THE ALLEGED "STIEFFENING."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1611, 16 July 1887, Page 2

THE ALLEGED "STIEFFENING."

The " Lyttetton Times "gives the following account of an unpleasant incident m connection with the Cup candidates. On Thursday evening the card was called over at the* White Hart Hotel, and the odds of 4 to 1 were on offer againßt Nassau, who met Killarney m the prefinal course. When the individual couree between these two was called a demon* stration set . m against Nassau. The betting started at 6 to 4 on Killarney, and finally reached 7to 1. Confidence m Mr Buckland's representative was somewhat restored when the pair were put m slipt, but some of the occupants of the stand were so persistent m laying against the dog that odds of 7 to 1 were again offered. ! The owner of Killarney took £35 to £5 m one wager, andithe odds again shortened, ana 4 to 1 was the betting as they left the slips. Nassau led far the turn, and then fell heavily and rolled over and over. Killarney went on m possession, and drove the hare through the escape. Nassau was very much distressed after the course, and reeled about -as if drunk. A>good deal o! excitement ensued, and soon the report was bandied about that Haroun-al-Rascbid had been got at. Mr Ross made a complaint to the stewards, and a meeting was held to enquire into the matter. Mr Rosa'° statement, was that lumoura were current to the effect that his. dog had been "stiffened"; that he was sold to Mr Howe, and that he (Mr Ross) had consulted with Mr Howe re dividing the stake. He made an emphatic denial of each of these statements, and requested a full enquiry into the matter. As the Nassau iaoldent was brought up during the enquiry, the stewards also took evidence m oonneetion with that affair, Mr M'Oausland, the owner of Nassau, stated that the dog had been sold to Mr Buokland to fill his nomination m the Cup, He denied having given the dog anything, or of having acted m collnuton with Mr Howe m an* way, but admitted that the dog had been m Howe's kennel. Several boys were called m wbo were snpposed to knoir something of the matter. One had seen Howe letding Nassau to the slips, and had seen him lift his foot as if to klok the dog. Another of the boys stated that he had seen Howe and M'Oausland go behind a fence with the dog. Mr D. O'Brien ■aid that Me Hove had spoken to him when they were walking across the running ground, and suggested that a good thing could be made on the Cap, as he had Nassau. Mr O'Brien refused to have ?, D^? ln ? *,? do . with ifc » and "Piled, S 8 , r T B u tho ?. hite d °e-" Howe wid "Oh! I have him too." Mr P. Batler was with O'Brien, and corroborated hh testimony. Mr Howe denied that there had been any impropriety. He admitted that Nassau had been m his kennel, and that he had kicked the dog when leading him to the slips, but had done so m self! defence, as the dog had hold of him. The stewards, after consideration, decided to let the matter drop, as there was no evidecoa to implicate anyone. They entirely exonerated Mr Ross from any blame In the affair, and oommended him for the prompt measures he bad taken to have the matter m connection with his doc thoroughly ventilated.