NOT PROVEN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2456, 20 July 1922, Page 3

NOT PROVEN.

CHARGE OF BETTING FAILS; ' THE RUGBY UNION; INQUIRY. \ The inquiry into the allegation of betting made by Mr F. D. Wliibley against Mr W. Bevan, a fellow - member of -the Horowhenua Rugby Union Management Committee, was at Tuesday night’s meeting at Levin. The members present . were Messrs.Et J. Nash' (chairman), L. Dixon, R. W. Percy, W. Thomson, M. Winiata, L. S. Carmichael, W. Bevan and F. D. Whibley. At the instance of Mr Dixon, the statement of V. Bryant, of Foxton,

was again read. In this statement Bryant said that at the match between Hui Mai and Foxton played

at Manakau on July 3 he told Mr Sinclair, of Levin, he had some money to back Foxton if he could get three points in. . Sinclair approached Mr Bevan, whbvwas standing near, and then came back and v ; said lie con,ld “set” £6 on that basis. He looked at Bevan for confirmation of the bet, and he nodded. Bryant took it from what Sinclair did and the nod from Bevan that the.bet was made by Sinclair on behalf of Bevan. At the conclusion of tbe

game, which Hui Mai won by five :v points to nil, Bryant stated he ap- , , proacbed Bevan, who was in the company of Messrs Desmond and Wehipeihana, and paid over the amount of the bet. Bevan hesitated when the money was first offered to him, and Bryant said, “That’s for the bet made with' Sinclair.” Bevan then took the money. The Chairman inquired of Mr Whibley if Bryant was present in accordance with the request of the Union N /

Mr Whibley: No, I have not seen him.

i - ; The Chairman : He should be here. IMr Carmichael stated that the ' committee had nothing more than Bryant’s, statement to go on, and 'should deal until the matter-on the 4-. evidence before it. A point was made in the statement that the bet was confirmed by a nod, but it was possible that the liod was made to ? anyone in the crowd, seeing Mr Bevan was so well known. , . -The Chairman': That is possible. f Mr Carmichael: The statement is . nothing more than an opinion. The Chairman-: Was this •\yleged to have been made during the progress of the match? A ; -Mr Thomson/. We 'don’t know. , Bryant is not'here tb /ujswer that. ; Mr Winiata:- ; -We vXipst .tfiresh this matter out now and finish it. dki Air Thomson asked if the Union had jurisdiction to deal witli it. Betting was a criminal-offence, and it was lkely that more would be lieard j.of it. He did not think it would end there. It was for Mr Bevan to refute the matter. .Mr Bevan had stated before that he dd not know Bryant, and had never spoken to him. ■ f -

Air Whibley: It is strange if Bryant gave Air Bevan £6 for fun. Mr Thomson: It rests with Mr Bevah to allow us to thresh it out. I Imve good authority for saying . ' is a serous offence. . -Tfoe chairman stated that, in fairness ,tof Air Bevan, he would like tp say that on the day of the match he was with Mr Bevan in Levin 9.30 to noon, and went down to Manakau. in Mr. Bevan’s car. As „ they were leaving, Sinclair came up and asked if there /was a chance of a, lift* down, and Mr Bevan said ,“Yqs.” , The chairman continued * that he was in Mir Bevan’s company .on the field, and at later intervals during the match. He had never Ward Air Bevan say a word about . 4 betting. / ;

ME BEVAN’S EXPLANATION. Mr Bevan said lie was there to • answer the charge made against him by Mr Whibley, and he had Sgf brought Sinclair in event of the Ufciion requiring his presence. He regarded the charge as a very serious V ‘ ; , matter. He repeated that he did ' not know Bryant in any shape or fora. Continuing, he explained ■ that Sinclair came to him and asked for the loan of some money, and he replied that he would! give Sinclair a cheque after the match. After " ’ \ the match the speaker was in the company of the other rep. selectors, Messrs Wehipeihan* and Desmond, i selecting the rep. team, Bryant approached and gave the speaker £6. He asked, “What is this for?” and Bryant replied, “For the bet made with Sinclair.” He took the money and gave it to Sinclair later. He would say till Doomsday that he did v ; not make a, bet. What would be his position on the Union if he allowed the matter -to rest there? The charge would have to be cleared : right up. v ' Mr Dixon stated he was in Mr Bevan’s company after the match, and saw Mr Bevan hand some money over to Sinclair. The 4 - Chairman (to Mr Whibley): Any questions ? * Mr Whibley: I have no questions s to ask. ■ v _ ; Mr Bevan said he took it 'he was the defendant in the ease, but he had Sinclair as a witness. Bryant, he considered, was liable for prosecution for his part in the affair. The onus was not on Sinclair. The Chairman asked if it would not be as welf to question Sinclair. M?* Whibley said if it was the intention to ask Sinclair made a bet with Bryant it was not worth while calling him at all. He wanted to ask a lot more questions' than that. He asjted Mr Bevan how he ; knew it who paid over the moneyi when. he had previously said be did not know Bryant. •, •; • /• \ Mr Bevan: Sinclair told me after. NMr Whibley: How did .you tell U 'waV/Bryant on the evening of the . v ; inatchf : .r/' .L. : ... • ' l

Mr Bevan: I asked Mr Desmond who it was, and he told me it was Bryant. That was on the ground. The Chairman: The ; onus is on Mr Whibley now. He made the charge, and he can’t prove it on. a statement like Bryant’s. We have lio evidence to prove the bet was made. Mr Thomson ftp the Chairman): Has: the charge been proved? The Chairman/ I say it has not. The Chairman (to Mr Whibley) : Are you still of the opinion that Mr Bevan made the bet? Mr Whibjey: I don’t want to tell Mr Bevan I don’t believe him. I know Bryant better than I know Mr Bevan, and I prefer to believe Bryant, as I know him best. Mr Bevan: What is Bryant? Mr Wliibley: A billiard-saloon keeper.

Mr Bevan : What do you consider the right thing to do with Bryant? Mr Whibley replied that Bryant was not a member of the Management Committee or the Union. Anyone outside the committee might make a bet, but the members of the Committee should not. Mr Bevan: I say I did not make a bet, and if Mr Whibley is out to keep the game clean lie should have something to 'say to Bryant, who admits he made a bet.

Mr Wliibley stated Bryant was an ordinary spectator. He had doubt if the Union had power to deal with an ordinary individual.

CHARGE NOT PROVEN., Mr Thomson: At last meeting Mr Whibley,made a straight-out. charge of betting against Mr Bevan. /He has only produced a ' statement, which proves nothing. He agreed with Mr Whibley that no member of the Opimnittee should bet, but when one member made a sqrious charge against.- anothef~-he should be prepared to prove / it to the hilt. “Has Mr Whibley proved this charge against Mr Bevan?” he asked. “I say he has not.” Mr Thomson then moved: “That, after considering the evidence and the-'statement by Air Bevan, jfche Management Committee is of the opinion that the charge of betting made by’ Mr Whibley against Air Bevan in the Hui Mai-Foxton match has not been proved.”

In seconding, Mr Percy agreed with other members that it was regrettable that Bryant was not there. For that reason alone, and from the ovdenee that" had been gathered he was of opinion Mr Whibley had not proved liis charge/. . . . On the motion being put, it was carried.: ’’’•••• Air Bevan said as the charge had nor been proved, he considered Mr Wliibley- should apologise.

Mr Whibley: For what?. The Chairman: For a serious charge against another-member.

Air Whibley: I have, no’ apology fo make. The charge was made in the of football.

Air Bevan: Suppose the charge had been proved? The/Chairman: You would: have been asked to resign. - Mr Bevan: As Mr Whibley has not proved ids charge, I think he should resign. I asked for an apology and lie can’t give that.

Mr Whibley: I have no remark to make at all.

AL Thomson: Then I take it a member cAn.pnike a charge and can still smile and look happy supposing it is not proved? ' Air Whibley: That’s so. Air Thomson: I don’t think that should be allowed. .

Air Dixon: Mr Whibley stated ii he could not prove what he said, he should withdraw. f

Air Whibley : No, I did not f say that. He was not satisfied with the verdict of the Committee.

1 Mr Thomson considered the latter statement a reflection on the Committee..^ Air-Whibley: Well you. asked for it." ' _ ' Air Thomson: We did not. We gave you a fortnight to prove your charge and you don’t do so. What other verdict could we give? You Were emphatic you could prove the charge. * The motion has been passed unanimously that the charge is not proved. Air Whibley: Not unanimously. You could not, expect me to vote on it. ' _ ' ■ i ; The' Chairman: You should withdraw, Air Wliibley. Mr (Thomson: And apologise. The Chairman:. I thinks you owe •Mr Beva\ an apology, and I think you should give it to him. ■ Air made no response. - Air Thomson: I think we had better get on to the next business. , Air Bevan stated he had done all he could to clear the matter up. He” had asked Mr Whibley to apologise and he had not done it; At the next meeting he would ask Mr Whibley to resign'. , Later in. the evening Air Whibley stated lie had a further inqury to make in Foxtoh, and would make a statement at next meeting. The . incident then closed. — Chronicle. .. ;■ ■• '