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"TAMPERING" NOW A FELONY Penal Law in New York State Amended to Punish Doping and Sponging of Race Horses. ALBANY, N. T., March 11. Governor Roosevelt today received the bill, passed by -the legislature making it a felony in New York state to tamper with race horses. It is expected that the governor will sign the measure without delay. The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Edwin W. "Wallace of Nassau County and it passed both branches of the legislature without a dis- senting vote. The measure was endorsed by The Jockey Club and at the behest of that organization was sponsored by Assemblyman Wallace. . . , The act to amend the penal law in im "Relation to interference and injury to certain animals," reads as follows: "A person who wilfully or unjustifiably interferes with, injures, destroys or tampers with or who wilfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in or in any way furthers any act by which any horse, mule, dog or any other domestic animal used for the purpose of racing, breeding or competitive, exhibition of skill, breed or stamina, is interfered with, injured, destroyed or tampered with, or any act tending to produce such interference, injury, destruction or tampering, whether such horse, mule, dog or other domestic animal be the property of himself or another, is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in a states prison for not more than three years." Briefly, this act, which shall take effect immediately upon approval by the governor, .makes the "doping" and "sponging" of thoroughbreds a felony instead of a mere misdemeanor and provides a prison sentence instead of a nominal fine. The tampering with and sponging of several horses at Saratoga Springs and Belmont Park last year emphasized the need of a more stringent law, with more severe penalties to protect the thoroughbred. . c .
