Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-26
THREE HORSEMEN
ARE SUSPENDED
STEWARDS ACT ON CHARGES
OF FRAUD
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS MAY
COME THIS AFTERNOON
Pete Williams, J. M. Stokes and Jack
Pelter Are Temporarily Placed
Under Ban Pending Fur
Their Investigations
NY JAY DAVIDSON

After another session of the board OF
stewards at Santa Anita park last
evenins after the last race Judge Ham
ilton announced that the boaru nau
indefinitely suspended p. ]. Williams,
]. M. Stokes and Jack Pelter 1or tnelI
Connection with the claim filed against
Rey Hindoo, owned by the Oakwoou
stock ranch, last Thursday week. Juuse
Hamilton also said that other ana Iur-
fher dacrees nrobably would be forth
coming today in connection WIN lne
Investigations which the board has put
into effect in the last fortnight.
THESE suspensions caused no surprise
in we'll informed circles, as It mas peen
known for some time that the JUDGES
We're investigating charges 70 tns s,,,ad
feet that Jockey Shriner had puiieu
REV Hindoo in the race In question
to hermit the horse to be claimed, ana
IL is reported that the stewards VIII
order the return of the morse 10 tne
lakewood stock ranch ana tnat lhose
connected with the deal VIII De re
quired to pay to Lawrence anu oo..,
stock whatever damages may nave az
crued by reason of the deal
This is one nasty affair ana one
which II was hoped by patrons anu
supporters of racing would ne sep
within the councils of the racing ssso
citation. It has a bad aspect, ana ye.
the accused men profess vigorously Liza
thew are innocent of any wrong oonls
and are the victims of a plot TO get
event with them on some old scores.
Whatever may be the merit or lack
of merit in the case, 1t makes pau
reading for those who want TO see the
snort go on and prosper Inc tnree
men who were suspended VIII not pe
subject to further penaities until ;r. eae
stewards have completed their ihses-
LEGATIONS and are able to arrive az
Sefinite idea regarding the transaction.
Thev NAV he reinstated and they may
he ruled off, according to the evioence
that is produced in the course pl Inc
investigation. ,s ,nor
1t is said that the evldence upo os
furnished by Jockey Shriner ana ms
parents According to semi-onlclai
statements Shriner is said to nave con-
feIsed that he pulled" Rey Hindoo
after receiving $3.50 for turning tne
trick, and he implicated the three Ineri
named in the transaction. aitnousn
stokes is said to be accused only OF act
ing as a go-between to get Shriner 10
leave Los Angeles and not appear as q
witness against the accused men. All
this Is mere rumor, and as the stewards
will not enter into detail regarding the
evidence produced before them, the
outsiders must remain In ignorance I'M
One thing absolutely Is certain: Judge
Hamilton has taken the bit In his teeth
and has laid down the law that racing
must be conducted on the square OF ne
will know the reason why 1t Is not.
Rumors of crooked deals have been
reaching his ears too Frequently Oh
late, and he is making 1uiet investiga-
tions to ascertain the truth in these
REPORTS. Meantime, he is making ire
uuent visits to the jockey room ana
telling the boys Just where they get
orr in all races. notwithstanding that
the sport seems on the wane IN Gail
fornia, as a result of adverse legisla-
ton, the big judge intends that this
shall be no excuse for other than fair,
square racing and decent sport, and he
has the support of the patrons or the
sport in his efforts.
However, confessions by jockeys.
voluntary and otherwise, and rumors
that other jockeys are about to con-
fess to dirty deals are not whetting
the appetite of patrons of sport for
further participation In 1t. 1t is be-
coming too monotonous, and the gen.
eral opinion seems to prevail that
self-confessed crook should be re-
quired to produce some corroborating
evidence to back up his ex parte and
voluntary statements that reflect upon
the character and reputation of men
regulations upon the turf.
There is no deniaf on either Side or
the Rey Hindoo case regarding the
pulling of that horse, and the judges
have ample evidence upon which TO
act, the rumored desire of another
Jockey to break into the Jack O'Brien
class by making a voluntary state
ment regarding his crookedness and
duplicating prominent men of the turf
as prompting him in all his misdeeds.
very properly has been turned down,
1t Is said. Voluntary confessions
smack too much of the revengeful ma
ture and carry with it an implication
of dishonesty by the confessor that
should be substantiated by unques-
toned evidence In confederation be-
fore 1t is given serious consideration. A
voluntary confession in the circum-
stances surrounding that of the jockey
who Is said to be trimming over with
enthusiasm in his desire to tell some-
thing" of rich, rare and racy nature
looks like q scheme for getting even
with somebody. Characters are of a
and an accusation oftimes is suff-
cient to- tear down the protection of
name that always has been sur
rounded with deeds of honorable deal
ing and absolute integrity.
1t has been my pleasant association
OF many years with horsemen, quite q
number of whom are racing at Santa
Anita, and my Impressions always have
bsen that horsemen, as a rule, are mer
of honorable and honest natures an(
that not one rumor in fifty of dirty
dealing, pulling horses and dishon
esty of a premeditated nature Is found
ed in fact. The stewards at Santa Ami
ia are men who have been in the gam,
longer than myself and their action IL
going slowly aftef these voluntary con
fessions proves that they have littl,
faith In the purity of motive that in
spires them. The average bettor WHIT
loses can give half hundred reasons
for the failure of his judgment, blu
the easiest explanation of all is tina
the horse upon which he was bettini
was pulled" or that the owner wal
not trying" These statements go b,
the board In 500 cases in 1000, as the.
= should go, but occasionally a Jacl
OBrien hobs up when his skirts re
qure cleaning and he can tell thing
that never happened with all the grac
that loser can figure out that hors
has been pulled" just to vindicat
himself
All patrons of the sport who desir
clean racing and who are interested II
the future of the sport must common,
the stewards for the action they hav
taken in running all charges to eartl
and getting at the truth or falsity 0
the charges. The public looks to tn
stewards to protect the sport by keep
ing 1t as free from faint as Is POSSIBLE
to do and 1t must be said to the credi
of the Santa Anita stewards that the,
have sbeen very vigilant and prompt Il
action in all cases this season, as Il
the past.