El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-06
Copyrighted 1915 By the National New

. f0rmance- An investigation was started
Oh 1Ir- Billing account aud a mass
Of alleged evidence was accumulated
which eventually involved Sanders who
. had always been known as one OF the
most accomplished trainers and drivers
OF the american trOtting turf
These charges were tremendous
shock 10 the followers OF the harness
horse Tnrough the affidavits OF stale
hands they purpOrted 70 show how
dope was administered 70 Lou Dil-
Ion in her feed. although a motive for
any such action never was brought
out The case was tried the evidence
was rehashed and the charges were
not officially substantiated although
thousands OF dollars were spent on
the prosecution and the defence.
Billings was greatly Disguised with
the outcome OF the race and his actiV-
titles for the trOtter were undoubtedly
greatly curtailed. Smathers shortly
after sold his valuable stable and re-
tired from the harness game 70 devote
his activities to the thoroughbred
sanderzss Defence.
Willard Sanders confined himself in
his defence 10 just such statements as
were necessary TO protect his good
name but the publicity undoubtedly
hurt him He maintained that Lou
Dillon was not drugged and that there
was no chance for her = be drugged-
The man who had driven the first
two minute trOtter look the inevitable
and uttered no charges against Mr..
Billings
After the passion Of the trials had
cooled he gave his own version OF the
event and his recital undoubtedly was
scpeEeQ and tempered by the fact that
i took so much from the harness rae
ing world and meant practically the
END or great trottins racing IN
Memphis.
AT the time the sold cuD race was
LEnrEGL j have had IA
Lou Dillon was able TO defeat Major
Delmar-' Sanders told the writer in
l9ul while he was training other Dill
lou colts in Indianapolis That Lou
Dillon had the thumps there is no
question and that she was unable 10
compete in the second hsar is beyond
question But that she was doDed vas
ABSOLUTELY untrue There never was a
more unjust charge made AGAINST A
man than that charge against ms
His AIihL
III people could understand the char
acter Of Lou Dillon they would under
cland the predicament in which 1lr.
Billings found her when he brouanr
ner out for the second heat at Mem
pl-s- You must understand that ( had
trained her for a long time ] had
dEiFeu her 60 worlds record. I had
81. en- her the best attention I verify
believe that a trotJer ever had.
Lou Dillon was rs game a trotter
@s ever lived She was as strong heart
co q mare as ever want 20 sit behind
ana the thing that hurts me as much
Is anything else is that a charge that
she was yellow was made IS soon as
she was defeated She was not yellow,
bur she had peculiaritiss that Mr.. Bill
lnss did not understand, even after /
E2d cautioned him about thern.
TO understand these peculiarities
you most know that she was excess
lFclr nervous ana never coul endure
slFong pun on the rCius. Working
with her day after day j understood
this perfectly and when I drove her 10
a worlds record in Boston and made
her the first two minute trOtter j never
hau more than one finger on q rein
Careful rs Z was I was afraid of pull
Ing TOO tightly and choking her down
says lie Explained
Before the start of the Gold Cup
race explained this thoroughly 10
MI Billings and impressed upon him
the necessity OF driving with q light
rein Without q doubt he thought he
carried out these instructions, but with
out q doubt also, be must. in the course
OF the first mile. have taken a pull at
the reins Of which he was not cons
clous and thereby p-ecipitated the
humps which led 70 her defeat I can
explain her action in no other way and
pest proof that she was not seriously
leInpcred with was that a very short
lllne afrerward ] drove her 70 a mark
l-ot beat Major Delmar's"
Ine Gold Cup has never since been
contested for The lengthy trials.
charges and counter charges caused
great disgust among followers Of the
rotunE turf and the partisans 10 each
SIDE OF the controversy have aired
-lelr views Sanders ceased to be head
OF the Billing sta ble-a stable that
roialsed 70 De the greGtest the world
ever had known.
Copyright. 1915. by the National News