VITAL LETTERS

NZ Truth, Issue 1201, 6 December 1928, Page 15

VITAL LETTERS

Correspondence Between Miss Stockley and London Doctor

ACCUSATIONS AGAINST AMOS

(Continued from Front Page).

Miss Stockley told "N.Z. Truth" that she remained m hospital for two days. ' Nothing 1 further happened until later m Amsterdam. Miss Stockley does not know from her own personal ' knowledge what actually transpired, but an incident is referred • to m the report submitted by Lindsay. "I learned afterwards," she told "Truth," "that Amos had called Moorhouse and Lindsay into his room and had complained I , about the characters of the~ girls and their carrying on.

«T BELIEVE he told them I was not 1 to be trusted and that that was the reason why I had had to go .10 hospital." Miss Stockley then described a dramatic incident that occurred during; the' usual weekly meeting, .of the team .on Jujy 12. "■ ■.'■.■;. 1 Following a fevf exchanges with Ahlos at the meeting as. to his conduct towards the girls, Ena said. She tackled him about his threats to send 1 them home. , "You're always threatening to send us home, and we haVe done nothing to be sent home tbv" I told him. "We have always obeyed you and you are a bully." . I "He then turned on me and warned me to be quiet, otherwise there would be a nice scandal about me when I returned to New Zealand, This was really the first time that I was able to realize that he had something against me. "I demanded of him that he should ekplain jttfit what he meant by that, .but he would not tell- nie, and I call,him a rotten cad, With that I got up and left the meeting. ' "I realised that it was essential that I should clear my name somehow when I reached New Zealand^ and on the ship on the return voyage 1 wrote to Dr. Bourne, the Harley Street specialist,' who operated on me. Here is the letter which Ena wrote to~the Londoh specialist:— "Steamship Ruahirie, September 8. Posted at Madeira. Rear Dr. Bourne,— l am a member of the New Zealand Olympic swimming

"Absurd Allegations"

team, and you will no doubt recollect performing a minor operation on me at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, on June 18, 1928. Certain slanderous statements and insinuations have since been. made, as to the reason^ why I had to undergo ■ the operation, and these" have caused me 'great wori'y and unhappiness. These statements may be repeated m New Zealand, and as I wish to be m a position to absolutely refute them, and as NewZealand, to which I am returning, is such a long way from London, 1 write to ask you to do me the favor of writing me a full report on my case and as to my condition.. "I am sure you will fully realize the importance of my having such a statement from you, as it is everything to me to be able to contradict these false rumors, and also I wish to show your report to my parents. I very much regret that ; . I missed you before " ' : ' leaving London and I trust I shall hear from you by the earliest mail Thankjing youi m anticipation — tfours very sincerely, Ena Stockiey/' Dr. Bourne's reply to this letter was as follows: — . "27, Hafley Street, W.I. Dear Miss Stockiey,— I am sorry to hear of your trouble. It is, of course, an absurd allegation, ahd I have , no difficulty m writing you a certificate. I hope yoii will have no further difficulty. — Yours sincerely, Aleck W. .Bourne." The certificate issued by Dr. Bourne, which. 'Miss .Stockiey shoWed to the interviewer, dispels any doubt about MlfcS StoCkley'S Illness. The ailment was a perfectly normal and natural one. On arriving back m Wellington by the Ruahine, Ena said that Manuger Amos hurried off immediately to the meeting of the Olympic Council. She was called to the meeting later, and, describing her impressions, she said: ''There were a number of men present, and I was not allowed to speak.- I gained the impression that Amos had reported on me to my detriment and that the Council's mind was made up against me. "It seems to me the Council is prepared to sucrifiue my good name and character m order to justify their choice of a manager. I was condemned without a hearing — at least, that is how it strikes me." As soon as she reached her home m Auckland, Mrs. Stockiey was apprised of the position by her daughter, and Ena's parents lost no time m augmenting the . evidence of Dr. Bourne by taking her to Dr.Carew for a blood test. The medical reports of the blood test, which "Truth" has seen, are definitely negative, proving beyond all shadow of doubt that the allegations against Miss Stockiey— if actually made — were without the slightest foundation. She then left the matter m the hands of the Swimming Council to see what they intended doing, but m view oi Amos' -denial that he ever slandered the girl and his apology "for any misconstruction that might have been placed oh any remarks he may have made," which Miss Stockiey considers is no apology at all, she. decided, with the full approval of her parents, tc make pvlblic her story. "As to all the rest of the trouble m the team,l am not so much concerned All I want is to have my name cleared Nothing else mattera to me. I have given you the facts from my point ol view and I am fully content to let the public judge for themselves." In setting forth her own story, she places a definite obligation on Amos to come forward with his side of the case. And the columns of "Truth" are open to him for the purpose. '