COWHERD WINNER
OF LONG AUTO RUN.
FINISHES FIRST IN CORBIN CAR,
PERFECT SCORE.
E. J. ANDERSON IS SECOND.
HE RODE A RAMBLER AND HAD
994 POINTS.
Dispute Among Two of the Partici-
pants as to the Corbin's Score
Wound Up With Fisticuff
Fight on the Paseo.
Fletcher Cowherd's Corbin car was last night awarded a perfect score by the executive committee in charge of the endurance test. Because of allegations which are said to have been made by other participants reflecting on the genuineness of the score, a severe test was given the car at the Hotel Inez last night, but it was found to be in perfect condition.
Amid cheers issuing from hundreds of throats, din of auto horns and clanging of trolley bells, the automobile endurance run for 1908 came to an end at Eleventh street and Grand avenue, at 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The Corbin car, driven by Fletcher Cowherd, Jr., was the only contestant with a perfect score, and was placed first in the list of contestants.
With the crowd the fact that one of the cars was the winner of the first contest of the kind ever held from here seemed to make little difference. When Mrs. Kirkland, in her Overland, which she piloted over the entire course, turned into Grand avenue, there went up a cheer which lasted until that plucky little woman had passed from sight on her way to the Paseo, where the autos taking part in the run were inspected.
TWENTY-ONE FINISHED.
Then, too, the cars which carried the most mud in their wheels and on guards seemed to enthuse the spectators to a considerable extent. Therefore, as there were plenty of cars and plenty of mud the cheering was continued until the arrival of the last car. Of the forty-one cars which started in the run but twenty-one finished. This, however, is considered a wonderful record and goes to show the admirable quality of the "staying powers" possessed by the respective drivers and their passengers. All who took the trip said they would not have missed it. The last day's run, from Iola, Kas., 125 miles, was started at 6:15 o'clock yesterday morning. The schedule allowed of easy running time and by the time Paola was reached, at noon, all of the contesting cars were in good condition.
Leaving Paola, the remaining fifty miles were clipped off in good time, and finally when the end was reached the cars were hugging each other in single file, engines running admirably, occupants tired but happy, and everything in readiness to check in.
Probably the hardest luck encountered by any of the contestants yesterday befell Carl Muehlebach and his Pope-Hartford. This car, with its crew, was ready for departure from Iola when the signal was given, but had progressed but a few feet when one of the front tires blew up. This accident having been repaired, another start was made, when another tire blew. After this the two other tires, which had seen duty during most of the trip, collapsed almost simultaneously, with the result that 11:30 found the Pope-Hartford occupants but two miles from their starting point.
After that, however, good time was made, and the car, although about an hour late in arriving, checked in in good shape. Several other cars had slight mishaps, but none of them compared with the downright hard luck encountered by No. 7
FINISH WITH FIST FIGHT.
After the cars had reached the Paseo an incident took place which, although of short duration, caused considerable excitement. During the trip yesterday the correctness of the Corbin car's perfect score was under discussion in a somewhat heated manner by owners of other cars which had been penalized a point or two, and is said to have its culmination in a fistic encounter during the Paseo inspection.
Who the participants were could not be learned, as the race officials exerted every effort to suppress their identity and were quite successful. It remains, however, that during the brief course of the melee there was considerable excitement for all. It is expected that the question will be taken up by the executive committee.
