FOOTBALL.

Evening Star, Issue 14966, 28 August 1912, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

j THE INVERCARGILL TROUBLE. ! | NO ACTION TAKEN. j The O.U.F.F. Committee continued the i inquiry last evening into the. alleged misconduct of tho Otago team that stayed at the Railway Hotel. Invercargill. There were present Messrs Harris (president), Burns, MTaggart, Sinclair, Nelson, Dunne. Priest, Low, Sarnies. Cavanagh, i and Dr Evans. The Secretary read the evidence taken by the Southland Union, and which was f.iirlv fully published in last night’s "Star.’ At the request of the Southland Union the meeting went into committee while the evidence of Lvhviey was road. The Chairman asked if Air Nelson (who was manager of the Otago team) had anything to say. Mr Nelson said that Lindsay, a member of the Southland team iwho, with his wife, was sleeping in the next room to that occupied by Graham, the captain of the Otago team, ATKellar, and himself), mentioned in his evidence that lie heard bad language. Did ho say he came out of his room and heard it? It was unite possible that someone might have lietm | speaking in the passage, and he had I thought that they were speaking in the | next room. | The Chairman said (hat it might be as j well to settle first of all who committed 1 the damage. Air Graham, the captain, was then called in. and .the chairman explained that the committee would like to know if tho team or any member of the team had any further information to give them that would lead to the member or members who comj niitted the damage to the rooms in tire | hotel. I Air Graham ; T cannot add any more to j what I have already said. I know this I much : that yon have had a lot of hearsay | evidence. I myself know nothing for cer- | tain : it is all hearsay. I The Chairman : Have tho team had a meeting since the committee met last , night ? Air Graham : No. The Chairman; 1 suppose it is generally recognised by tho team that damage was 1 done by a member or by members of the | Otago (cam? I Air Graham: f suppose it has been re- ! cognised that way. i The Chairman : A'nu arc satisfied in j your own mind that damage was done by | a member or by members of the Otago team ? Air Graham : Wo have nothing to go on. 1 would not like to commit myself that nay. 1 am placed in an awkward position, I was nowhere near the place when it was alleged to have happened, although my name has been dragged into I The Chairman : T take it, then, that the | team are not prepared to divulge the name j of the offender or offenders? I Air Graham; 1 cannot say to that. Afr 1 M’Kellar was appointed chairman of the j team’s meeting. | Air ATKellar was then called in. The chairman explained to him what Mr GraI ham had said, and asked if he could give i any information as to who the offenders were. Air ATKellar said that he had had m> communication with the team since last Saturday night. Ho did not know whether any member of the team had any information to give. He asked them on Saturday night whether they had any evidence that would throw any light on the matter, and none of them had. so he concluded that there was no good going any further with it. The Chairman: The team. I understand. are outside. Would yon mind going out with All Graham and asking them finally if they are still of the same opinion as they were on Saturday night. Aon might ask them if they have any further evidence to give the committee. On returning after consulting the team Mr M'Kellar said that they were all there, and that they could not throw any further light on the matter. The (‘lnuTman said Hiat it had come out in the evidence taken at Invercargill that Watson and Russell left the commercial room with two others. They might find out who the two others were. Watson ami Russell were then called in. The former said that there were a number of boarders in the commercial mom. When !v left the room AVilliams, Irvine, and Symonds were there. Russell said that he left with Symonds and ATDongall, and went to a smoke concert. Williams. Irvine, Symonds. and ATDongall were also examined. They were all in the commercial room about II o’clock, but could give no information that would assist the committee. Mr Sander: Have yon any direct evidence to show when the damage was done 'The Chairman : it shows that the damage was dona between 10.30 and 11.30. The committee then proceeded to con aider the had language alleged to have been used. The Chairman thought that they should try to fine! out who were in the manager’s room when it was supposed to have been iwcd. Air Nelson said that he went to his room at 10 minuter to 1. Mr ATKellar was the only one in the room at that time. Arguments were going on all over the place, but he never heard any bad language used. There was no argument taking place in their room. Mr M'Kellar said that he arrived at his room at midnight, and the manager joined him at half past 12. There was a. newspaper man shouting outside, and he had to apeak to him, but no bad language was used. The manager and captain of the team wore id I right. Mr Graham said that he did not sleep in the manager’s r<x>m. and that he heard no had language. It having been slated at n previous meeting that. Mr Procter, who accompanied the learn south, lint occasion to speak to them. Mr Low t-aid that he, had seen Air Procter, and he said, that im never spoke to the team at all. Mr Low paid that they had no direct charge laid agnin-t any member of the team. All the evidence, in fact, was in their favor. He would move —’’ That, as the Otago players cave, an absolute denial of complicity in the damage done in (he hotel, and as there was no evidence to prove that the damage was done by members of the Otago team, this committee deckle to take no further action.” Air Kandes seconded the motion. The Chairman raid that lie had been told by a member of (Kc Otago (cam that tin? damage was - aused b}’ some members 1 of the team. There were members of the K-ant who knew who the culprit was. but they had decided to keep silent. If all j the members of the team bad come before j thorn, and told, them the truth, then they ! would have known who caused the dam- j age. His own opinion was that they j should disqualify the whole team unless i they got the offenders’ names. He thought ] it was a downright shame that repre- i (tentative players should go away and ' drag the name of Otago football into the \ miro and then get off scot free. He heard > it from a member of tho team that he | knew who the offender was. j Air Low : ‘Then 1 thin!; you ought to j ask that man to step in and give us the j name of the offender. | The Chairman ; 1 do not think so. He | dad not say that he teas a. witness of the | occurrence. I Mr Low; That is hearsay evidence ; again ! ; Mr ’ Fan-ties said that they should not listen to hearsay evidence. They had to conn* to a finding on the evidence produced, and that evidence did not implicate any member of the Otago team. They should’ not listen to tittle-tattle. The motion was carried without dissent. In regard to the -bad. language charge, Air Sarnies said that they should be perfectly satisfied with the evidence of Mr M'Kellar. He waa one of tho -inert- reliable witnesce they conkl have before them. It was then moved by Mr Dunne, ami seconded by Mr Priest.— “ That, in connection with the bad language alleged to have been used in Room No. 1, on the evidence adduced the committee find tho charge is not substantiated. Tim motion was carried without dis-