RACE-HORSES POISONED. 37 



bridge proved fatal. The three above - named 

 horses belonging to Sir Frank Standish died in 

 great agony ; indeed I have often heard my 

 father say that he had never seen a poor animal 

 endure anything like the sufferings sustained by 

 Spaniard, before death brought him merciful re- 

 lief. He and his two stable companions were 

 buried in the gravel-pit near "The Severals," 

 opposite to the house in which John Robinson 

 lived during his declining years. Thanks to the 

 dose of castor -oil administered by my father to 

 Ccelebs and Reveller, both recovered, and ran in 

 many races, the latter winning nine times during 

 the following year. Their recovery was attri- 

 buted by the ignorant to the effects of some 

 vinegar administered to them by a man calling 

 himself a veterinary surgeon ; but, in reality, 

 they were saved by my father's prompt action 

 in drenching them without a moment's delay with 

 castor-oil. 



It was upon Wednesday, May 1, 1811, that 

 the horses drank poison at the troughs, and next 

 day a notice in very big letters was posted all 

 over the town. It ran as follows : 



"NEWMARKET, May 2, 1811. 



" T17HEEEAS several race-horses, under the care of Mr 

 Eichard Prince, training groom, that drank out of 

 a- trough on the Heath near the ' Well Gap ' on Wednesday 

 morning, were soon after taken ill, one of which is since 

 dead, and many remain in a dangerous state ; 



