The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-07 00:00:00

MGR WATER AT WIDOW =DU.

MI DAT Morning. 2b 151 a --Angina," 2L 35m.
TO.MolutOW—Morning. 2b- I. 6m.

LONDON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7.

This is not precisely the time which we should
choose for noticing the shortcomings of our idle
classes; but the pertinacity with which Colonel
Boa /say and Captain AmniaLar, of the Guards,
press their turf transactions on the public through
the newspapers, compels us to make some reference
to the subject. Just a month ago those gentlemen
found themselves the objects of a disagreeable
amount of attention, and one of them, Colonel
Bruhsin, thought it prudent to write a note
to the Newmarket Stewards stating that a rumour
was abroad that he and Captain ArmesLay had
made a " fictitious bet " on a match between
Tarragona and Michel Grove, and asking them to
investigate the report.. But before this letter
had reached its address, the Stewards of the
Jockey Club were in motion. According to their
subsequent statement, they had noticed an extra-
ordinary expression of public feeling just before
and after the match. Tarragona's jockey, they
say, had been loudly hooted, the assigned
causes of the demonstration being that a
false bet had been made, and that Tarra-
gona had been " pulled" by the jockey. Upon
this information they caused a notice to be posted at
Tattenall's to the effect that they were about to
call upon Colonel BURNABY and Captain ANNEBLEY
for an explanation of several circumstances con-
nected with tho match, and advising that no
money lost on the race should be paid until the
doubtful points had been cleared up. Such, then,
was the nature of the charge. To suppose it
true was to suppose that the bet was made by
the two Guardsmen to delude third parties as
to the confidence of the Colonel in the mare Tarra-
gona, and encourage them to back her in the
match. A more serious imputation can hardly be
imagined, and Colonel Brarrsay is right in saying
that its refutation was of vital importance to him,
both socially and professionally.
_ _

On the 14th of October the Stewards of the
Jockey Club—the Earl of COVENTRY, Admiral
Rota, and Mr. ALEXANDER, who acted for Lord
Poaramourn—sat, together with the Duke of
BEAUFORT, the Earl of STRAW:MOLE, and the Earl
of Girsoow, at Coventry, as a Committee, to
investigate the grounds of the public rumour.
Colonel BURNALY and Captain ANNEBLEY were
there, to demand the most searching investigation,
make their own statements, and cross-examine
the witnesses. The evidence was as conflicting as
it usually is where a horse is in the case. The
first witness called was a Mr. STEELE, a betting
man, who was in the ring before the match. He
declares that he heard Colonel BURNABY bet 1001.
eree with Captain ANNESLEY on Tarragona. He
says—we follow the Committee's report—" I im-
mediately offered to bet 50 even, 50 to 40, 60
" to 40, 70 to 40 on Michel Grove, all of which
" Colonel BURNABY declined to take. The bet-
" ting at last was 3to 1 on Michel Grove. I
" said, in the heat of the moment, it was a
" damned ramp, or a regular ramp." About the
course of the general betting of the public there can
be no mistake—it was heavily against Tarragona.
When Mr. STEELE had given his evidence the
Duke of Baal:Tour said that he was close to
Colonel BURNABY on the occasion referred to, and
heard him bet 100/. even on Tarragona with Cap-
tain ANNESLEY. Bat both the Duke and Mr.
STEELE are contradicted by the two principals ;
Colonel BURNABY and Captain ANNESLEY de-
claring on their honour as gentlemen that the
bet in question was not even, but 2001. to 100/.
The Colonel declares that he backed the mare be-
cause he had confidence in her ; that he did not
"hedge," or secretly back Michel Grove; and
that he stood fairly to lose 435/. or win 2271. by
the match. As to Mr. STEELE'S offer, he says he
did not hear it. Upon the second portion of the
imputation the evidence was also most contradic-
tory. Mr. M'GEOROE, the starter, says the mare
was pulled about six lengths behind Michel
Grove. Mr. NORTON, the assistant starter, says
that her jockey rode as if he did not want her to
win. Janes Bowwwr, flagman to the starter, de-
clares his belief that Tarragona's jockey did not
try to keep the mare tip with Michel Grove. On
tho other hand, NIONTINGALL, who rode Tarragona
for Colonel BURNABY, says that he did his best,
but that the mare's defeat was pretty certain from
the first. And a jockey named Reeves says that
her rider did his best. FORDRAM. who rode
Michel Grove, says that he heard Nnairrixoxix
whipping the mare. A clerk from the Bank of
England was brought down to examine the betting-
books of Colonel BURNABY and Captain ANNEBLEY,
and give his opinion whether there had been any
tampering with the figures relating to this bet.
His judgment was that the figures bad not been
interfered with. We learn further, from a letter
of Colonel BURNABY, that Aemiral Rues exa-
mined the betting-book with a strong magnifying
glass. Also, that one of the members of the Com-
mittee asked him "if he was in the habit of run-
" ning his horses straight upon the turf." To
which he replied immediately, and with warmth,
that he was.