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e B. S. Michell Cleared of All Charges! 9 - Florida Racing Commission Fails to Shake Trainers Claim of Innocence in Doping Case. BULLETIN MIAMI, Fla., April 22. The j Florida Racing Commission an- j nounced Bert S. Michells sus- I pension has been lifted. A MIAMI, Fla., April 22. The Florida State Racing Commission agreed no evidence was shown to prove the veteran trainer Bert S. Michell had any knowledge of a drug having been administered to the horse All Round at Tropical Park, March 23. Because the rules of racing hold the trainer responsible for the condition of his horse, the suspension was ordered for sixty days from April 8, 1937. An all-day session at the commission offices failed to shake the elongated conditioner from vehement denials of guilt. Dan Chappell, attorney for Michell, brought in a steady parade of witnesses, gathered from Miami, New York, and Maryland, to prove his client had not administered strychnine to the three-year-old filly last March 23. The doping of the horse was laid to a thirty-seven-year-old negro whom stable attendants called "Skeeter." His real name was John Rock. He died a few weeks ago in Maryland under unusual circumstances. His bruised and battered body, which police first thought had been crushed by a six and a half ton truck, was further examined and a coroners verdict was put at "Death under unusual circumstances." FORMER EXERCISE BOY. The negro had been an exercise boy for the Denemark Shaffer stables. Numerous witnesses testified that he had told them he knew All Round was doped. Rufus Felder, a negro from New York, whom Dan Chappell brought here to testify, said he was working as a parking attendant at Tropical Park when Rock came to him and said: "Do you want to bet on All Round?" Felder told the commission he refused. He then said Rock had told him, "Youll bet on this one. I fixed it myself." Felder explained "fix it" meant the horse had been doped. Almost an hour of questioning by commission members failed to shake his story. Earlier in the day Sam Jones, a local barber, told substantially the same story. O. McNall, who ran a beer stand in Hia-leahs negro section, called The Showboat, added that he, too, had heard the dead "Skeeter" say he was sure the horse would win because of dope.
