and the body will be taken to San Francisco for burial. METEORIC RISE I?T RACING. Judge Wings rise in racing had been so marked that it had attracted widespread attention and hi3 death comes as one of the most severe blows imaginable to western racing. At the inauguration of the Tijuana racing, Wing became associated with Mr. Schilling in compiling the Peerless Form Chart II is strict attention to the numerous and exacting details of ra -ing won him the confidence of president James Wood Coffroth of the Lower California Jockey Club and promotion was in order. Iteeognizing his distinct talents, president Coffroth appointed him to the stand two years ago at Tijuana and he also held the same position during the last winters racing. In addition he served as the racing secretary. The dead official, who had made a name for himself by insisting on clean sport, regardless of consequences, was beloved by horsemen, jockeys and all who have the best interests of the thoroughbred in mind. He was known as a strict disciplinarian, but was only guided by duty. Many times bis decisions were tempered with mercy and ho always exhibited a sympathetic understanding of the vicissitudes of the turf to which many fall heir. Zeigler was twenty-eight years of age and had a wife residing in Chicago and a brother in Eos Angeles. That his deed was premeditated ia disclosed by a statement made by jockey Morrow, his roommate. Morrow says that Zeigler had been brooding over his inability to ride and had made threats against the officials. Such a threat was mada by Zeigler early today, but for reasons unexplained Morrow did not give any warning. On account of the death of Judge Wing the races here were postponed. Leon Wing, who met such an untimely death yesterday, was for several years correspondent for Daily Racing Form in the West principally at Tijuana. His honesty and integrity was above reproach and all were deeply moved to learn of his death.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1922062901/drf1922062901_1_5
Local Identifier: drf1922062901_1_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800