Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-02-05
DURNELL CALLED
MAN OF MYSTERY
STILL YOUNG MAN, BUT HAS HAD
CHEcKERED CAREER ON
RACING TRACKS.
RULED OFF TURF THREE TIMES
Final Suspension Due 20 Unknown In
huenees-Won Classic Suburban
After Having Been Suspended
Was Good Friend Of John w. oates
"A Successful Trainer.

Charles E. (Boots) Durnen has
earned the title OF the Man OF Mys-
terry i'm the turf world. young man.
not over 80 years OF age. he has been
ruled OF the turf three times. the last
occasion but a short time after he
had won the classic Suburban. On the
first two occasions there were well
defined reasons. In the last case
which happened recently, nothing has
been learned from the Jockey club.
only they ordered associations under
their jurisdiction to refuse Durnells
entries.
Many reasons have been assigned.
One OF them is that his connections
with John w. Gates, when the Wall
street magnate was doing his spectac
ular plunging, was so distasteful to
the racing authorities that they
showed their dissatisfaction by TAX
ing drastic action. On the other hand.
IL is said that several races run by
horses belonging to Durnell did not
please the Jockey club, and after n
quiet investigation they felt that it
would be to the best interests OF the
turf 10 give MIN the gate.
Durnell first came under the ban
of the turf authorities when the
French officials ruled him of in 1901
for standing at the post with his
Londre at St Cloud I'm a big stake.
Durnell claimed that his remaining at
the post was due to misunderstood.
ing. Nevertheless the French author.
tiles suspended him.
On the ruling of the French Jockey
club the American turf folks barred
! him from their tracks for two years,
when he managed TO get influential
friends to get him reinstated by the
French club. In February. 1906. Dur
nell became mixed up I'm a row with
John McCaferty over the horse Hu.
guenot. Both preferred charges and
counter-charges, and IL finally wound
up in both being ruled of the turf
for life. In the early part OF this year
Durnell managed to get back into the
| fold through the efforts OF John w
/ Gates, IL is claimed. He got together
a good stable and startled all the east
/ ern racegoers by capturing the Subur
| ban with Nealon at the liberal odds
of 20 to l.
With that great victory to his credit
Boots" Durnell came TO be known as
| one OF the most successful trainers OF
the turf He Immediately blossomed
| out in swell raiment, and wore his
/ stable colors in his hatband. Just
| before the horses went To Saratoga
| John W. Gates announced his reti! e
ment from the game.
This set tongues wagging. az 1t was
| reported that Gates had received q
| tip from the authorities that his
heavy betting was detrimental to the
welfare of racing. With his sponsor
! out OF the way, Durnell began to fail
! During the Saratoga meeting he held
/ a public sale Of his horses. This. also
was due TO hint from higher up, II
| is said
To the surprise OF many, when sew
eral OF his horses were disposed OF
/ at the sale faced the barrier they
| ran under the name OF the Burlingame
| stable. They carried the Durnell col
! ors and It was admitted that he bought
! them in. This was looked on as some
what OF an act of defiance, and many
/ tate to say that the end OF Durneli
! was rapidly approaching.
II came along toward the middle OF
! December Durnell was racing at
! Oakland when the action OF the Jockey
| club was taken, and when the officials
| at Emeryvllle were Informed by the
/ Jockey club. they refused TO allow
/ him to enter his horses. Durnells
| friends cast longing glances toward
/ New Orleans. hoping that ed CORR
gan, who had antlpathy against the
| Jockey club. would allow him to race
down i'm the Crescent city Their
hopes were dispelled when Corrigan
said that he would positively not al
low Durnell track privileges, and also
mentioned that Durnell was no orna
ment to the turf
At the present Durnell stands alone
as an owner that has won a Suburban
after being ruled on, and a few
| months after winning that classic
meets the same fate that has been
trailing his footsteps for nearly ten
years.