ALLEGED RINGING-IN

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1924, Page 4

ALLEGED RINGING-IN

EULIUS AND WILLIE LINCOLN, FOUR ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. lly TELEGRAPH —PRESS.ASSN., COPYRIGHT. CHRISTCHURCH, March 4. In the ringing-in cases, Walter Modlev Tlulston, Charles Hopwood Capes, William Percy Capes and Alfred Tucker. were charged that on or about July 27, 1923, at Christchurch, they did conspire with each other, by de-e-tit, to defraud the Poverty Bay Trotting Club of £l7B 18s by substituting the trotting horse Willie Lincoln for tie trotting horse F.ulius. “Evidence as to the entry of the 1 torso, payment of the stake, and photographs, was given by W. H. 1-ar-combo, TL E. Dodd and W. F. Ingram. .lames N. Clark. Georges lies, and Alexander Fleming identified the horse, shown in the photographs as Eulius, winner of the Gisborne Handicap, as bong Willie Lincoln, lies was a part owner of the horse, and the other two had trained him at difloront periods.

Robert C. Fisken, horse owner and trainer at Gisborne, said that the Gisborne Handicap was won by Eulius. Witness had a horse in the race. Funs won very comfortably by six lengths or more. Witness had seen Eulius prior to the race meeting. The Gisborne track was about five seconds slower to the mile than the Christchurch Metl.oi>olit:in track. On the night previous to the meeting, he saw the horse do a work-out in 2.1(1 - foi the mile. Witness did not think |,o had much of a chance after that. The horse that he saw do the trial e-as the same as that which won. Since then he had Eulius and Willie Lincoln. In February he was in Dunedin, at the Forlmry Meeting. He saw a horse which he took to lie that which won at Gisborne worked on the Forlmry track. At New Brighton, he. saw a horse which lie did not know. The horse was not the one that was up in Gisborne.

Thomas M. Nicholson, Chief Officer of the Ripple, and formerly Chief Officer. of the steamer I’utils i, said that on July 29. on the run from Napier to Gisborne, there was a trotting horse in the boat. The man in -charge ol it gave lii.s name as W. Williamson. He said the name of the horse was Eulius. George Brown Oman, formerly licensee of tue Gisborne Hotel, said that on July 29th. last, two men went to Ins place for the race meeting. They gave the names of Capes and Tlulston. David Bennett, horse trainer, of Christchurch, said that he drove the winner of the Gisborne Handicap on August 2nd. Tlulston instructed him to drive the horse. The arrangement was made on the road in Gisborne, when witness was gjoing home Horn the Hack. Tt was two or three days before the meeting- Witness did not drive the fior.se before the race. The arrangement. between witness and Hulslon was that witness was to got .£3O, plus his percentage, if he won. There was nothing special about the gear of the hr ' so. except that it had a hood on. Tlie horse won comfortably at the tiuisli, but witness had to hit him going up the straight. Besides Hulstou. Charles Capes was in Gisborne. Jhe horse in the photograph (produced.) looked like AYillie Lincoln. The man holding the horse was Tlulston. \\ itirss was not present when the horse was photographed. Witness was in Dunedin when the Forlmry meeting vas hold. lie was with Senior Detective Gibson. He drove a horse along the load. Tlie horse lie drove there was Willie Lincoln. On February 4th. he was at Clarke’s Stables. New Brighton. He drove Eulius there on the track.

Witness could not say what hor.-r be drove at Gisborne. He did nol think Eulius was the horse ho drove at Gisborne. Since the Gisborne meet mg. witness had driven Millie Lincolt tv me at the Metropolitan meeting n Oust church. The horso he drove t; Gisborne pulled hard in its prelimin ary. The horse behaved at the stari in u manner Willie Lincoln had never behaved with him.

JKrnosfc Blake, (stableman, of Gisborne. said that on July 29, »■ trotting horse came into the stable, and it was the only trotting horse, tim'T?--niainder being gallopers. It was a buy horse about 1.7.3 hands, with black points, and white saddle marks. Two men brought him to the stable, ami he was in the stable six days. During 11 if week, ho was put into a sulky and driven about the roads. Ihe man in ci.atge of the horse told witness the name of the fior.se was .Eulius. lie saw three horses at the Police Station yesteiday, and picked out the one that lit- thought was at Gisborne.

prank Turnbull, employed by 11. Matson and Co., Christchurch, said thal Eulius was sold by the accused Tucker, in Tattcrsalls, in August. Particulars weie supplied before the sale, and they were that the horse had won at Gisborne in 4.29. 'The horse '•'as sold for 33? guineas and a cheque -.via; paid for £37 11s, being the proceeds, less charges.

John Edward lx. Breton, cabman, said lie bad Eulius in his cab for about I‘J months. The owner of flic lioise was Hulstoti. To liis knowledge, Eulius had started at Greymoutli, and then ran second at New Brighton, where W. Bryce drove him, twelve months ago la.-1 October. Ho went 3.31 or 3.32 for n mile and a half. Next time, he raced at Iliccarton. At either Cheviot or Amberloy meeting, W. Williamson was the driver, and Eulius ran third in 4.1(5 3-5 secs, fie was then third in n mile and a quarter race at Addinglon, again being driven by Williamson. His next outing was at the New Brighton meeting. In the intervals between racing, lie did duty in the cab. Hulstoi. took the horse away from witness live or six days before the Gisborne meeting, saying that the horse was sold to v man named Tucker and it was proposed to take the horse to Gisborne. Witnesses premises backed on to'llulsten's. Witness suggested to Hulston that, on its return from Gisborne, the oid horse looked rough after his trip, but Ilulston replied that Gisborne was a hard place to reach, and Eulius was a bad horse away from home. The horse’s driver at Gisborne was not diseased. Witness said that the photograph of the winner at Gisborne resembled. Willie Lincoln. The photograph of Eulius was identified by witness without any doubt. At itness did not think that Eulius resembled Willie Lincoln at all. Frederick William George Clements, horse trainer, said he knew Eulius, and rode him at Ashburton winter meeting in a mile saddle event, and the horse was well beaten out of a place. He saw Hulston after the Gisborne races, and Hulston said he had used witness’ name as trainer, as Lo Breton had not renewed his trainer’s license. Hargreaves Stott, head ledger-keep-er, of the National Bank, Christchurch, said he had an account in the bank ia the name of the Christchurch Fruit and Produce Company. O. H. Capes operated on that account. He prouuced a ledger copy of the account of the Company from July 21, 1923, to February 4, 1924, as set out in the books of the bank. Deposit slips were pi educed of moneys paid in during that period. The cheque for the stake of £173 15s was paid into the account of the Christchurch Fruit and Produce Company on August 21, 1923, The deposit slip was signed by C. H. Capes.

A cheque for £37 11s was paid in on •September 3rd., 1923 (being the proceeds for the sale of Eulius). The accused reserved their defence, and were committed to the Supreme Court, Christchurch, for trial. With regard to bail, Dr Donnelly .said that complaints had been made to the police that Tlulston had, during the luncheon adjournment, accosted and interfered with the witnesses. Mr Donnelly asked that it be a condition of Ilulston’s bail that he must not misconduct himself again. Mr Solomon, for Hulstun, said that the latter had become angry, and he had spoken to some of the witnesses. Counsel was sure there would he no further misdemeanour. The Magistrate, on the assurance of Mr Donnelly that all the accused nere well-known men. allowed bail as before. ' A fifth charge, that in connection with the Otalmhu meeting, will he hi a nl to-morrow.