PEDESTRIAN MORALITY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2638, 20 September 1882, Page 3

PEDESTRIAN MORALITY.

Referring to the mile raoe for the shampionship between Burk and O'Ooar* on Saturday, September 16th, the " Daiy rimes" remark!:—"lt may be stated that nrhilit the raoe in question was undoubtedly run and deoided striotly upon its merits, there iro circumstance* conneoted with it of an exceedingly discreditable nature. That overturos rere, as we stated, made to O'Connor to soil be race, there is no doubt, and whether these »ere or were not accepted, it is evident tiat the oontraoting parties imagined them to be. The faot, moreover, remains that Mr E. Wilson, one of Bute's prinoipal sup. paters, endeavored, after the unforeseen ieue of the oontest, to prevent the payment of tbi stakes, produoing aa authority an order signed by O'Connor for the amount. How tHs order came into Mr Wilson's hands, and tie reason for which it was given, are for tlat gentleman to explain; end, as he was oie of Burk's principal backers, suoh expanation would appear the more neoessary. 'lhe stakeholder, Mr George Dowse, in a pirfectly proper and straightforward manner, nfused, of oourse, to oountenanoe any snob dtoument, and paid over the £IOO to O'Connor on the evening of the raoe. The later, from what we can gather, held a promsiory note from a certain publioan for £IOO previous to the start, but the unexpected mture of the result has naturally oaused this d<oument to be destroyed. Mr Wilson at otoe desisted from his attempt to control the fcbkes, and it is to be suppoied that all implicated in the affair, seeing that they have boen badly " sold," and have lost heavily, are deiirons of having the matter hushed up." Tie " Daily Times" further says," O'Connor, it was understood, if not by Bark, at any ra:e by some of those supporting him, was to loie the raoe. He won it, and thus tbose wlo believed they had "squared" him were completely " sold." We feel very confident thit, should the Caledonian Society ever call upn either Burk or O'Connor for an explanation, thoy will have difficulty in obtaining a satisfactory one from either of the men." Birk, who has always borne a high character fo: honesty, disolaims all knowledge of the mttter. Mr O'Connor emphatically denies thit there was any truth in the rumor. He went straight for the raoe, and as regarded losing it, never made up his mind to do anything of the kind. He would, to show his confidence, be willing to run Burk again, oonoeding him a start of fifteen yards, either in OiristohuToh or Dunedin. In recognition _of hi victory O'Connor is to be presented with a gold stop watch.