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Twenty Years Ago Today Chief Turf Events of Nov. 4, 1903 Racing at Aqueduct and Latonia. A novel occurrcrce 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. During the lunch hour in the clubhouse at Autduct 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 I the Jockey Club, which created a sensation ; among turfmen when they heard of it later. 1 For some time past Mr. Bell ha3 been findinej fault with the weights allotted to his horseJfl by Mr. Vosburgh, particularly in the cases ofts 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 12G 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 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 should be willing to appoint and pay for a board of handicappers to insure 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 handi- capper, whereas he should have a proper board to go before with any complaint he has to make. If anybody will take the trouble to 1 look over the last two races of Baron Pepper in which he met Caller, I would like an explan- ation why Baron Pepper on the second meet-ing took up eight pounds after his first com- i phte 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 grievce was. Prior to my buying Colonel Bill, tor 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 I have tried in vain to race him honestly with the weights assigned to him." When Mr. Vosburgh was in- formed of Mr. Bells statement he said: "I; do not care to make any reply, except to say j 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. Be!l 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 J him with the Jockey Club stewards." "Mr. Bell J says that it has been impossible to approach you on the subject. Is that so ?" asked a re- porter. "He has never attempted to speak i to me," replied Mr. Vosburgh, with a smile, as the walked away.
