A DENIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 103, 27 April 1903, Page 4

A DENIAL.

TO TEB EDITOR, | Sa,—Will you kindly allow me aj few lines to contradict a report pub- j Itthed in Saturday morning's issue of Ihw Daily Nkvb with reference to " a most disgraceful scene " alleged to have, teen " earned" by members of the Tnkapa Football Club when returning from Waitara on Thursday evening.' The team are accused of " fighting" and, tf using language of " a mcst disgust-' lug nature." I now ask to emphatically deny that my Club were in any way guilty of the conduct attributed to them. The facts of the disturbance, if such may be calkd, were as follows: - The Tukapa Olub were returning from iDglewood, after playing the lrc-l team there, and, as the drag drove through Fitzroy, a number of youths waylaid it ' with load hoots for the Tukapa tean.-, ' at the same time insul'icg several of its members, whom they called out by noma, and at whom they hurled all Banner of offensive and disjustitg epithets. This is not the first time tho Tukapa' Club have been received in this: 'way when returning to town (hroogh Fi'zroy after matches, but they had fo far taken no notice of i~. However, on this occasion the remarks of the Fitzroy youths we;e bo offensive, andtlieir language so disgusting, that the team decided to try and find out 1 who the youths were, so as to take ■Upa to pat a stop to it and prevent a - continuance thereof, and stopped the' drag with that intention. Thi?, howefflr, a signal for some cf the Fitzroy culprits to take to flight, and to state that the Tukapas' took to fighting i» a gross exaggeration, as there a few blows struck, and all tha ocinpants of the drag are prepared to come forward and substantiate these remarks, and also prove conclusively that the "disgusting language" was! entirely confined to the Fitzroy gang.: It 10 quite bad enough to be subject to. tike annoyance these youths cause with- 1 oat being accused of conduct such has has toeen attributed to my dub. In eoacluo'oD, I would like to add, that before publishing false and offensive statements, it would be judicious and more diplomatic on the part of the person responsible for same if he m ido a few preliminary inquiries as to the true facts, and not rely solely on the garbaged reports of individuals whose ■ole aim and ambition is to bring discredit and disrepute on the Tukapa Football Glnb. Thanking you for publishing this explanation.—l am, etc., F. Movklkt, Hon. Sec. Tukapa Football Club.