RINGING-IN CHARGE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVIII, Issue 10984, 2 August 1927, Page 5

RINGING-IN CHARGE.

THE GATHERED GOLD CASE. EVIDENCE FOR PROSECUTION. "SYDNEY, July 21. What is known as the " Gathered Gold" case was further ventilated at the Police Court to-day, when William Matterson, aged 60, retired, _ and Walter McCarthy, aged 36, electrician, were charged with having between January 1, 1926, and June 1, 1,927, at Sydney, conspired to cheat and defraud the Richmond Trotting Club* the committee of the New South Wales Trotting Club, the Victorian Trotting and Racing Association, and the West Australian Trotting Association of large sums of money. Peter Keirce, chairman of stewards, starter and registrar of the Victorian Trotting and Racing Association, said that as far as he knew he had not seen either Matterson or McCarthy previ-

ously. He said that the horse he examined in the Police Court yard to-day was Gathered Gold. He had previously examined it on February 18. 1926, for registration purposes. On March 8 he acted as starter at Richmond (Victoria), and a horse called Gathered Gold started in the Association Handicap. He could not say if it was the same horse as the one he examined today. He did not examine it then. Frederick Hamilton Woods, stipendiary steward of the New South Wales Trotting Club, said that he knew the horse in the police yard as Gathered Gold. He first saw the mare at Londonderry racecourse, Richmond, New South Wales, in January, 1926. He knew Matterson was the nominator of the horse. It ran in his name at Epping and Londonderry. Mr Laidlaw, S.M.: Has it won a race ? Witness: No. It finished second on one occasion and third in another. The Mare Promenade.

George Norman Kilduff, secretary, of the Richmond Trotting and Racing Company, Ltd., and stipendiary steward of the New South Wales Trotting Club, said that a horse competed as Gathered Gold in the .Trial Stakes at Richmond on January 26, 1926, and finished a close 6econd after getting a bad start. Records showed that the sum of £375 was paid over and signed for by Matterson. Witness thought the mare in the yard was the one that ran at Richmond. He later saw Gathered Gold at Epping t when it raced in the Trial, won by Bay Marvel. In that race, according to witness, Gathered' Gold ran about 2.29 to the mile, the winner's time being 2.27£. The running of the mare was not satisfactory, and it was disqualified for 12 months. There was an appeal, and the action'of witness was reversed. Up to

the time of an inquiry held on April 13 he had not heard of a horse called Promenade.

Christian Rpkkjere, horse trainer and owner, of Coward Street, Mascot, said that he and McCarthy had trained horses at Auckland. He had inspected a mare in the Police Court yard. The first time he saw her was about three years before at Auckland. . He knew her by the name of Promenade. He saw the mare at Londonderry racecourse, Richmondj and later atEpping. He thought she looked like Promenade, but she ran under the name of Gathered Gold. The Detective's Story. Detective Lawrence said that he saw McCarthy at the Auckland police station on July 6, and said to him: "It is alleged that you and a man named Matterson took a mare, Promenade, with about a. 2.11 record, irom here to New South Wales Victoria, and West Australia, and rung her in as a ' novice,' under the, name of Gathered! Gold." McCarthy replied, "I know there has been a. lot of fuss about it." McCarthy said that he bought Promenade; from a man named Nicholls, and

had run her in New Zealand. He later sold her to his brother-in-law, named Edwards, and she died. Edwards reported the death to the club. McCar-

thy said he knew Matterson, but not well. . He purchased a mare known as Gathered Gold from Matterson. He paid he was training her for Matterson. He ran her in Victoria, took a fancy to her, and bought her for £IOO. Slie started in two races at Perth, West Australia, and won one. Asked by the detective what had happened to Gathered Gold, McCarthy replied, "We were wiped out" there and I sold her to Dr. Jewett for £SO. Witness told McCarthy that Gathered Gold was in the police depot, and had been positively identified as Promenade. . . The hearing was adjourned.