IMPUDENT TROHING SWINDLE

NZ Truth, Issue 1239, 29 August 1929, Page 7

IMPUDENT TROHING SWINDLE

Owner and Trainer Collect Divvy " They

GAOL TERM FOR HOLLAND AND BATES

(From ''N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.) y This final" chapter m the Bruce-Imperial Thorpe "ringing-in" case was written m the Supreme Court m Christchurch by Mr. Justice Adams. Samuel Bates, of Orari, owner of the horse, and: Leslie Holland, of Mosgiel, its trainer, were both sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, a dividend they hardly expected when they devised the heinous scheme of changing the name of the pacer Bruce to that, of Imperial Thorpe. •\-

FOR brazen impudence the- offence committed' by Bates and Holland has seldom Dean excelled. About twelve months ago the pacer Bruce went off the face of the world as far as the trotting public was concerned, with' a- record of 2min; Usee, for the mile, aild when he next appeared as Imperial Thorpe he was eligible to compete, with the maidens on a mark longer by about: tAventy seconds than that credited to Bruce. ■'■he scheme, hoAvever, did. not meet with the success anticipated. 7 ■

For a. while the conspirators confined their attentions to South Island provincial clubs, but on June 3 of this year they made' an audacious' debut m the trotting stronghold at Addington, where the Canterbury Park Trotting Club's meeting was being held.

The horse Avas previously OAvned iri Christchurch, and Avhen he paraded for his particular event Stipendiary SteAvard Fredy Beere impounded the animal and Bates and Holland were subsequently charged with conspiring to defraud the club.

After a good deal of investigation among the clubs under jvhose auspices Imperial Thorpe had raced ih Bates's ownership, further charges Avere preferred, culminating m fourteen counts toeing, included ..in the indictment £gamst the tAvo men.

tie conclusion of the lower court

proceedings, they accused pleaded not guilty and Were committed for trial, but when their case Avas called m the Supreme Court they abandoned their defence ahd admitted the charge.

; A third man, Thomas James DoAvler, Avho Avas jointly charged with Bates and Holland, Avas acquitted, the Crown Prosecutor (Mr. A.vT. Donnelly) applying for a stay of proceedings m his

case.

That their money-making plan had failed m its purpose was re-

lated by Mr. R.T.wyneham, counsel for Batesr He stated that both men „had profited nothing by their exploits and were now penniless, a remark which was. substantiated by Mr..C. S. Thomas, who appeared for Holland. ,

Mr. Thomas pleaded that perhaps the accused thought Avhen they rung the horse m that they .would merely be dealt with by the trotting authorities if they Avere discovered, and. did. not realise that their actions would bring them under the criminal code. .

Both men' had clean records until this trouble.

Taking the view, that , it was an impudent sAvindle, Avith. the possibility of considerable profit to themselves, MrJustice Adams said that racing people had to be protected against their oavii foolishness and also against such frauds as these. ' r '• .

35a ch accu sed Avas sentenced to im-prisonment-for twelve ihonths.y - -