The Gundagai Swindle

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 55, 10 May 1884, Page 3

The Gundagai Swindle

TO THE EDITOtt OF THE STAB. Sib,— l see by your report of the last Igeeting of the Feildmg Jockey Club that the stewards, though kindly exonerating me from all connection with the Gundagai transaction, hate thought fit to add a rider to their first resolution, expressing their opinion that 1 "erred possibly through ignorance" in not informing them •f the fact that the real " Gundagai" was being run under the name of " Charlie," and another horse in the name of Gun* dagai. This seems to me such an extraordinary opinion for them to form under the circumstances, that I feel bound to reply, unpleasant as it is to see my name 4»giMn figuring in the matter. Now I know that some of the stewards knew the zeal Gundagai by sight well, and we mast infer that those who did lenow him did their duty, and acquainted their brother stewards of the horse's real name. Well, somehow it came to the knowledge of the stewards that the real | Gundagai was entered under another j name, and that a strange horse was -entered ayi Gundagsi. The stewards then promptly had both horses brought be* fere them for identification ; and they were openly told* that the horse which they knew to be Gundagai was being ran as "Charlie," and the horse they knew to be a stranger waa " Gundagai," and as •uch these horses were allowed to run. Ail I stated at the meeting of the Jockey Club, I had no iateresl in or connection in any way whatever with the running of either horse, and had I known that all the horses on the grouad had changed names, I, being merely a visitor, should certainly hare considered it no business of mine to run and tell the •towards of the fact. Even had I wished in this instance to become a public benefactor, I had not the opportunity of doing so, for though I arrived on the course •boat fire minutes before the race started, Z was not aware of the change of names until nearly all the horses were actually at the post. To say that I was remiss in sot M informing" the stewards of a fact which they themselves knew before I came on the course, does seem to me rather hard, and not a pleasant addition to the extreme annoyance I have already boss subjected to in having my name mentioned at all in such a transaction, simply through being the unfortunate owner of the horse Sundown, and tho principal victim of the whole arrangement. Were I to give my gun into an auctioneer's hands for sale, and the auctioneer took advantage of the opportunity and shot hi wife with it, my relatives would probably thiak I was hardly treated if I were hanged for the murder, as well as •the auctioneer; yet this is exactly my pontioa with reference $p the horse Sundown. — I am, &c, A. Southbt Bakes.