Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-06-21
Athletics---0ther Sporting News
DOPING HORSES
NOT POPULAR
The Practice is Frequently H.
dulged in and Hard
to Prove

One of the most diff1cult tasks that
falls to the lot of racing steward Is
the detection. and especially the obtain
ing Of convincing proof against UNI
scrupulous owners and trainers who
make a practice of doping" their
horses This practice occurs very in
frequently on the larger race tracks in
the east. but at New Orleans. or on
the western tracks. where winter meet
ings are held and where the poorer
fight ii out for 5000 purses, the practice
of doping Is Of almost daily occur
renee. 1t Is not such hard matter to
tell when a horse in a race has been
piled with stimulants for the purpose
OF accelerating his speed. but 1t is an
other matter to prove it.
1t isn't the hardest matter in the
world for an experienced racing man to
detect the fact that horse has been
"doped"-that Is, for him to be morally
certain In his own mind of 1t. The
proving of it is an entirely different
matter.
The New Orleans meeting had not
been going on many days last winter
when the first glaring case came 10
public attention. The name OF the
horse that had been sent to the post
Allied up to the muzzle does not matter
just now. He was an old cripple that
had been patched up for a killing. and
that he had been "doped' before being
sent to the post. the sporting writer's
were morally certain. Well to make
long story short, the killing went
through and the press boys made up
their minds to get evidence that would
convict the guilty ones. That evening
they sent for trainer and told him
what they wanted. Through him they
got hold of stable hand, who bore
none too good a reputation. and ne
promised to do as the investigators
should direct
The following morning this man
found 1t convenient To he at the track
and near the stable where the suspect
horse was kept. The trainer of the
horse and his assistants. mostly me-
groes were about to work out some OF
the other horses in the barn. When
the horses were taken ont on the tract,
this man climbed up on the rail around
the track near where the trainer and
his crowd were watching the work.
after a little conversation ventured to
remark. In an off-hand sort OF way.
that he'd give $40 for a little of the
stun that had been used the day pre-
vious-that he had a horse that might
be able to win with II.
The trainer apparently paid no at
tention to the observation, but one OF
his assistants, a negro stable boy.
looked longingly at the man. After
the trainer had taken his horses back
to the stable Mr.. Negro slipped back
and coming up to the press boys con-
federate said: BOSS. Use got little
mo- Of dat bottle. I'll glib yo' To- ten.
Meet me at Blanks drug sto' at . to-
night. and I'll glib 1t to yo' ALL"
That afternoon the fellow the news
paper men employed told them Of the
arrangement he had made and. with
another track Official all went to the
drug store and waited. Pretty soon
the man came In with the negro stable
boy He gave tie latter the money.
and, going up to the clerk OF the store,
the stable boy said: Boss glib dis
young man some dat stun l got las
night for de horses" After the stun
had been prepared one of the news
toll
negro who ne was. He was scared half
to death and told enough SO that there
was clear case against the trainer
and he was soon warned away from
the track.