TURF FRAUDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1920, Page 10 (Supplement)

TURF FRAUDS.

AUDACITY' fUNLSHED. London, Sept. 20. The story of certain turf frauds which has jusl. been told—at eleven (lays' length—to a judge and several juries and which came lo an end lit the Old Baijsy last Tuesday, reads more like the plot of a "cheap" melodrama than a recital of fact. Even the judge and counsel iu spite of their experience' of the seamy side of life, were unable on occasion in conceal their-, surprise that what was proved by the evidence had actually occurred. - Five separate cases' were tried, aiul six men siood in the dock in different' permutations and combinations on a series of indictments. Of the broad outline', of the conspiracy there was no doubt, bm judge and juries had some difficulty in determining the fact and degree of individual guilt.' Into these complexities we need not enter. That there was a confederation "to defraud Messrs Weatherby of stake money aiid other persons by betting," and that the conspirators were not content with occasional coups, but Bought •to establish an industry of fraud, was beyond doubt. But they were men of one idea and lacked that versatility and fertility of invention that goes to the make up of really great criminals. One of them made his profession of faith in the words: ''lt is easy to rig horses in this country," and the plan of all their exploits was the substitution of one horse for another. In the first and most notorious case, Ja<!z, a moderately good three-year-old brown, was run at ■Stockton under the name of Coat of Mail, a two-year-old bay, which was. generally ill in its stable. Jazz was "a trout among minnows,," and brought off a nice little coup for the rascally crew. After that victory came an attempt to sell yet a third horse as. the victorious Coat of Mail. 'Una of the men canvifdi"! on these two counts was next found guilty of .selling a pony of 1-li: a.-, a donate c(t lii hands. The fuurtii case was a farcical story of a uvd'.u ..'ur, failed. A non-existent iior ;, -.; olden Plate, was catered for a ..o-\ ~ii'-old race, anil under its naiiio .1 .hree-yeai'-old was run. What the on -ici's of tiiis luckless three-year-old .aid when it ''came in nowhere" did not. transpire in evidence. Perhaps it would not be reproducible if it hml. Experience suggested that for further

I fii'orts it would be well to acquire a I horns- of some merit, and an animal which had some decent racing credentials was bought, Shining More, a bay. It was painted dark brown and run as a castoll' from the Army, under the appropriate name of Silver Badge. It won, but that victory was the final coup brought off by conspirators, Their scheme was impudent enough in all enjiscience, "but it had so many weak points that one wonders that "it succeeded to the extent it did. ■ As counsel rightly remarked, one of its weak points was its production of remarkable races, which caused close followers of racing to "think furiously," and set tlie turf gossips' tongues wagging. Also they had to employ many collaborators who may or may not have known what was actually afoot, but certainly knew that queer tilings were happening, and discussed' them in public places' with the result ,that the Jockey Club began to inquire into the Jazz affair and in the course of that inquiry came upon evidence in abundance tha't there were other matters requiring their attention. They acted swiftly, and the police ran the rogues to earth with, amazing swiftness, all things considered, and built up such a. case against them that their conviction was practically assured. Of course, tho case has brought its crop of caustic criticism of tho iniquity which hangs around the Turf, and there can be no doubt that there is plenty of roguery in connection with horseracing. But frauds of the character indicated are few and far between, for as the ingenious gentleman concerned in the Jazz affair and its offspring have now discovered, there are a good many wide-open' eyes watching Turf affairs, and sharp and receptive ears listening to its babblings. "Rigging'' of the sort they indulged in may be '-easy;" so is falling off a ladder,'but both 'are very dangerous departures from "the orthodox." The six men convicted were:

Peter Christian Barrie, thirty-four, amateur jockey and racehorse owner, of Hampstead, three years' penal servitude. •

Walter Hopkins, thirtv-two, bloodstock dealer, fifteen months without hard labor, and to pay costs of prosecution in hi s own case.

Henry Collis, ' twenty-five, jockey hound over in his own recognisances of £IOO and one surety of £IOO. Horace Samuel' Berg, fi/tv-two, trainer, of Epsom, nine months without hard labor.

Cyril Sharwood Lawlcv, forty-three accountant anil motor' engineer of Hampstead, fined £IOO. Norman Weiss, forty, pearl merchant, of Hatton Garden, fifteen months in the second division, ami to pay the costs oi the prosecution. Barrie, who was concerned in each of the racecourse "substitutions," pleaded guilty on the opening day of the trial, but the other men were represented by an array of counsel, whose fees must* have run into thousands of pounds. Before Barrie was .sentenced Inspector Cornish gave some details of his record. He was born in Edinburgh, but as a young man lived with his parents in Australia. Later he came back to this country, and in HHo became a trooper in the Australian Light Horse serving with the Expeditionary Force until 1010, when he was discharged medically unlit. Next he became traveller and agent for a London firm, but left that to operate on the Turf. In March. 1017, he was sentenced to two months' hard labor at Liverpool for theft of a cheque book. He hud twice been charged with offences since that date, but was discharged in each instance.

Mr. Justice Greer intimated that he was not punishing Barrie for any previous charges or convictions, but only for the part he had. .taken as one of the prime movers in the ' series of racing frauds which had been proved.