The morning news., 1888-07-19
OVDON'S TURF SCANDAL.
u-,u GREAT LIBEL SUIT OF JOCKEY
WOOD.

,-+erestinC Evidence as to Jockeys
Tncoroe - other Interesting Cases
,-ai-gt the Press-Relations of Par
rar1ent and the Newspapers.
IRON, the Boston Herald.
-oxnoN. June 30.-The hollow victory
ron Yesterday by Charley Wood" in his
"..l s1t against the Licensed VictuaIers
r,.otte was the topic of conversation in
clubs AMI among sporting men gener-
Wv Inst evening, and although the matter
80. discussed pro and con with as much
Ling on either side as has been displayed
';,oa il first be anne public, the consensus
- af,ninion on both sides was that the game
,,os not worth the candle. The cause of
.ta action was the statement, published on
Nv p. 1887 that Wood, who stood at the
,ood of the list of winning jock
~. last year land has, in fact
.,sr since the death of Fred Archer,
isd on two occasions pulled"
io-se ramed Success, belonging to Gen.
1ncn WilIams-once at Lewes aud once at
s1avaniria park, TO prevent it from win
,irg The morse ridden at Derby by another
i,ckey (Wane), easily defeated compet-
tors which hal previously beaten it, and
there were other circumstances calculated
10 throw suspicion upon Wood, who is
NOT riding this year, the Jockey club hav-
Inc refused him a license. The case was
+ }ed before Lord Chief Justice Coieridge
I'D a special jury, and the array Of emf
nept counsel was fairly staggering, when
one came to calculate the fees they would
I cbarge-Sir Henry James, .. c., Mr. Lock
wood O. c., and Hon. Alfred Lyttelton ap-
rearing for the plaintiff, and Sir Charles
Russell. @. c., Charles Matthews and Law
son Walton for the defendant. The trial
occupied more than a week, and excited
general attention among the public as we'll
as among racing men, for the witnesses in
cuded two dukes their graces of Beaufort
and Portland-the Duchess of Montrose
who runs horses under the name of Mr..
Mauton0, the Marquis of Harrington and
lords almost without number Wood
gained his case, and was awarded for dam
ages farthing! The matter of costsis
not vet settled, for execution is sstayed for
mouth, and the case will probably go to the
court Of appeals.
Reference TO Woods and Sir George Chet-
vynd's suits against Lord Dunham, an ac-
count Of the structures on the riding and
running of jockeys and horses connected
with the Sherrard stables, were carefully
excluded from the evidence, except in one
instance This was the Introduction of the
following private letter from the Duke of
Portland to Lord Durham:
Mn Dear Jdcko: | must write you a line
to congratulate you on the excellent speech
you made at the Gimcrack club, at York
do ike to hear follow speak out straight;
aad don't envy Sir George Chetwynd and
co.'s feelings If they say anything. Should
you want pal you may rely upon me to
DO anything can. Jockeys, no doubt, are
Id thieves, But, in my opinion, gentle
men who aid and abet and make money out
Of their misdeods are greatly 'worser' Tscl
wonder what will be tie result of thls in
cury! How often do we hear people say
that such and such a race was a fearful
ramp and then wind up their TRADE with,
For Gods sake, don't quote me- lam
boxing forward to seeing you on the 9th,
and nope we shall have pleasant shoot"
This letter naturally created a sensation
and for its introduction Sir Charles Russell
was severely attacked by the opposing
counsel and censured by the lord chief JUS
tee. The duke who is doubtless'well re-
membered by the Boston "Ancients" who
visited London last summer as lieutenant-
colonel of the Honorable Artillery company,
IS a thorough sportsman and deeply inter-
es'ed in reforming the turf. He is tho
owner Of Ayrshire (which won the Derby
this Year,, Johnny Morgan and other less
celebrated horses.
the
INCOME OF A POPULAR JOCKEY
was Woods testimony He fixed his in
come during the past four years at 96, 900
soJUOU per annum; he has hotel and n
great deal OF real estate at Newmarket and
a cooperage at LimehOuse, has a residence
at Newmarket and house at Brighton,
owns 1l2,OO0 in consols, etc. He testified
tlat twice he had received 81 900 as pres
for Nil. 4l H.. l
carrying OFT the St Leger, and 4400 for
winning tho cup at Ascot. Six or seven
thousand pounds, he said, would cover his
ennual expenditures.
Another turf libel case" has Just been
settled. Merry Hampton, which won the
Derby last year was a strong favorite for
lhe st. Leger, but something went wrong
WIN him shortly before the Doncaster
meeting, and +. c. Smith, veterinary sur
geon, who was called in, reported that the
G9lt was in danger of breaking down.
balJsys Magazine thereupon published an
aIltcIe winch practically charged the vet.
WIN making a false statement, and left it
20 De implied that his purpose was to affect
tAe betting market, since Merry Hampton
nad been heavily backed. Events, how
eVer, proved Mr.. Smith was right, and he
brought suit against the publication. 1t
never came to trial. for an apology, which
Ae Judge described as ample, full and
satisfactory" was made, and the plaintiff
was paid $500.
sun another libel case. decided within
~eok is worth noting as illustrative of the
'apience of juries in such actions. In this
sIlV W. II. Harvey was the plaintiff and
Le society Herald, lively weekly, edited
l.! fercy Marks, was the defendant.
appeared in evidence that during the
Gll{ part Of the pantomime at Covent
Id'del theater last winter, a scene in the
% oaI qulnade represented a bed room; the
rolhes OF the bed were disturbed, an enor-
nous property" flea, foot long, crawled
,I' w. was caught and thrown into the fire
"ueIe It exploded with loud report, and
a. G5u.'uFed or so Of other fieos crawled from I'M
SSei Ile bed. The dramatic critic of the
1y-e'y Herald IN his notice of the perfor-
sIcs described the scene as disgusting, |
sii4 blamed the clown whose name was |
sr,en on the programme, and who, he nat
titi Sly supposed, must be responsible. Now, |
r,.I r,yuyugh Mr.. Harvey was named on the |
ANNE as the clown, somebody else |
L}9l The pnrt, and when the Society Her |
srl learned this, it admitted the mistake |
n apolcgized. Mr. Harvey, however,
Duglt suit for e100, and, after a some |
-"V o protracted trial, the jury awarded |
wa,.. ,a,' ~5oO damages The plaintiffs counsel |
hn, hu'ea 80 TO amend the statement of claim" |