Who set fire to the members’ stand at Caulfield racecourse on the morning of the big race? Disgruntled, race-rigging gangsters, bookies or local anti-racing agitators?
By Staff writers
First published in The Age, October 23, 1922.
INCENDIARY FIRE DESTROYS CAULFIELD GRAND STAND.
An Early Morning Sensation.
ESTIMATED LOSS, £11,000.
Reward of £500 Offered by Club.
The members’ stand at Caulfield Racecourse, c.1900.Credit:State Library of Victoria
Grave suspicion exists as to the origin of a fire which destroyed the members’ stand at Caulfield racecourse on Saturday morning. The wooden structure, capable of seating 800 people, was swept by flames at 4 a.m., damage estimated at £11,000 being inflicted. Residents of the locality heard the sound of a departing motor car, followed by a sharp explosion in the direction of the stand and one man who rushed up to the burning building smelt the fumes of petrol. The destruction of the judge’s box, the telegraph and telephone offices, the weighing room, luncheon room and various offices, within a few hours of the commencement of the Cup programme, placed the V.A.T.C. (Victorian Amateur Turf Club) officials under an extraordinary handicap, but with commendable promptitude they arranged temporary facilities and the complete programme was carried out. Police investigations were made throughout the day, and during the afternoon the V.A.T.C. announced that a reward would be paid for information leading to the conviction of the supposed incendiaries.
The outbreak seems to have started during the temporary absence of the watchman, Mr. W. Wake, who at 3.47 a.m. went to Wheeler’s stables, in Station-street, to feed draught horses, which are used on the ground. “I was getting ready for the opening of the course at 5 a.m.,” Mr. Wake said, “and I had been at the stables half an hour when I heard an explosion that sounded like a dull blast. Thinking it came from the direction of the railway, I took no notice, but later I was astonished to see the stand and the judge’s box burning simultaneously. There was a slight breeze from the north-west. I ran to the fire alarm, broke it and opened the gates for the firemen.”
Leading from the racecourse into Bond-street there is a small gate, which in left unlocked. It is likely that the offenders entered the ground at this point. Mr. and Mrs. Phillipson, who live opposite, were awakened by hearing the slamming of the gate. Then they heard a motor car being cranked up, and immediately afterwards lights flashed in the bedroom window. The car was driven south at a very rapid pace. Shortly after this the fire was seen. Other residents of the locality also heard the explosion. A jockey who was one of the early arrivals at the fire said he smelt the fumes of petrol.
In receiving the alarm, no time was lost by the fire brigade. Detachments were turned out from Glen Huntly, Elsternwick, Windsor and Malvern East, with Superintended Mason, Windsor, in charge. The chief officer (Mr. H. B. Lee) arrived by motor car from the head station. The sight was an awe-inspiring one. The wooden, structure, erected 34 years ago, literally crumpled up before the onslaught of the flames. Dense volumes of smoke enveloped the neighborhood, sparks and flames shot skyward, and presently the corrugated iron roof crashed into the seething furnace below. Melted lead was scattered here and there. Twenty-nine fire men, with four motor hose carriages and two motor pumps, were engaged.
The blackened ruins of the members’ stand.
When it was seen that the stand could not be saved, efforts were concentrated on preventing the flames from spreading to the jockeys and trainers’ stand, to the west, and the public, stand, which contains the vice-regal boxes, to the east. The latter structure was seriously threatened, but the work of the firemen proved effective, the building being only scorched on the west side. The trainers stand was also scorched. The brigade had arrived on the scene at 4.28 a.m., and finally quenched the outbreak by 8.15 a.m. The fact that the judge’s box, some distance away, was seen alight at the same time as the stand points to the possibility of its having been set on tire separately.
The V.A.T.C. officials were faced with the task of making hasty temporary arrangements for the day’s meeting. The stand had included the members’ room, weighing room, committee room, stipendiary stewards’ room, secretary’s office, large committee luncheon room, telegraph and telephone offices, press room, and the dynamos and other electrical installations in connection with the scratching board and starting barriers. In addition, the jockeys’ bell, valued £50, and the judge’s box on the rails, 20 yards away from the stand, had been destroyed. Mr. F. E. Elbeshausen and a number of officials were on the course at an early hour. Mr. Elbeshausen said the most difficult work was to repair the damaged electrical apparatus for the starting board and to arrange telegraph facilities. Eventually a dynamo was set up. The judge’s box was replaced by an improvised structure, the horses were mounted and entered the course near the jockey’s stand, where a temporary weighing room was made. Members were compelled to manage as best they could, but they still had the use of the enclosure in front of the destroyed stand. In this area tables were provided for representatives of the press. The electric timing system having been dislocated the timing of the events were taken by stop watch.
INQUIRIES BY DETECTIVES.
BLACK TRACKERS AT WORK.
When informed of the outbreak Superintendent Potter, of the C.I. branch detailed Sub-inspector Coonan and Plainclothes Constable McPhee to make inquiries. They arrived at the course at 6.45 a.m., and met Sergeant Chapman, of Malvern East. Statements were received from two persons living in Bond-street, who had heard the explosions and the sounds of the departing motor car. Meanwhile, the services of the black trackers were requisitioned and at 9.15 a.m. Senior Constable Haygarth arrived from Dandenong with the trackers, Peter and George. The marks of the motor car tyres were quickly picked up in the little-used thoroughfare of Bond-street and traced for a quarter of a mile to Glen Eira-road, where a swerve and a skid indicated that the car had been driven at a fast pace. Here the tyre marks were lost.
Standing upright (L-R): Sub-Inspector T. Coonan, Senior Constable Haygarth, Plainclothes Constable McPhee. Stooping: Trackers Peter and George.
The Chief Commissioner of Police and Superintendent Potter arrived during the morning and returned in the afternoon. Sub-inspector Coonan was in frequent touch with Russell-street throughout the afternoon. A certain line of inquiry was being followed. In the opinion of the police the whole circumstances of the case point to the fire having been caused maliciously. Various rumors as to the identity of the perpetrators were current on the course during the day, but so far the police have not indicated in what direction the evidence points.
THREE-YEAR-OLD WHITTIER WINS THE CAULFIELD CUP.
A 16 TO 1 CHANCE.
Hot Weather and Big Crowd.
INTERESTING RACING.
The black ruins of the members’ stand destroyed by fire overnight, the hot breath of an early summer, densely-packed enclosures, a brilliant display of Dame Fashion’s vivid color contrast in frocks and sunshades, the unexpected defeat of the favorites in the Cup by the son of Woorak (in 2 min. 32 sec., equal to the record), and, generally speaking the indifferent luck of the punters, are amongst the outstanding impressions of the Caulfield Cup of 1922 that will endure in the memories of the 70,000 persons present.
Naturally the sudden destruction of the members’ stand, with its telegraph and general offices and weighing room, and the judge’s contiguous box, caused inconvenience; but the weather was propitious for improvised and open-air arrangements, and on the whole, apart from the charred ruins of the stand, there was little to indicate to the stranger that anything had gone amiss with the original preparations for the Cup day of the V.A.T.C. Spring meeting.
The elimination of the stand and its seating accommodation, tended, of course, to increase the pressure of patronage on the grand stand enclosure, where Lord Forster, Governor-General, in the vice-regal box, was a spectator of an interesting day’s racing.
His Excellency congratulated Whittier’s owner, Mr. Ben Chaffey, very heartily when handing him the gold cup that accompanied the substantial purse.
Whittier and his owner and jockey got a fine reception from the crowd. The victory of the brown colt adds another delightful speculation to the maze of turf uncertainty whose immediate future so many punters would give a lot to see clearly in the crystal glass.
Joseph Leslie Theodore (Squizzy) Taylor.Credit:The Age Archives
Published in The Age, October 24, 1922.
CAULFIELD RACECOURSE FIRE.
NO DEFINITE CLUE YET.
So far the police have failed to discover anything which definitely points to the identity of the incendiaries responsible for the burning of the buildings on Caulfield racecourse. Investigation yesterday more than ever convinced them that the fire was started deliberately, but no satisfactory motive for such dastardly action can be found. Sub-Inspector Coonan was assisted by Senior Detective Mulfahey and Detective A. L. Lee yesterday, and between them they thoroughly combed the neighborhood for information likely to assist them. Although several persons residing in the neighborhood had heard a motor car travelling at a fast speed in the early hours of the morning, none had seen it. The motor car left the racecourse at about 4.15 a.m. The police in charge of the case desire any person who saw a car early on Saturday morning will communicate with them.
NOTE:
No arrest was ever made, but it was rumoured the police believed notorious Melbourne gangster Squizzy Taylor was involved after an incident at the racecourse three days earlier.
On Wednesday, October 18th, 1922, Leslie “Squizzy” Taylor was ordered off the Caulfield racecourse during the racing. He asked the racecourse detectives to take him before the committee, but the members were too busy to see him. He then left the racecourse.
