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TAMPA CLOSES GATES « Meeting Comes to Sudden End With Saturdays Racing. ♦ Dissension Among Heads of Organization Given as Reason for Abrupt Termination. • — — TAMPA, Fla.. April ?.. — The Tampa race meeting terminated with the running of the seventh race today. Dissension among the heads of the organization, coupled with bad weather, brought about the sudden ending, and in addition to this, forty or more clerks In the pari-mutuel department were indicted yesterday. ] resident Harvey Myers also was named in the indictments, which charge conspiracy to promote a gambling venture. The nuituel clerks were hustled out of town today be f tie the capiases could be served upon them. Jt was announced several weeks ago that the meeting would be extended from April 3 to April 10. and the horsemen were depending upon this. After it was given out that the meeting would be abandoned this afternoon, a number of horsemen met and 1 decided to accept a cut in purses to ,000, but after .lames S. Ownbey conferred with , Mr. Myers, it was decided to end the meeting i today. From the outset, it has been evident that t the higher-nps of the West Coast Jockey - Club were not working in harmony. President . Myers and general manager H. C. Krodlnck were especially at loggerheads and, , despite efforts of Fred J. Lassiter. one of f the largest stockholders in the organization, , to promote harmony, it apparently could not t be brought about. There was little or no interest manifested in the racing today. Practically all of the I regulars at the race track were more concerned • as to whether the meeting would go on for the next six days or not. and it was a difficult task finding out officially that it lias been declared off. Finxilly general manager ■ Brodbeck came down to the press box : anil to the newspapermen made the following ■ statement : "The meeting ends today." NO LOCAL INTERKST. It was unfortunate that the initial meeting - of the West Coast .loekey Club snould 1 come to such a sad endiner. F.etter management - all around would have made a successful - meeting possible, but now it is s doubtful if the thoroughbred sport will ever r thrive here. The local people paid little attention - to it. and the tourists did not turn n out in numbers expected. To the credit of the local meeting it must t be said that the racing was. at all times, lean. Stewards Sam C. Nuckols and John T. Ireland governed the sport in excellent fashion and there was not even the least bit of scandal. The Tampa Terrace Hotel Handicap, with .r»00. was the feature attraction today and it resulted in an easy win for Hot Pepper. It was over the distance of one and one-sixteenth miles and. at the end, the winner was going away, with Squarson closest in pursuit of him. Skivesdale was next in order. Jock.-, K. Sporri bid adieu to Florida in grand style. He rode three winners in a row. Atomin. Julie and Settee. a
