DID THEY HOOT HIM?

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 569, 26 July 1909, Page 8

DID THEY HOOT HIM?

. ■. ■:'..' ', . * -' ' ■••' ■ .; INCIDENT AT A FOOTBALL. MATCH. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) .-;• : ..' Tlmaru, July' 24. { A charge brought by C. L. Masiin against two prominent officials of hooting him at tho Pirates-Thnaru match ou July 8 was discussed, at last night's .-meeting. »Messrs. A. Shirteliffe (president).'and H. H. Fraser (secretary) were the parties implicated. A warm discussion took place regarding the admittance of the press, who were eventually. invited to remain. .• ;. •' , Three witnesses were called, and Mr. Allott, a member.of the Referees' 'Associar tion,; deposed that when Miisliii: and ■ Coles (Pirates) tackled Bain (Timaru) he heard hooting, and, looking along the touch-line, saw a party of four —ri ucludiiig Sliirtciitfo alia Fraser—in the place from:where the hooting had proceeded. Ho was certain that either Sliirtcliffo oi- Fraser, or both, were hooting. He could not say whether they were hooting Maslin alone, but thought they were •hooting both'Maslin and' Coles. , •.-,'-, , Hassall, tlio - second witness, sworo that' neither Shirtcliffc nor Fraser hooted' Mas\'m. He was .himself one of the party of four referred to by'Allott. Ho believed Fraser hooted, but not at Maslin. ohirtcliffo did not hoot at all. ; ' ■

Pearson, the' final witness, and' a men> ber of the Referees' Association, affirmed that Shirtcliffo and Frascr both hooted. Ho did not.tell Maslin that they, had hooted him. They might have hooted > tho wbolo team, or any one of tho players. j Masliu said lie misunderstood Pearson, ;Ho ■.thought.: he had said that Shirtclilfe"' and %aser hooted''him. Maslin otborwiso would not' hare lodged a, complaint. Seeing that. Pearson's evidonco was'not what ho anticipated it would bo, ho wholly and unreservedly withdrew tho charge, and apologised. : Father Kerley, the chairman, at tho outset of the meeting, said tbat if Maslin- failed to prove; the charge, lie should consider the advisability- ot tho resignation of his. official position, and if the chargo was proved, tho president and secretary should consider the propriety of resigning. However, neither party resigned. ■ ' ■ ' ■:'•'