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Otago Witness, Issue 2373, 24 August 1899, Page 43

THE REV. L. M. ISITT'S CHARGES. The inquiry into the charges preferred by j the Rev. L. M. Isitt against certain footballers i travelling in the train from. Christchurch to ! Dunedin on July 31 was resumed on Saturday night. It was stated that Ronald was the only momber of the team not present, and that he was a total abstainer. Robert Slater, who was recalled, and asked if li« could identify any of the teavn, said: "I positively refuse to identify any man." Mr Gallaway: You ha-ve not looked. Mr Slater : lam not going to look. I will tell you my reason. This is not my quarrel nt all. I oamo here laat Monday night and gave all the evidence t had to give. The gentleman who made the charge would not ideality the mon. It is not my quarrel at all, awl 1 don't sec why I should identify them. I think I have done all I can reasonably do. It ia not my wish to be in this affair at all ; but when I was asked if I had seen anything I said I had, and I did not know that any inquiry was going on ; in fact, I did not know that any charge had been made. I positively refuse to go any further or to identify any mas. Mr Gallaway. Of course it is out of the p<rwor of this committee to nmke you attempt to identify any member of tho Kaikorai team unless you choose to do it. The committee would have been very glad if you. had tried to identify them. If you could not identity them, it would have been a perfectly fair tking for you to Bay that you could not. - Mr Slater: I never said anything about tho team. There were two teams on board tho train. The position is this : Everybody must admit that there were men there with, football caps and colours who wero the worse of liquor, and the footballers know who those nien wero; and if it is going to leave tho whole team under a stigma it is for tho team to relieve themselves of that, to my mind. Frederick Shiner was recalled, and _ -.It Adamß said : I understand tha,t the vmolQ of the Kaikorai team travelling in tho train on Monday, July 31, are here, with the exception of one man, and that probably there may be another person not present who was in the carriage. If Mr Slater can honestly and without doubt identify any man in the room among those who were misconducting themselves, I think he would be doing a service both to the union and to the public. I oan aay no more" than that. Mr Gallaway: Mr Shiner, if there is anyone you think you can identify, and whom it would assist you to identify, he will put on a football cap. Mr Bhiner (after looking at tho tf»am) : I would like to say, sir, theit I recogniso this as the team generally who travelled in the carriage that I was told was occupied by the Kaikorai football team. Thero seems to be gome doubt about that. Mr Gallaway: Could you identify any one of tham? Mr Shinor (after again looking at the team for some time) : I am just in this position : I fe»! that there is * vory dim possibility of making a mistake, and, therefore, I cannot commit myself. Mr G«,U»w»y: Will it assist you if, aa I before suggested, any particular member of the team be aiktd to put on a football oap? Mr Shiner : No ; it would assist me no further. I hxva the faces in my mind's eye, and J think a football cap would make very little tTiffertnoo. Mr Galhvway : I mutt say, on behalf of the committee, that you have hontstly tried your beat to identify thorn; and if yoxi don't lik«

to do it, or if you are unable to do it, it cannot be helped. William Marshall was recalled, and Mr Gallaway said : The team is here with one exception. That is so, Mr Adams? Mr Adams : That is so. Mr Gallaway (to Sir Marshall) : Will you look at them, and see if you can identify them. Mr Marshall: Well, I don't think I will attempt to identify them. Mr Gallaway: Would you not hare a look first? Mr Marshall: Of course I would not like to make a mistake ; and I have given my description of the men that I remember. I would rather that whoever held a responsible position in the team would try and find out his own men. Mr Gallaway : I don't understand from you that you decline to try-to identify. . Mr Marshall : Well, I don't think I would like to identify them. Mr Gallaway : Am Ito understand that Mr Marshall will not identify? Mr Adams: I cannot say. I take it that Mr Marshall objects to endeavour to identify. (To Mr Marshall) : You think it would be unfair to you to take the onus. You suggest that the onus should lie upon the person responsible for the good conduct of the team. Mr Marshall: Yes: I think so. I don't ' know why I should be led into saying if I i I could recognise any one of them ; but if ] ! thought I could say that was the team that j ;is the only thins; I would care to do. _ j I Mr Adams : The team are here, excepting i i one ; if you care to do that, Mr Marshall. j Mr Gallaway: In your evidence you said j you shook your fist at one in particular. I Mr Marshall : Yes ; I shook my fist at one. j ! Mr Gallaway (after readiug a portion of ] ', witness's evidence to him) : I understand that j the team have the same clotliing on that they had then. ! Mr Hanlon: As near as possible. I Mr Gallaway : That is so, Mr Marshall ; 1 and any man will put on his cap that you ask to put it on. j Mr Marshall : Well, I would rather not identify. I have made my statement, and !hat is true. It would be as good as if I had taken an oath to that description. I don't ' think I need say anything more about the , ir.an. j Mr Gallaway (after reading witness's de- ' scription) : Sureiy with all the men before ; you, you might try and identify him. i .Mr Marshall : It seems to me, Mr President, ! that the captain of the loam should pick out | that man. j Mr Gallaway : That might be a question for 1 the after consideration of the committee, but we know that you are anxious to assist the committee, and thß committee's only object is to establish the truth of the matter. It is for that reason we ask you to identify the man if you can. Mr Marshall : I don't want to. I would i like to help the committee, but I don't want j to make a mistake. Mr Hutchison : Mr Marshall might be asked I to say whether the man is in the room without identifying him. Mr Gallaway : If ho says he is in the room I would arfc him to identify him. Mr Marshall : Personally I don't know one in the team, and whether thus rmui was a footballer or not ; I cannot pay. But, as I say, he had a cap on, and ho was on the train. That is all I know. Ho might not have been a, footballer. If he is uot a footballer he would not bo here. After being further questioned, witness said ho thought he would abide by what he had said. He was not going to ssy if he coukl identify the man whom he had described. Mr Adams suggested that the committee nhould take the names of the persons who tra- ! veiled in the carriage with the team. Mr Duncan said Torranee's brother and Mason wero nil he knew. Seventeen tickets ! were taken out. | Mr J. Torrance stated that three railway j servants travelled in tho same carriage. They I had passes of their own. j Mr Payne asked what was the name of the JewiaV-looking man. Mr Hanlon mentioned his name, and slated that he worked in Rattray street. The inquiry was subsequently adjourned till Thursday.