THE PARTHENOPÆUS CASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2284, 9 December 1897, Page 34

THE PARTHENOPÆUS CASE.

GUINANB'S AFFIDAVIT.

The following ia the full text or Patrick Guinane'i affidavit as printed in the Sportsman :—: —

I rode the racehorse Parthenopaau3 in the Melbourne Cup, also in the race in which he ran on the following Thursday, and also in the rile in which he ran on the following Saturday. Mr Andrew Ferguson, thetraiuer of the said horse, engaged me to ride him on each of the said occasions and on each of the said occasion* I received my instructions from him-as to how I was to ride the said horse, and from no other person whatever.

On the day following the said Cup day— namely, Wednesday, I saw Tom Arnfield at the Sandown Park races, and he then asked me had I seen the weights for the following day (Thursday), aud I eaid " Nt>." He then eaid he would take the aaid bprse to Fleinington next day (Thursday),' and give him a run, I understanding thereby he would race the horse there th'en, but not back him.

After that I didu't see either Tom Artifleld nor Sam Alien till after the said race on lliursday aforesaid.

On the aaid Thursday, juafc prior to the race, tha said Andrew Ferguson told r rae be couldn't .coluo at (U\at is, bsick) the sa\s hov3e until lie saw how the said horse, would ruu in his race ou Thursday aforesaid. He told me to give the said, hoiss no preliminary gallop to opeu his pipe?, "tut to Juat trot him up the straight, and trot him down to, the starting'post. He told mo to bustle him off his' legs during the early part" of tho race, and- if the horse was going too well, and I was likely to get into trouble, I was to run out wide at the turn, and then to pull in on to the rails' afterwards behind the, other horges, so that J. shouldn't win the race. "

I got well away and raced the said horse with the leaders, but I, at the abattoirs, finding he was going too well, pulled him back and ran him out wide the rest of the race.

After the race Sam Allen spoke to me and asked me had he any chance of getting back the" mouojr he had paid for the horse, and also the money he had lost in backing him, and I told him he had a real good chance of getting his money back. On the same day, and after I had spoken to Sam Allen as aforesaid, Tom Arwfield, who seemed very pleased, spoke to me, and eaid (in strong terras) the horse was very strong in the said Thursday's race, and there was a chancewf getting even on him. After Arnfield had so spoken to m» I met Andy Ferguson, and he asked me bad I been to Allen or Arnfield, and I said I had. but that I hadn't told them altogether how well the horse had run, as there was a crowd about ; and' then Andy said to me, " That's right ; don't tell them too much ; they blather too much."

On the following day (Friday) I saw Sam Allen, and in answer to his question, I told him I thought Ihe said horse had a good chance in tho mile and a-quarter race on the following day (•Saturday) . On the following day (Saturday), tome time itfore the said mile and a-quarter race, I taw Andy Ferguson, and he told ma he didu't think they (meaning Arnfield and Allen) intended to back tho said horse to win the said race. II« (Ferguson) told me that if the mugs • (meaning the public) forestalled Am field, asd Allen, they wouldn't back the horse, and the public would full in. . I was looking about the twiddling paddock' for the said horse, and Andy Ferguson asked me what I -was looking for, and If aid the aaid horse. Andy Ferguson then said the hot'ae was on the courso, buthe didn't know whether he would start ,01? -not, and that ho would rather not ace him start in the race to be run. -After the race' in which Surge ran, and the people interest«d ia' him were had up befoje the stewards, I. saw Andy Ferguson, and told him there would ba trouble with the stewards if Pitrtbenopooua won the mile and a-quarter wee. Ferguson then said tome, "I'll go and see Arnfield and Allen,- and see if they are going to start the said horse, a* there is sure tJ be trouble, and tbov-arc cure .to be had up before the steward?." All ttnough the day I was chaffing Andy, and telllDff him wo were sure to be disqualified, and he eaid, "We'll have to take our chance." . ' I expected Andy to come back and tell me tpo horse was scratched. As ho didu't I went into the jockeys' room and got ready to ride the «aid horse in the eaid rac<\ Jack Roberts weighed mo out, and I didn't sea Andy again until the stvid horse waa being saddled up preparatory to competing in the said When I again saw Andy, as aforesaid, he called me aside and asked mo what I thought of the said race, and I told him if the said horse got a clear run it was a moral for him. I had 1 told him all along it was a good thing. Ferguson thereupon told me to get on the horse and give him a preliminary gallop up the straight to open the said horse's pipes, and then give him time to get his wind after the preliminary and before the race. He then a^ked me wasn't I going to have any money on the said horse in the said race, and I eaid " Yes." He asked mo how much, and I said £10. He thereupon said, "That's a nice thing to tell <me now they are all on. Can't you get someone to put it on for you? ; and Isaio,"Who can I get to do it ?" adding immediately afterwards, "Oh, never mind, I'll not have anything on him at all." Ferguson then said, " There's T over there [pointing out a f nena of FergusonV] ;eo and tell him to put it od. I did. T said he would. Ferguson didn t say whether he had backed the horse or not. Just as I was going out on to the course to give the hoise his preliminary ; Ferguson paid to me, "You know what to do if I don't see you,, again. I may see you again in the straight before the r^ce, as. the- horse may not be going. \ I then rode on to the course, gave the'borse his preliminary, and went to the staiting post. In the Cup race the said horse ran in aluminium plates. He had no plates on in Thursday's race, but ran barefooted. Ia Saturday's race he ran in aluminium plates. I was given to understand that the horse couldn't run well without the said plates, and Andy told me not to forget to bring them up to the course to bo put on tbe horse befoie the Cup. Andy had the plates afterwards. I never had them again. ; I may mention that some considerable time before the said mile and a-quwter race, and early in the afternoon of the said Saturday, Andyasked me tfas I going to have anything on the said horse in the said mile and a-quarter race, *nd I said "Yes." He paid. "Yxm are not going to have it ou with ArnUeld and Allen, and messed up as you were in the Cup, are you?" I said, " No." Andy said he wasn't going to have it # on with them either, as they had laid him a bad price in the Cup. Ferguson then said to me, " Amfield and Allen are going to lay you a bit to nothing to-day." The race was run. and won by the said horse. The stewards held an inquiry into the horse a running on the previous Thursday. After the stewards had taken evidence, and the principals and witnesses were waiting outside pending the stewards' finding, Arnfield, Allen. TTergusou, and myself were talking together, ana Andy said to Amfield and Allen. " This is a' nice fix you have got me and Paddy [meaning myself] into." Amfield and Allen than said, "Nothwg much will be done." and Ferguson said " 1 11 taka you £100 to £2 Paddy and I go out and you two stay in." Sam Allen eaid, ' ' All right -.I'll lay yoa £100 to £2." Sam Allen then said, How is it 1E all four of us go out together?", and Ferguson said "It is no bst then": and then bam Allen said to me, "If you and I go out, you'll be all right ; I'll take you for a shooting trip for three or four months." Sam Allen then gaid to i*er« guson, " It won't be so bad if Paddy and I go out, because I'll take him for a trip." Ferguson then said "No; it will be all right for him— he's lucky." We all then went in to hear the stewards decision. . Ferguson and I were disqualified during the •pleasure of the stewards. When I left the building after hearing the stewards' decision a friend and myself went over to the booth together to have a drinlr, and gam

Allen also came over to the same booth and had a drink close to me with two others. After my friend and 1 had finished our driuk we were walking away together, when Sam Allen came up to me, with a Mr S and taid to the said Mr S , " You'll look after Paddy " (meaning me) " won't you ? You've had a good win. You'll give him a bit, won't you?" Mr S said he would. I asked Mr S — how he came to have a good win, and he said Sam Allen' told him to have a real royal win on the horse, as he couldn't lose. I asked him how Sam Allen came to tell him that, and he said he went to Sam Allen to take four ponies Parthenopseus off him, and Sam Alien would only lay him £60 to £15, and after he had accepted the bet and was going away Sam Allen rushed after him and told him to have a roal royal win on the Howe, as he couldn't lose the race. My friend and I left the racecourse by cab. We left it at the General Post Office, Melbourne. I Baw Sam Allen driviug irast in 'his hansom. He stopped his cab and called to me. I went. I got into his cab and we drove to Her Majesty'o Hotel, in Swanston street, Melbourne. He asked me to have a drink with him. I did. I had an English bear. He- and one' E— - (a friend of bis) had a small bottle of champagne between them. Sam Allen said to E , "You'll give Paddy a pony out of what you've won ?" and E said, " Yea " ; and Sam Allen then said to E , " You'll slinß Andy -[meaning Ferguson] a pony, too, won't you?" and E again said, " Yes ; I'll sling Andy a pony, too." E told" me he had backed Parfchenqpsetis in doubles all day, and that he had two legs in with Parthen.opseus in. the last race, and 'that he had won £200 in doubles through Parthenopscus. He gave didn't fay whether jus had backed Tarthenopfeus outright or ,not. He' g;ive-me £20 a few da.vs later," and promised to give me £5 later ou. I -and my friend then had tea at Hosie's, in Elizibeth street, Melbourne. We afterwards went to the Opsra House to hear Harry Rtckards's Coin < -any perform. XKirinjr the interval I met Sam A'len just outside the Victorian Club, in Bourke street, and Sam Allen said to me, " There's 1? over there. I'll' get him to sling you a pony, too." He called 3? over, and said to him, " You'll sling Paddy a pony over tbi°, won't you ?" F said, '" Yes ; but I didn't have much on it." Just then Tom Arnfield joined us, aud he said to F- — , "Did you have a good win over Parthenopseus ? ' and JF said, " No." F also said he had gone to Oxenham to back the horse, and that Oxenham had offered him £700 to £100, but he (F ) had only taken £350 to £50. Then Arnfield and Alien called me aside, :*\ said they would, give me £100 between them, aud that tfcey (Arnfield and Allen) would look after mo all the time I was disqualified and treat me •well. Sam Allen then eaid to me : " You cau take my word I'll treat you well. You needn't be afraid [said Allen]. You know we had a few quid on it ; not much though. I [that is, Sam Allen] had a hundred on it, Arnfield had a hundred on it, and a relative [Sam Allen's] had a hundred on it." We then parted, and 1 went back to the theatre. On the following Wednesday morning my attention was drawn to a letter trom Sam Allen iv one of the daily newf-pipere, in which he exonerated Andrew Ferguson. I went up to the Victorian Club and saw the said Sam Allen, and asked him what he meant by sending that 1-tter to the newspaper. He said Andy had asked him to elo co. I tolel him 1 was just as good as Aii'ly, and for that matter ,1 was just as good as him (Sam Allen), and I didn't see why he should wiite such a letter. He said he would do tbe same for me, but I told him [ didn't want him to do so. Sam Alleu then told me I needn't lie frightened ; it -couldn't do me any "harm. '11a said,' '-' We'll keep you like a 'gentleman as long as,' you are out " (meaning disqualified). I said, "1. know all about your keeping me. I'm »crt bioke yet." I was going away when Sam Allen said to ! me, " Look, couldn't you do Ferguson a good turn"?" I asked Ivm 'what' lid meant, and he (Alien) said, "Couldn't you get him out of it?" I said "No ; I want to get out of it myself." Sam Allen then asked me could he see me somewhere that evening, and I said " Ye»," andiie appointed to meet me at Her Majesty's Hotel at 9 o'clock that evening. I didn't keep the appointment, as 1 subsequently thought I had better jiot. I haven't seen him nor Arnfield since, although they have sent word to me that they wanted to sea me. I didn't go to see them, as i dielu't want to have anything more to do with them. Mr S has paid me nothing. _, Mr IC paid me £cO. F gave mo £35. I have received nothing from Messrs Arnfield and Allen, or cither of them, and I don't want to receive anything from them.

The reason I am making a clean breast of it is becausd I can see all the others are tabinjc caro of themselves and desire to make mo the sc»i>egoafc. I rode according to instruction.':.

One day last week (Thursday) I received a note fjom a shopkeeper in Elizibeih* street, Melbourne, asking me to call upon him. He is acl<>se friend of Andy Ferguson. He asked me what about poor Andy. He told me Andy would like to see me. I told him if Andy bad wanted to see me he would have written to me. He said he knew Andy would be pleased to see me. I promised him I would go and see Anoy. I went down to MordialJoc to see Andy. I saw him. After some conversation he asked me if I knew what the-disqualification would mean, and I said " No," and he told me it would mean disqualification for life. He a«ked me why I didn't tell him the rare was a good thing for the horse, and I told him that'l distinctly told him it was a moral for the horse if he (the horse) got a" good 'run. We talkeel on, and Andy said to me : " How will it be if you turn Queen's evidence aud let Arnfield and Allen fall in ? " I told him I was going to tell the while truth, and make a clean breast of it, FerRiißsonthen asked me if Arnfield and Alleu had off«red,-ma any money, and I told him No, and, ■what's more. I didn't want their money. I asked Ferguson if Sam Allen had paid him the £100 (the before-mentioned wacer^and Ferguson said no, 'but that Arufield and Jfflen had said they woald settle with him (Ferguson) after theV.R.O. had decided.

I h»d £!p on the" horse, and no more, and Mr T put it on for me Ha got me £50 to £10. On the Wednesday after the race I met Mr T- .^and ho paid me £100 (this included the said £-0 and £50 he had won in wagers for me), aid in the course of conversation he said to me " Itfsa terrible thing Arnfield and Allen trying to put all tho blame upon you ["meaning me]. If they'd put £500 to your credit in the bank, then there would be something in it." I told him I didn't want any of their money ; I intended to look after myself. He said, "That's right " On Thursday (in Cup week), after the race, and directly I dismounted and got to the jockeys' room, I told Andy that little G , who had ridden a horae/n the same race on Thursday, had called out to me, "By Jove ! you were strong in the race," and that I had told him (G- — ) to " shut up." I told Andy that C' had seen how strong the horse was in the race, and that he was sure to blab about it to 6omeone, and that that was the wont .part of riding a dead one in a race.