155 



turl and be dishonest. So they began a crusade against 

 the Brannons, but succeeded in doing them no harm. 



At East St. Louis Polk Badget ran and it was discov- 

 ered just after the race that he was the celebrated Tanner. 

 The money had been paid in bets and it was too late to get 

 that back, but the exasperated officials seized the horse and 

 branded him, so that he would forever afterward be known 

 and that no more deception could be practiced by the wild 

 Tennesseeans. 



Probably the ringer that caused the greatest consterna- 

 tion in Missouri was Twilight It happened many years 

 ago, and there was an old-fashioned hog killing on the re- 

 sult. The horse was a high-class animal, and he was entered 

 under a name other than his own. No attention was paid 

 him by any one, and the bookmakers chalked up 15 and 20 

 to I on his chances. As rapidly as possible the promoters 

 of the scheme at once lost no time in getting down with all 

 the money they could raise. Slowly the odds decreased 

 and the horse went to the post nearly a favorite. Besides, 

 he was played heavily in the pool rooms all over the coun- 

 try and perhaps $100,000 was won on this race. 



Twilight went to the front at the proper time and can. 

 tered in an easy winner. Such care was taken with him by 

 both the jockey and the owner that it was not suspected 

 that he was a ringer for more than an hour. Then it began 

 to be whispered about that there was something wrong. So 

 strong was the suspicion that the judges appointed several 

 gentlemen to go to the stable and see if this fast horse was 

 really the despised Twilight. When they arrived at the 

 stable, where the horse had been kept previously, the stall 

 was found to be empty, and there was not the slightest 

 trace of the animal. It was as if the earth had opened and 

 swallowed him. 



But the owners and promoters of the scheme had col- 

 lected everything there was coming to them and they lost 

 no time in getting away. The fleet-footed Twilight was 

 never heard of afterward. He probably became his proper 

 self and raced afterward, but he was not recognized. That 

 he was a ringer there is not the slightest doubt. 



Little I Am was the next horse of the ringing variety. 

 He also appeared at St. Louis, having done some work of a 

 first-class character at several Eastern and Southern tracks. 



