O.R.F.U. INQUIRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2371, 10 August 1899, Page 44

O.R.F.U. INQUIRY.

A meeting of the Committee of the Otago Rugby Football Union was held at the Garrison Hall on the 3rd inst. for the purpose of inquiring into the charges made by the Rev. L. M. Isitt in regard to some of the footballers who travelled in the north express on Monday from Christchurch to Dunedin. The members of the committee present were — Mr J. M. ' Gallaway (president), Messrs A. Wilson and ' Crosby Morris (vice-presidents). Messrs F. H. Campbell, C. J. Payne. W. J. Strong, H. i Harris, W. H. Young, aud J. Hutchison. A j number of the Kaikorai football team were : also in attendance. I Mr Gallaway, who occupied the chair, said this was an inquiry held under rule 14 of ' the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, which gave the union jurisdiction to hold an inquiry in all cases of misconduct by individual players, officials, clubs, or teams, travelling or otherwise. Certain charges had been made in public by Mr Isitt, and as the body i representing football in this district it seemed j to the committee of the union imperative that j the charges should be sifted to the bottom. ! Mr Isitt said he had no definite charge to j formulate. He simply had to state what he saw. He noticed in the first place several men who, wearing football cokmrs, were maui- , festly in liquor upon the Christchurch platform. When the train got to Rakaia he saw one of the footballers staggering about on the | platform. He did not say that the man could not walk by himself, but he "was sufficiently i unsteady as to be shepherded by a comrade. . He (Mr Isitt) also saw two other men, he J thought, at Rakaia, who were under the in- j fluence of liquor. The fact that the men were in this condition was the subject of eonver- ! saCion amongst stuidry passengers. At Timaru a number of footballers, in company with a number of ordinary pabsengers, entered the refreshment room, and the footballers behaved more like savages than sane men. At Studholme Junction there were certainly three or four men more or less drunk. He fancied he could without any hesitation pick out two of the men, and he felt confident he could pick out one of them at any rate ; but that one was not in the room at present. He (Mr Isitt) also heard very vile language used at Studholme Junction. In reply to the Chairman, Mr Isitt said the man he thought he could identify was drunk at Rakaia, and he was the man who made the most noise in the refreshment room at Timaru. Replying to further questions, Mr Isitt said the -footballers on the Christchurch platform ; who were drunk might have been sympathisers with the teams travelling, but there was no ! doubt that the footballers in the twin were | not sympathisers, but were members of the team. When he got to Studholme he asked two or three of the passengers who had watched the proceedings whether one team only, or two teams, were involved, and he was told that both teams were involved. When he was deputatiouised by Mr Galbraith he was so convinced that he had seen men under the influence of liquor wearing both colours that ho pushed the question as to whether Mr Galbraith was absolutely sure that no member of his team was under the influence of liquor. Mr Galbrailh said he was absolutely sure, and pointed out that the Otago representative oap was dark blue and gold, and might easily be mistaken for the Wellington caps. Then new light was thrown upon the subject by one of the. Wellington representatives saying that some of the men had changed colours. A. J. Keith, sheepdealer, of Upper Riccarton. Chribtchurch, who volunteered to give evidence, said he was travelling in the train from Christchurch to Dunedin on Monday last, and saw the footballers. They were no more noisy than other football teams. He had travelled with football teams in Victoria, and he made the remark to somebody in the train that the Wellington team was as quiet as any team he ever travelled with. He noticed nothing unusual at Christchurch or at Rakaia. At Timaru one or two of the footballers made a little noise. He (Mr Keith) made inquiries about one young fellow who made the inoit noise, and he found out that he did not belong to a football team at all. He was a liltlp dark fellow, and seemed to be travelling with the team. At Timaru two men joined the team. They were half drunk, and were knocking about amongst the football team, but they did not belong to the footballers. At Sludholme Junction there were nine footballers playing with the ball. He did not hear any bad language used. In reply to Mr Isitt. witness said the man who made the bulk of the noise at Tima.ru wore a cap. He did not remember what colours he wore. He was a very dark man. Witness thought it was only the members of one team- who were kicking the football. Mr Isitt: You pay the man who led at Timaru came on at Timaru? Witness: Yes. Mr Isitt said it was the same man that was very drunk at Rnkaia. He would know the name if he heard it. The man was a short dark man. He was pretty confident one of the men was in the room that night, but when a man was in a different costume it was pretty difficult to identify him. Mr Campbell : Are you prepared to identify the person if I aek him to stand up? Mr Isitt: No, honestly I am not, because I should never forgive myself if I got on the wrong man. I think both men are here, but I am not absolutely certain.

Mr Keith: The man who was making the most noise is not here. I could identify him. Mr Wood: Had. he a. Jewish appearance? Mr Isitt and Mr Keith both replied that j he had. • In reply to a question, Mr Keith said he did not see any footballer drunk. They were all as sober as he was, and he never tasted liquor in his life. He never noticed anything disgraceful all the way down. | The inquiry was then adjourned, and will "be ; resumed on the 14-th.