INVESTIGATION OF DISPUTED PEDIGREES. 443 



correctly placed. The only discrepancy which I have found be- 

 tween Mr. Welch's inventory and the facts is in the color of the 

 filly No. 18, that appears in the inventory as a chestnut, but is 

 advertised and sold as a bay. This mistake in color is not infre- 

 quent in the spring of the year before the old coat is shed, and I 

 think it may be reasonably accounted for on this ground. James 

 L. Eoff, well known from ocean to ocean as the king of all "horse 

 sharps," seems to have taken a good deal of interest in assorting 

 the animals and in picking up scraps of information from the 

 boys who had come with them. At the same time he was an ex- 

 cellent judge of racing stock, and as silent as the grave to the vic- 

 tims whom he sought to mislead and then beat. In this way he 

 soon knew more about the breeding of the animals than those in 

 charge of them. Mr. William Woodward seems to have been his 

 friend (?) with plenty of money, but a perfect "tenderfoot" in 

 the mysteries of the race horse. No doubt he pointed out to Mr. 

 Woodward the so-called Lexington filly and advised him to buy 

 her, assuring him that he wanted her himself, but if he wanted 

 to take a little fly in racing he would not bid against him. The 

 sale came off, and Eoff ran up the Revenue filly, out of Sally 

 Morgan, to three hundred and twenty-five dollars and got her, it 

 is said, for Theodore Winters. W T hen they came to the filly by 

 Bob Johnson, out of the mare by Brawner's Eclipse, Eoff bought 

 her at two hundred and fifty dollars for himself, and named 

 her Lilly Hitchcock. The next animal sold was the filly by Lex- 

 ington, dam unknown, and she was bought by William Wood- 

 ward at two hundred and fifty dollars, and he named her Waxy. 

 The sale was slimly attended and much of the stock was bid in 

 for the owner, Mr. John Anderson. That night the wine flowed 

 very freely, as it was the initiation of the "tenderfoot," Mr. 

 Woodward, into the ranks of running-horse men. After they all 

 "got hot" (except Eoff), a sweepstakes was opened for the three 

 fillies, Ada C. (the Revenue filly), Lilly Hitchcock and Waxy, at 

 two hundred and fifty dollars each, and Eoff was careful to see 

 that it was made "play or pay." The race was a dash of a mile 

 and a quarter, and it took place nearly twelve months after the 

 match was made. Eoff won easily with Lilly Hitchcock, and 

 Waxy was so badly beaten that Woodward gave her away on the 

 spot and "swore off" ever owning another running horse. Thus 

 Eoff's cunning carried his plot through, without a break at any 

 point. From the hour he bought this filly he stoutly maintained 



