The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-11-19
DUNRATENS CHARGES
10 be Investigated by the New
York Yacht Club.
DISTINGUISHED COMMITTEEMAN.

william G. Whitney, j. Pierpont Morgan
and George l.. Rives Selected to Decide
on Mode of Procedure-Mr. IseIin,s
Vigorous Letter.
NEW YORK, Nov. 10.-The New Yorl,
Hacht club meeting held last night to take
action concerning the charges made by
Lord Dunraven was crowded with inter.
est. A vigorous refutation of the English
man s statements, written by MIR. G. Oliver
lselin, head of the Defender syndicate. was
read; also a letter from II. Maitland Ker-
sey, conveying an offer from Lord Dun
/ raven to come to this country for an inves-
Ilgation, which was u complete surprise
Charge of the whole matter was delegated
10 committee of three gentlemen, j.
Flerpont Morgan, the lnancier; William
" whitney, ex-seoretary of the navy, and
George l.. Rives.
Inc meeting was of short duration
nlrsI, LORD, ,Dunraven's charges, published
IN the London Field were read, then re-
Duttal testimony from members of the
cup committee and the regatta committee
ana then came Mr.. Iselin's letter, which
Is, in substance as follows:
"A careful perusal of this letter will
show that Lord Dunraven makes the
charge that, after having been measured
for the cup races in September last, the
defender was surreptitiously loaded so as
to sink her four inches deeper in the water;
that she sailed in that condition on the
1lrst days race, and that immediately after
That race the ballast so loaded was secretly
removed, SO that when measured the next
day Sunday no discrepancy was found to
exist between the two measurements.
While Lord Dunraven intimates that l
was not personally cognizant of the fraud,
the charge is none the less explicit.
Now, Lord Dunraven is an experienced
yachUsman, and, when he made this
charge he knew perfectly we'll as every
yachtsman knows, that it was a practical
lmpossibility for such thing as he charges
TO have been done on the Defender between
her measurement on Friday and her sail
ing on Saturday without being known or
made known to me, who, ON behalf of the
defender and in the name of the New
L ork Yacht club, was charged with the
sole personal responsibility of managing
her during the race. Officers and men to
the number of thirty-eight were ON board
OF her all the intervening time, and it is
impossible that the fourteen tons of bal
last necessary to accomplish the result
charged, could have been put into her on
friday night and taken out again before
sunday without the fact being known to
a large number of witnesses.
Il was responsible for the proper officer
ing and manning of the yacht. L person
ally examined the Defenders hold and
every part OF her on the morning of the |
7th, Immediately before the race, and I
know the absp1t1ta foloitv, of A.
tlon. L consider myself, therefore, as
standing before the world solemnly charged
by Lord Dunraven with an offense as base
as could be possibly imputed to a sports |
man and gentleman, and which l indig-
nantly resent and repel, and more than
that, with having betrayed the confidence
OF my associates in the ownership of the
Defender, the trust placed in me by the
New York Yacht club, and the good name
OF my country, whose reputation for fair
play was involved in the contest.
Lord Dunraven claims to have sailed
the race on Saturday after being satisfac-
torlly assured that he had been cheated in
the fraudulent overlooking of the De
lender. He sailed the next race on
the 10Th with the same conviction on
his mind that on the first days race
he had been cheated. He broke off the
last days race not upon any such ground.
but on the entirely distinct ground that
the course would not and could not
be Kept clear. He went home, and after a
silence of more than two months he makes
this odious charge in communication ad
lressed to public newspaper on the other
side of the Atlantic, which it would be inn !
possible for me to read or reply to before
t had already made a deep impression
IN the minds of his countrymen.
Then Mr. Kerseys letter was read, in :
which he announces the receipt of cable
ram from Lord Dunraven expressing his /
willingness to come over, though his lord i
hip thinks it is ''now too late to investi- {
,ate." t
The appointment of the committee of !
hree followed, and the meeting adjourned. !
{ is thought that the committee will ap- +
rise the secretary of the Royal Yacht
quadron of their appointment, and take
10 further action until they learn defln- 1
5ely whether Lord Dunraven will come I
VAr here