BETTING FRAUD CHARGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18018, 17 February 1922, Page 5

BETTING FRAUD CHARGE.

BRITISH TURF SENSATION.

ARMY CAPTAIN PROSECUTED.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 5.30 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 15.

Captain Owen Peel, son-in-law of Sir Robert Jardine, and his wife, wore charged at the Bow Street Police Court to-day in connection with the despatch of 45 telegrams to various bookmakers, backing Paragon in the Duke of York Stake*. The prosecution alleges that the Peels ascertained by telephone that t'he horse had won before they presented the telegrams at a countryside post office. Some bookmakers paid out on tho bets, but others questioned the timo of lodgment, and requested inquiries. It is further alleged that the accused induced the postmaster to enter a false timo of receipt on the messages. The Peels stood to win £4600.

Counsel stressed that the PostmasterGeneral was prosecuting because the bookmakers were reluctant to do so, as the Peels were able to introduce business to the bookmakers.

The Court was crowded with well-known sporting and society people. Many fashionably-dressed women stood throughout tho sitting. Both the defendants, who are young, were self-possessed, but the wife was pale, and sat with bent head. The case depends upon the following vital facts:—The race was timed for 2.50 p.m., but was actually run at 3 p.m. The prosecution alleges that the telegrams' were handed in at the post office after 3 p.m., but that the telegrams wero actually timed 2.45 p.m. Tho prosecution further alleges that Mrs. Peel arranged with Mr. Dow, a young stockbroker friend, to telephone to her at the village post office. Uow accordingly booked a trunk call from his London club at about 2.38 p.m.

Dow gave sensational evidence, that ather favoured the accused. He said that ,vhen ho first got on to the post office Mrs. Peel asked for the namo of the winner. Dow replied that the result had not appeared on the tape. Ho left the telephone box to find if the result, was on the tape, but he said he did not remember telling Mrs. Peel the result of the race. On the contrary, he later telegraphed the result and price to Mrs. Peel.