Or, how the Olympic hurdle race was won. Tip Top Weekly. Part 2 of 4. by Dr. Edward H. Kozloff

(Editor’s note: In the last issue, Dr. Kozloff introduced readers to issues of Tip Top Weekly that featured track and field stories starring the Merriwell boys. Tip Top Weekly was a popular nickel weekly for boys back in the early decades of the 20th century. In the last episode, our heroes were tapped to help represent the USA in the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games. It featured their adventures on the boat trip over and their early competition at the Games.)

The second episode is titled, Dick Merriwell in Stockholm; Or, How the Olympic Hurdle Race Was Won. It appeared on the newsstands for the week of July 13, 1912. The Americans in Stockholm expect Jim Phillips to win the broad jump. Only Dick Merriwell and Michael Harrigan (head of the American Olympic Committee) know of the difficulties. Before arriving in Stockholm, Merriwell thinks Harrigan has overstated his concern about the American team. However, his coaching experience tells him that it is always better to overestimate rather than underestimate an opponent.

Harrigan has a room that no one but he can access. In this room is a chart listing all of the events, competitors, and best performances. He and Merriwell, his chief aide and advisor, study the chart and discuss the scoring at the Games. In these Olympics, only first place counts. However, these men prefer the American system of scoring the first three or five places. The American team could easily win the Games with points they would normally get for these places. Now they must change their strategy, putting an emphasis on first place finishes.

The broad jump incident, when a hidden wire had caused shorter landing marks in the pit, has been reported to the Swedish Olympic Committee, which at first scoffed at the idea that something like this could happen. However, upon discovering it to be true, the committee has been unable to determine where the wire went or who was involved.

While in his room, Merriwell receives a phone call. The voice is foreign and it is a man named Carberry, the very person who is planning the plots against the Americans. He states that Merriwell is the best adversary he has ever known and maintains that nothing will happen on Sunday. Then, arrogantly, he claims that he laughs at the law and promptly hangs up. A futile attempt is made to trace the call.

Merriwell discusses his plans with Harrigan. Merriwell will enter the marathon. Although he doesn’t think he has a chance to win, he can do 15 miles at a good pace. He might also enter the five-mile run, the discus, and the standing jumps. While he hasn’t competed lately, he has kept in shape. Understandably, others might believe he is not available to compete in these Games.

Early to bed, early to rise, early to win Actually, Merriwell does not really train. He likes to exercise and works out with the teams he coaches. When he does plan to enter some type of athletic competition, he simply goes to bed a little earlier than usual. This fits him well, since he doesn’t keep late hours anyway and enjoys arising early.

Sunday is a scheduled day off; no events are held so the marathoners can ride the course. Merriwell takes a train to the start and decides to walk the course. Accordingly, he can plan his strategy, perhaps setting a fast enough pace to tire the other top runners.

When he is well into the course and the sun is beginning to set, he hears someone around a corner speaking in a German accent. As he rounds the corner, six men attack him from behind. They blindfold him, place him in a car, and carry him to a cabin. As the car stops outside the building, he hears an angry, excited argument in German. Then he is gently lifted and placed onto a chair. The ropes are loosened and he is given water.

Carberry, his adversary, speaks to a still-blindfolded Merriwell. Carberry says he is disturbed because he promised Merriwell that nothing would happen that day. An overzealous worker did this. Carberry says that Merriwell will be returned to his room in Stockholm.

Merriwell did not tell anyone where he went, and as the day passes, team members become concerned. When they learn that he has gone out to the marathon route, they set out to look for him. Just when they decide to contact the police, a battered Merriwell appears. Inspector Lane, of Scotland Yard, arrives and listens to Merriwell’s story.

A plan is hatched to capture some of the men involved in the plot against Merriwell. It appears that someone is impersonating Inspector Lane. When the culprit is captured, they learn that he is working with Carberry. The imposter, Lefty Leyburn, is wanted throughout Europe. Leyburn refuses to talk until the

© Dr. Edward H. Kozloff

real Inspector Lane threatens him with knowledge of an unreported crime that would surely send Lefty to jail for life. Lefty talks. Consequently, Inspector Lane disguises himself as Lefty while Lefty is taken to the ship where he is to remain in custody until Inspector Lane meets with Carberry, who will believe he is speaking to Lefty. In the meantime, the American team goes to the stadium, where qualifying trials of the day are being conducted. Few people are in the stands. Bill Brady is at the shot put. Although he isn’t the biggest competitor, he is in great shape as a

result of the long baseball season where he was the catcher. In the early rounds, he deliberately qualifies at a distance much lower than his ability. In the early rounds, in an attempt to make the foreign athletes believe he was not capable of a winning toss, Brady deliberately qualifies at a distance much shorter that his ability. In the final qualifying round, several other athletes have done better than expected. Somewhat surprised by this, Brady shows his ability, though he is dismayed that he had thrown much farther than he planned on his final attempt.

The 200-meter hurdle final is run on turf and, because of the large stadium, is run on a straightaway. With 14 finalists, the American Murchison is the favorite. He gets off to a fast start in the race and is well ahead of the field when he approaches the last hurdle, which he hits. Hurdles of that day were firm and could not be knocked down, but Murchison did so, breaking his ankle as he fell. He tells Merriwell that the hurdle seemed to jump up at him. As Merriwell looks at the hurdle, it seems normal; however, he marks it for a later inspection. In the end, what would have been an automatic first for the United States goes to England, and now Murchison is out of the 400-meter hurdles.

That evening, Merriwell and Harrigan dine on shore and discuss the Games. They are joined by Inspector Lane, who tells them that Carberry is a fugitive sought by half of Europe for the past five years. He then says that Carberry is in the restaurant watching them. He also informs them that Carberry (who has been taken in by the inspector’s disguise) told him that a Yale man would be put out of the meet that day. Murchison’s fall was not an accident.

A hurdle with a mind of its own Later in the evening, Merriwell returns to the stadium to check the hurdle again. Since he knows a watchman, he has no difficulty getting in and while walking decides that he will run the 400-meter hurdles at the Games. He sets the hurdle up in the same position it was in during the race and, as he examines the area, feels the ground give. On closer inspection, he discovers that the area below has been hollowed out, thus spoiling the takeoff.

As he walks back, he is greeted by a stranger—the same man whom the inspector earlier had identified as Carberry. Merriwell is astounded at his nerve. The stranger identifies himself as Colonel Dempster of Washington, D.C. They talk amiably in generalities and part near the hotel. Merriwell decides to take an irregular route to the dock where American sailors take him back to the ship.

Shot put finals are the next day. Bill Brady, in good spirits, discusses strategy with Merriwell. Brady says he has been over 50 feet in secret throws. Merriwell decides not to tell anyone what caused the hurdle accident. He then meets with Inspector Lane, who is still able to present himself to Carberry as Lefty Leyburn. Merriwell learns that Carberry is upset because the previous night, when he

introduced himself as Colonel Dempster, he had men waiting to ambush Merriwell. However, Merriwell foiled the plan when he decided to take a different route to the dock. The shot put finals have been scheduled for the middle of the afternoon. However, when it is time to report, Bill Brady is not present. Merriwell sets out to look for him and sees a commotion at the stadium entrance. A spectator entering the stadium is saying someone deliberately bumped into him. The police, who were nearby, have found the man’s watch in Brady’s pocket, and he is arrested and taken to jail. Merriwell rushes to the American Minister’s house, arriving just as the last of the secretaries leaves for the Games. Fortunately, the secretary is a Yale graduate who knows of Merriwell. Together, they rush to police headquarters, and after an extensive and excited explanation, Brady is released.

They hurry to the stadium, where the shot put event is well under way. Brady has missed his first three chances. The officials will give him only one throw. The best in the competition is 49 feet, 9 1/2 inches, setting a world record. With a mighty heave, a furious Brady puts the shot 51 feet, 4 inches to win the competition!

There is great need for Merriwell to meet with Inspector Lane privately. The inspector is worried that because of the shot put incident, Merriwell might now be able to recognize Carberry. Then Carberry may realize that the inspector is impersonating Leyburn, and the inspector will be in great danger. The meeting is to take place in a dangerous part of town. Merriwell is uncomfortable as he waits and waits. He is about to leave when a hysterical Lane arrives.

Carberry has become enraged over the American shot put victory. He believes the inspector, who was impersonating criminal Lefty Leyburn, has helped Merriwell. He locked up the inspector, who managed to escape. As the inspector and Merriwell attempt to return to the ship, they are attacked by eight men, bound, gagged, and taken to a boat where they are turned over to a very angry Carberry.

The eight men are dismissed and the boat takes off toward Carberry’s yacht as Carberry kicks and curses Inspector Lane. Suddenly, the boat stops. As Carberry leaves to investigate the problem, a wet, partially handcuffed figure climbs aboard and knocks Carberry unconscious. It’s Lefty Leyburn, who has escaped from the American ship where he was being held prisoner. As he swam from the ship, he heard Carberry threaten to kill the inspector. Since Leyburn isn’t a murderer, he decided to intervene. However, while all this is going on, Carberry recovers, dives overboard, and escapes. Since Lefty has disabled the boat, they are unable to go after him. Merriwell, though, dives overboard and fixes the propeller. They return to the U.S. team’s headquarters on the Rhineland.

A warning with some bite Because of Leyburn’s help, Inspector Lane frees him and offers to help him clear his name. They all rest well and the following day receive a surprise message

from Carberry declaring that they have all been lucky to escape and warning that they won’t be so lucky the next time. The team decides to remain on board the ship that day and spends the time planning for the upcoming Olympic events, reading, and resting. However, as Jim Phillips walks along the deck, he looks up just in time to see an iron object fall right toward the area where Harrigan and Merriwell are sitting. Just before the object hits the deck, he pushes the men out of the way. Everyone thinks this must be the work of a clumsy seaman. But was it a newly hired crew member who recently worked on Carberry’s yacht?

Merriwell’s entrance into the 400-meter-hurdle race has been kept a secret until the last minute. In the qualifying round, he made it to the finals with a slow time and attracted little attention. Wheeler, a young runner, is considered America’s best. However, Wheeler is having trouble with world-class competition because he has rarely been challenged in the States. The finals, with 14 contestants, are to be held on a 400-meter straightaway.

Because of his qualifying time, Merriwell is assigned to an outside lane, with the race favorites grouped together in the middle. At the start of the race, nearly all the competitors reach the first hurdle together. By the third hurdle, Wheeler has a half-stride lead. By the fifth, Merriwell leads but has such control that he makes no effort to increase his lead. With two hurdles left, the top foreign entrants put on a sprint, leaving Wheeler behind. With one hurdle left, Merriwell gathers all his strength to make a wide clearance of the obstacle. As he jumps, he feels the ground give—much as it had in the 200-meter event where Murchison was injured. However, Merriwell is prepared for this and clears the barrier, sprinting to the finish for an American victory! Dick Merriwell’s assault on the Olympic medals continues in the next issue.