A Sporting Case.

Manawatu Herald, 20 January 1903, Page 2

A Sporting Case.

A libel action was heard in the K.B. Div., before Justice Lawrance and a special jury, in which plaintiff was Jonathan Piste, a trainer of racehorses in Lewes; and defendants were Mr Wm. Lotinga, who writes under the name of u Harry Lynx,” and the proprietors ef “ The People ” newspaper. Plaintiffs cross examination—Did you not become a defaulter at Tattersall’s in 1900 in connection with a bet of £730 by a gentleman on Reve d’Or, which won the city and Suburban? Never.—You were a bookmaker ? Yes.—When did you cease to be a bookmaker ? Twelve years ago.—Did this gentleman bring you before Tattersall’s? Yes —Was it on account of winnings over Revo d’Or? Yes.—Were you ordered to pay the money? Certainly not; he never had a claim against me.—Did you ever pay v the money? No.—And have you ever paid a subscription at Tattersall’s since that inquiry ? I gave up being a member of Tattersall’s and the Victoria Club because it is not usual for trainers to retain these positions.-—Since 1895 how many times have you been summoned before the stewards ? I have been asked to attend.—Have you been asked to explain the running of a horse called Sam at Lingfield in 1876 ? I think it was at Gatwich. I don’t remember.—And they refused to accept your explanation? I don’t remember —Justice Lawranoe : Have you ever been before the stewards of the National Hunt Club ?—Plaintiff: Yea.—Mr Duke : It has taken you five minutes to admit that. (Laughter )—ln reply to further questions, witness admitted that 20 or 30 years ago, when he was a jockey, he was before the stewards with regard to an allegation that ha had not tried to win.— And what was the result? They warned me off.—For how long? About twelve months. It was admitted they had made a mistake, and I was readmitted.—With regard to Sam you were cleared? Yes —But you were brought before the National Hunt Club again and cautioned? Yes—And at Hurst Park you were fined £25 ? I don’t remember.—The Birmingham incident occurred at the time you were a bookmaker ? Yes.—And jockey

also-combining the two occupations? Yes.—That is unusual? Oh, at that time I was also a muaiohall proprietor and a farmer. (Loud Laughter,)—Are there any other little trifles of that kind with the stewards which yeu can remember ? No, A very good record.—la that a very good record ? Yes. (Laughter.) —Is your record outside the, Turf of much the same kind? I hope so.—How many times have you been summoned before police magistrates? Many times. (Loud laughter)—The last time you were fined was for cruelty ? I don’t knew. —A racehorse which died of want of food and exposure ? It died from drowning. The canal in the field burst during a storm, and the animal was drowned.—Plaintiff admitted that he had been sent to prison for assaulting a railway porter because witness befriended a little child.—And the magistrates said you had been guilty of a gross assault ? Yes.—Plaintiff said in 1877 he was keeping a hotel at Cheltenham, and was president of the local Licensed Victuallers’ Association. There was a gun club in town, and pigeon-shooting matches were very frequent.—You won £6OO in a match which was arranged between a young man of money named Roberts and a farmer ? I won some money.—You were accused of having fleeced Roberts? Certainly not.—Was it not said you had cheated Roberts by bringing a professional from Birmingham of the name of Kelly, and dressed him up as a farmer ? I don’t remember.—lt was stated that a pigeon had been plucked,” and that the town constable should lay hands upon the wrong-doers. You were charged with swindling this man ? No —There was Sir Morgan Crofton, a young gentleman who took to sport Was he ruined? Yes; I should thing he was —Was Rober|s ruined ? I had lots of bets with them both —Was Captain Christie ruined? I don’t know.— Did he disappear ? I have no idea. What became of Mr Simpson ? I don’t know,—Mr Baring-Bingham: Did you win anything from him ? Yes, hundreds and hundreds, I lost a lot to him also.—Justice Lawranoe ; But you won from him? —Plaintiff; Yes, wo had bets of £3OO on a singel pigeon.—-Mr. Duke: Had Roberts just come of age ?—Plaintiff: I don’t know ; he was old enough to shoot, (Laughter.) Were you expelled from your pos* tion of president of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association because of this scandal? No.—Justice Lawrance; but you must remember whether you were kicked out of such a position or not. Eventually plaintiff admitted that he was expelled.—J uatice Lawrance; Why ? —Plaintiff: I do not know;-—Mr Duke; The rule of the association under which you were expelled speaks of “ disgraceful action,” You have trained for a number of people ?—Plaintiff; Yes. —And in the majority of cases the owners were totally dissatisfied with you ? No.-Did not Mr Barnett write after he had taken his horse away, “ I can only congratulate myself at being rid of such people as your tribe.” Yes.—What is in-and-out running ?—Justice Lawrance: You let a horse run once or twice and then get him in lightly for a handicap. (Laughter ) —Plaintiff denied that he advised Mr Lotinga to back Tonsure and then went and backed Prince Leo, out of the same stable. You know that Prince was better that Tonsure ? Yes.—One man would have won £2,000, if Prince Leo had won ? Yes.—Was not great dissatisfaction expressed on the course at Tonsure’s performance ? Not at all; he was just where I though he would be.—You say that Mr Lotinga asked you to put up Bireh on Prince Leo, sO that he could “ pull ” it ? Yes; I told him that I could not be a party to any such thing. (Loud Laughter.) —Plaintiff further denied that one morning he had a private trial of Prince Leo and Tonsure, that he was the only person present, and ordered the stable boys to go into the hollow so that they could not see what the result was. He did not when Tonsure subsequently won, wire to a Mrs Brown, of Bootle, that the horse was a “ certainty.” —Did you advise Mr Lotinga to back Mystic Moon ? No.—Well, he backed it for £3OO. Did be ? Well, then, he must have been'mad. (Laughter.) Further cross-ex-amined by Mr J. Eldon Bankes on Tuesday, plaintiff said he had dismissed two of hia stable lads and refused to give them characters, because they had supplied Mr Lotinga with information about his own horses. The rules did pot permit to give stable information even to owners.—Hathaway brought the matter before the stewards of the National Hunt Club, and you were ordered to give him a character? Yes.—With reference to the race at Plumpton; where Prince Leo and Tonsure, both horses out ef thjj same stable, were competing, plaintiff said he advised Mr Lotinga, part-owner of Tonsure, not to back it. Defendant said he had put £6O on it in town, so plaintiff told him

not to mn the - horse, and so save his bet —Birch was your first jockey, and the fact that he rode Tonsure would lead the public to believe that it was better that Prince Leo ? Yes.—and that would tend to lengthen the odds against Prince Leo? Just possible; it is a matter of fancy, isn’t it ? The public always back their fancy —lt is impossible to always get horses to run consistently ? No. If . they did people would always win, and there would be no Turf? Well, there would be no ring The case ended in a verdict for the defendants.