The Washington times., 1895-04-26
SPARKS PROD THE RACERS
Electricity Used TO Dope the Out
law Track Horses.
BLOOD DRAWN FROM SIDES
Tobin. the Inventor of the Brutal speed-pro-
ducing contriVanee, Seen at Alexander
Island-Neel, the Rider Of Woodchopper,
Searched After the Race Startling Re-
versal of Form Made Judges Suspicious.

The gang of pirates that invest the
Old Dominion Jockey Club have found an
other means OF defrauding the patrons
of the place.
Not satisfied with the use Of the dope,
with controlling corrupt jockeys and
with practically no check on their bare
faced steals that they are daily perpetrat-
ing they have gone further and brought
into use the electric spurs. which caused
so much scandal at Guttenburg and Glou-
cester few years ago.
The inventor of the device has been
seen about for some time. not only in the
ring. but in the vicinity OF certain stables
whose owners are of the class that would
rather gain a dollar dishonesty than
earn SO by fair means.
When Woodchopper galloped in winner
OF the second race someone suggested that
Neei. who rode. might have used the for
hidden apparatus.
When the boy had been weighed in. he
was escorted TO the Jockeys room and
ordered to take off his Jacket, pants, and
boots. He did so, but the investigation
was fruitiess. An attempt was made to
and in place OF helping matters it viii
serve 10 increase the use, or rather misuse,
of the appliance.
SOMETHING WAS SUSPECTED.
The reason given for the search OF
Woodchopper's rider was that the horse s
race was so great an Improvement over
his previous effort that it was thought
that some artificial means had been used
to bring it about.
Think of il. A horse shows a startling
Improvement and officials fan to under
stand 1t. Perhaps this accounts for the
fact that no time was taken. They Were
too amazed to catch the figures.
If the rider OF every horse that showed
improvement of this sort at this track
Is TO be searched it Will require the ser
vices of a corps of special searchers, for
in-and-Out running is the rule rather than
the exception of the place.
There is no question that this electrical
device is in use daily, and it would not
take a great amount of work to find the
parties using II. The individual who
first introduced it is a slick customer.
usually weak, deluded boys, who are
proud to boast of their part of any game
In which it Is used successfully.
FRAUD Is AIDED.
As an avenue to fraud the affair is un-
surpassed. It is used on a Eorse one day
aud he runs a good race The next time
be starts he is left to run on his courage.
and. of course. fails to show anything like
his previous form. The bookmakers are
kept posted as to when it is used and when
it is not. and they are guided accordingly.
Yesterdays proceedings will probably
result in an order threatening punishment
to anyone using the appliance, hut the
remedy comes too late. Tie place is
doomed. and all the reformation that the
place so sadly stands in Heed OF, VIII not
help matters now.
Hams exhibition on Dillon J. might
have been improved, and as for the last
race there was sad need OF something to
hurry West Side. The betting IN the ring
plainly indicated that the choice" of the
faithful" was Grand Prix In the last
few minutes the money poured in on him,
with West Sides price going steadily up.
On form the eX-secretary's horse had
no right to beat West Side, but of course
no one looked to see form carried out. At
the finish. however, Grand Prix had easily
disposed OF West Side but the plotteTs
failed to cash, as Rama, whom they did not
think dangerous enough totake into the fold,
made the running gthTougheGtand sentSoTrOw
abroad in the ranks.
1t is not often that their plans miscaTry,
but with West Sidetaken care eoftheycounted
they had the money cinched-
1t was a bad wind up of a bad days
racing.