TAMPERING WITH THE SCALES

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 6 May 1903, Page 48

TAMPERING WITH THE SCALES

As a general rule, the Xewcanlo Jockey Cab is \ery fortunate in the conduct of its race meetings, but (says a writer in an exchange) he recent meeting held by the cub proved an txception, ma-much as a '.tarthncf discovery was mado just when f\er\ thing promised to go as --:noot!ily a>! utual. The word wjis pa<--ecl aiountl after the rec-oud race that the scale-, re-fubt'd to ac-t, mid considerable excitement prevailed 111 oonspquenoe. The weighing 10cm was surrounded by a.i excited and anxious nrou'd, aud a 6 <-oon a-s the doors wero closed it was realised that something out o! the ordinary was happening. It tranipned that when. Moran. the rider of Go'itleman Jim, winner of the Pace Welter, mounted the «cale* they would not move The president [.Mr Hannell) placed his weight 011 the machine, but it still refused to act. Moran was then reques'te-cl to down, end Atkiiis, the rider of '{ilk, who finished 6eeond. was invited to take Toby's plaice, which he did with s-ucces-ful rosiilU. the machine recording the correct weight. Then Moran made another attempt to draw lr-. weight, this time successfully. Tho seale > having acted correctly when tho luds were weighed out, the Me wards decided to make an examination of the mechar.i:-ir. oml it waa ju*t as well they did, for no sooner was tho bottom plato removed than a hole was discovered in the flooring A fuwt'ier searoh revealed a pvoeo of ttoufc wire mnliing through the aperture undernftnth the building. One of the club's employees w.ithen instructed to follow the wire, and when ho reached the spot indicated ho found some fruit and an overcoat. Tho banana', the apple", and tho garment were Laiidcd o\cr to l!ie stcv,?rd-, an.l on tho

man's second visit ho made » more startling discovery. Crouched in a corner he found a lad of about 17 years of age, who was dragged, out after some difficulty and handed over Ito Sub-inspector M'Vane. A third visit to the place vacated by the boy led ito the discovery of a piece of lead, which, on being placed on the scales, weighed exactly 291b. The boy, in reply to the sub-inspector, said his name "was Lucas, and that he hailed 'from West. Maitland. He went on to explain that on the previous day he met a man wearing a black moustache, who promised him £1 if ho would operate wifch ithe lead after the secotad race was run. Hie agreed, and the man accompanied him to the racecourse at 12 o'alock on the night preceding the races, nt which hour he crawled under the weighing room, and remained there until dascovery. The lad proceeded to .«ay that he was 'to watch 'fche movements of the men's feet near the entrance to the weighing room, and at a given signal he was to attach the block of lead to the wire. Prcfrced by the police officer and .the stewards to divulg* the iname of the man who engaged him to do the work, the boy declined to do so, and he was subsequently arrested and placed in >the Newcastle lockup, where a dh.irge of being found en the premises for an unlawful purpose waa preferred against him. The affair rrer.ted quite a sensation on the course, and in tlse evening nobbing else was talked about ih tho .streets. According to 'the boy, the scheme was cleverly planned. A pulley was fcfcted up underneath the building, as he found the weight altogether too he-avy to handle, but by means of the pulley he could lift the weight with comparative ease as soon as the signal was jriverj. Fortunately, however, the weH-bi 1 plans were frustrated, owing to the boy failing to manipulate the we.ight according to ainstruotionf. Every effort has been made to induce the lad to d-'vulge the name of his aeoomp'.ice, but po far 'the police have been unsuccessful. It is fully expected, however, tha.t there will be further developments during the next few days.