The Fourth Olympiad London 1908 (extracts)

55 The Rules, referring to the same subject, as laid down by the Union of which the American representative, Mr. Sullivan, was President, are as follows :- " Rule III.-The Referee.-When in a ji11al lzeat a claim of foul or interference is made, J1e (tlze referee) slzall have power to disqualify tlze competitor who was at fault if he co7lsiders tlte foul intentional or due to culpable carelessness, and lze shall also ltave t!te prnnr to order a new race between suclz competitors as lze tlzinks entitled to such a privile_!;e,'' ''Rule X VIII.-The Course. -Each competitor shall keep in lzis respectii:c positio11 from start to finish in flll races 01z straightaway tracks, and in all races on tracks with one 1,r more turlls he shall not cross to the illner edge of tlze track except w!ten lze is at least six feet in advance of !us nearest competitor. After turning tlte last corner into the straiglzt in any race eaclz conzpetitor must keep a straight course to t!te finish line, and not cross, either to the outside or the inside, in front of any of his opponents." The official inquiry into this final heat of the Four Hundred Metres Race was held at the Garden Clnb, Franco-British Exhibition, on the evening of the day of the race. Among those present were :Mr. Duxfield, Vice-President of the Amateur thletic Association, in the chair, Sir Lees-Knowles (British Olympic ouncil), Mr. G. S. Robertson (British Olympic ouncil), Mr. Percy Fisher, fr. Pennycook ( cottish Amateur Athletic Association), Mr. E. W. Parry, r. I. J. Bulger (Briti ·h Olympic Council), Mr. David cott Duncan (Hon. Secretary, cotti. h Amateur Athletic A. sociation), Ir. \V. J. Basan (London Athletic Club), l\Ir. E. H. Felling (Hon. ecretary, London Athletic Club), and others. The evid nee, written and signed, is as follows :- Olympic Games, Quarter-mile Race. Inquiry into the a1legations of unfair competition by which nlr. "Vl. Halswelle was said to be wilfully obstructed. Dr. Bulger, a member of the British Olympic Council and an umpire, said :-I took up a position on the back stretch 100 yards from the start. I saw No. 3 in the draw-i.e. No. 3 position from the verge..... At this point Mr. Ioss, the Assistant-Secretary, .·plained that No. 1, T. C. Carpenter, dre, the first position next to the Yerge · No. 2, W. Ha1swelle, drew the second position; No. 4, W. '. Robbins, drew the third position; and o. 3, J. B. Taylor, drew the fourth position. Dr. Bulger proceeded :--About 50 yards from the start I aw No. 3, W. C. Robbins, go right aero s Halswelle and take Halswelle' position a No. 2. Hal welle then seemed to drop back, and came more on the outside of Robbins, and in that position he rounded the first bend. That is as far as I know of the matter. MICHAEL J. BULGER.