THE STEEPLECHASE CLUB AND THE SILVERSTREAM DISPUTE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 787, 19 October 1878, Page 2

THE STEEPLECHASE CLUB AND THE SILVERSTREAM DISPUTE.

The dispute between the Committee of the Oamaru Steeplechase Club ' and Mr. Osborne, arising out of Silverstream, the winner of the Maiden Steeplechase at the last meeting, having won under a wrong age, is in a fair way of being settled. A meeting of the Committee was held last evening at the Empire Hotel for the purpose of disposing of the matter finally one way or the other. The following members were present :—Messrs. Grant (President in the chair, O'Meagher, Taylor, and Greenfield (Hon. Secretary). After the minutes had beenreadand confirmed, a voluminousamount of correspondence on the subject was read, including letters from Mr. Tnomas (solicitor to Mr. Osborne), and Mr. O'Meagher (on behalf of the Club). From these it appeared that after receiving a letter from the Club, threatening to disqualify the horse, owner, and rider, if the amount of the stakes was not refunded, Mr. Osborne sent a cheque for the amount to the Seoretary, but immediately afterwards stopped payment. Mr. Osborne •and Sheenan (the rider) were in attendance, and were called in separately and questioned. Sheenan in his statement admitted that the running of Silverstream had been a joint venture between Mr. Osborne and himself, Mr. Osborne having arranged with him that he was to have half the horse's winnings in consideration of his trouble in bringing the horse to Oamaru and riding him. He had on his return to Christchurch. paid half the stakes (LTS) to Mr. Osborne. He said that he alono was tq blame for the horse having run under the wrong age, as he had altered his age on his own responsibility, Mr. Osborno had nothing to do with the matter, and was totally blameless. He acknowledged that the money ought to be refunded, and he was wiling to pay half of the amount. Mr. Osborne on being called into the room, denied that any partnership existed between Sheenan and himsejf, his arrangement with Sheenan being simply that he was tq receive half the hoi'se's winnings, Sheenan had no authority to interfere in any way with the horse's age, and had done so entirely on his own responsibility. When Sheenan paid him half the stakes won he did not say a word about what he had done, and when questioned on the matter had said that he had altered the horse's age on the suggestion of Mr. Dundas, who told him that the horse was only' five years old. He (Osborne) had stopped payment of the cheque because Mr Thomas had advised that he had done wrong, and that it was acknowledging joint responsibility with Sheenan, who should alone be held responsible. He had no desire to retain the money, but wished to have the matter cleared up and the fact proved to the Club and the public that he had had nothing to do with the matter. He was willing to pay back his share of the stakes provided that the Club would certify that he had no complicity in the business, but he would take no rqsponsir "bility for Sheenan's share. He wished it understood that he had had nothing to do with the transaction, and that in consequence of the affair he was a heavy loser. Mr. O'Meagher said the Committee could not make any promise such as that indicated by Mr. Osborne, and unless the money was paid at once the Committee would come to a very strong resolution. After consultation with Sheenan, Mr. Osborne promised that he would forward the money to the Club on his arrival in Christchurch, Sheenan haying agreed to give him security for his share. The Committee thereupon agreed to adjourn for a week, intimating that unless the money was then forthcoming a resolution would be passed. Sheenan then handed in a complaint that Hankins, after entering the protest against Silverstream, had made an offer to him (Sheehan) to hush the matter up if he would agree to put the first and second moneys together and share the lot. The Committee inimated that the matter should be thoroughly investigated, and after a vote of thanks had been accorded to the Chairman, the meeting was adjourned for a week.