GENERAL BUTTER AND COOLEY. 17 



and won by a dozen lengths in 2:37^. The backers 

 of General Butler now began to talk a little and said 

 that 'the contraband' was not properly driven. In the 

 hope of saving the day William McKeever took the 

 mount. Getting away in front he took the pole and 

 won the third heat in 2 132 by twenty lengths, his horse 

 never leaving his feet in the mile. This showing cre- 

 ated considerable excitement. It was almost dark be- 

 fore the horses were given the word for the fourth 

 mile. Both of them were unsteady and when 

 near the wire it looked as though Butler fouled his 

 competitor, but the judges placed them as they fin- 

 ished, Butler first by half a length and the time 2 133^. 

 "The deciding heat was trotted by moonlight. As 

 the pair vanished. in the darkness Butler was a length 

 in front. As it was impossible to follow them around 

 the track the crowd waited for the pair to appear on 

 the stretch. At length a shout was raised and Cooley 

 ame under the wire. Close behind came General 

 Butler galloping with an empty sulky. He disap- 

 peared in the darkness and made two more circuits of 

 the track before he was caught and led to the stables. 

 The crowd gathered around the judges' stand, some 

 clamoring for a decision and others wondering what 

 had become of McKeever. In a short time the judges 

 announced that McKeever was on the back stretch 

 and supposed to be dead. Riley, the driver of Cooley, 

 told the judges that McKeever had run into the fence, 

 upset his sulky and that he had to stop Cooley to 

 avoid running over him. Later on the body of Wil- 

 liam McKeever was found lying on the track about 

 twenty rods from the half mile pole. He was carried 

 to the residence of a physician, where it was found 



