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iDEFECT IN "CURRENT" LINE Deprives Houston Patrons of Totalizator and Speaker During Third. Electric Tower Quickly Restored Old State Defeats Motion Picture and Rewards Backers. HOUSTON, Texas, Oct 1. Because of a defect in the trunk line supplying current to the totalizator, that instrument was out of commission for the running .of the third race on Thursday afternoons program and resulted in a long delay before the old method of posting the approximate odds with chalk was resorted to. Shortly after the running of the second race the current became exhausted, but it was possible to conduct betting on the race from the machine, though the amount of money wagered on the various horses and the approximation could not be flashed. In addition to the "tote" being out of use, the public address system was also silenced, and the inactivity of both systems brought about considerable confusion among the good-sized gathering of spectators, who had, been accustomed to both features at the Houston track. The electric power was restored shortly before the running of the fourth race. After a long parade and an equally long delay at the post, the seven two-year-olds that made up the third event wore dispatched from the five and one-half furlongs point," which was captured by Mrs. R. J. Murphys Old State, giving the Evansville sportswoman her initial victory of the meeting. Motion Picture, the favorite, finished second, and Hearty drew up in the third slot. . INTERESTING BATTLE. It was Hearty and Howard G. that waged a battle during the opening half mile, first one and then the other showing in front by a slight margin. As the final quarter wa3 reached, the field bunched, and it was not until the last seventy yards of the sprint that Old State managed to draw clear and register by the margin of a length. The win-, ner returned 1,40 for straight to hU backers. The opening race on the program, a five and one-half furlongs sprint for three-year-olds and upward which had not scored a victory during the year, went to Hiawatha Stables Parisian Witch, a bay daughter of Witchmount, which crossed the line a half length in front of Bonsall, with the latter holding a like advantage over Take It Easy". It was a blanket finish and provided some thrills despite the mediocre caliber of the racers. The winner was second choice in the betting, paying .10 for a straight ticket. Handling his impost of 118 pounds in game fashion, Geo. La Fleshs Knights Hope rang up his second victory in three starts when he came from behind in the stretch to take the main portion of the purse in the second event, a sprint over six furlongs. Hip Boot3 was a head behind the victor, with High Bottom the other horse to figure in the payoff. Animate and High Bottom engaged in a duel for the right to go to the front in the early stages, with the latter gaining the edge after going to the first quarter, and continued to show the way to the final quarter of the distance. I .
