THE FLEMINGTON TRAGEDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 5419, 26 July 1906, Page 3

THE FLEMINGTON TRAGEDY.

A “ WELSHER’S ” FATE. A Melbourne paper of July 16th says A horrible tragedy was enacted at Fle'ininglon on Saturday afternoon, when a defaulting bookmaker was pursued by an infuriated mob on the. Hat, and eventually beaten and kicked to death. The man’s name was Dpn-: aid John McLeod, a big, muscular follow, 23 years of age, and weighed about 15 stone. McLeod had attended at Flcmington on every day of the Grand National meeting. On Saturday he and a man named Frank Ritchie drove to the course, and Me I.nod 'took up his stand ‘ on a box, from which he loudly called the odds on the Grand National Steeplechase. < He went out with the intention of betting only on that race, but there was a strong run on Lady Doris for the lbsl race, and McLeod, probably thinking she would not win, was unable to re gist the offers of the crowd to bet with him. He made over twenty bets about Lady Doris, and stood to lose £1 15/- if she won. He did hot bet on any other horse, and when Lady Doris won ho was unable to pay, and had to return the money, with the usual promise to settle, on Monday. On ■the second race, too, he laid £T 10/to £1 10/- about the favorite, mostly iri shillings. Again the favorite won, ■and again McLeod “scaled” his clients. By this time he must have been rather a marked man, and had, no doubt, made not a few,bitter enemies among the crowd. Still he boldly went on (betting on the Steeplechase. Altogether, lie made thirty-four bets, and received *l7/- Seven bets wore made on Decoration, for which ho would have had to pay out £8 10/-, and he had only £2 7/- in his hag. Decoration won, 'and the seven people who had bucked him presented their tickets in response to McLeod’s cry of “I’ll pay the winner.” He did not pay, however, but simply handed back the amounts of the seven bets—--10- in all—with a promise to settle up on Saturday night or Monday “in front of Wren’s.” ’The seven who had been ‘'sealed” complained loudly. Previous victims of McLeod’s methods of payment joined them, and in a few minutes McLeod was being hustled and hunted by a crowd ever growing noisier and more violent. He was struck several times, and then, 'becoming frightened, he run towards the Booths. The crowd streamed after him like a wedge, the fastest runners in front. McLeod’s white hat and white face could bo seen darting across the flat. Then the point of the wedge reached him, and as he went down the rest of the crowd surged round him, and he was lost sight of in a mass of whirling fists 'and kicking foot. Some of his friends and yn few men with ideas of fair play forced the crowd off, and McLeod again got away, only to( bo caught again by the crowd and literally beaten to death. By this time two mounted constables put in an appearance, and rode the crowd away from the dead man. His body was carried to a casualty-room on a stretcher, and a doctor pronounced life extinct.

A meeting of delegates of various lo•cul bodies on Banks Peninsula was held in the County Chamber, Duvauchelles, on Saturday to arrange for a uniform rate of wages for labor. Jhe county chairman presided, and with one exception, all the bodies wore represented. The melding passed a resolution—“ That it bo recommended to the different bodies on the Peninsula •that the rate of wages be one sliilling per hour up to eight hours for surfacemen, overseers, ome shilling a day extra, overtime to bo 'arranged, and horse and dray 14/- per dayAt a meeting of the Tiinaru Borough Council on Monday nights g°od /leal of discussion took place on a proposal to renew the eiYortsprevious]y made to compel the Borough of VVaimale to join the Tiinaru Harbour ratine district. AVaimate, it is said, lias enjoved all the benefits ol tire harbor for the past .twenty-hve years, but has never contributed anything, either towards its initial cost or us maintenance. The Mayor said and Councillors unanimously agieed, that it was high time that they raised three voices againsd such injustice. Ihe following resolution was passed:— I hat tliis Council desires to point out _ to the 'Tiinaru Harbor Board the uiju--•tice done to the rest of the district bv allowing the Borough ol "annate ■to remain out of the harbor district inasmuch as (1) AVaimafe is surroundod by the rating district : l-l_ u has derived immense advantages trom the harbour during the past twentyfve wars; (3) U i* supported Wy the rating district: (1) there js no logical or bones I reason why it should have been excluded from the district in the first instance, nor why H should continue to be exempted from its ta.r share of taxation. Council theiefore ~sks the Tiinaru Harbor l»’a'<> In take Steps at the forthcoming session of Parliament to include the borough’ of AVaimafe in the harbr.r va - bur'district.” The motion was cairied unanimously, and will l ’ f ‘ warded to the member for tire district {.pd also to the Harbor Board.