POLICE ARTIFICE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1965, 23 January 1914, Page 8

POLICE ARTIFICE.

TRACK SLY GROG, THAT SUCCEEDED. Telesrftph.-Fr<!Ss Association. , ),'■»?.- W i! -'■■■■-:■ '■■■■"" '■■ Auckland, January. 22.: ':. : Stories'of police methods in detecting ,sellers-of-'sly grog were told in Court to-day, when William Palmer"- was charged that, on Sunday, January 11, ho illegally sold whisky to Cons'tablo Jtatcuirc. Catherine Barnes was charged that; on. tho same- day, she illegally sold beer to Constables llaguire and Heitly. i Palmer did not appear, and it was stated that'ho had absconded, and had not paid his last fine of £20. He formerly kept a fruit shop in Mount Eden Road, but, in consequence of a raid by the police, his landlord had given- him notice, and he shifted on to a fruit shop in Great North Road. -'- ' ' ■ Tho .two 'constables mentioned were '"got up'V'ftfc the Police Station in old working ■'. clothes, ■ ' having their hands, clothes, and 'boots plentifully bespattered with tar. They presented themselves on Sunday morning at the rear of Palmer's shop, intimated that, they were- doing wood-paving work for the Citv Council, and also that they wore "dry." Catherine Barnes answered the door, Palmer being but, and she- supplied them with four small bottles of beer, for which they paid a shilling each. The men drank the contents of the two bottles on tho spot, and took two bottles away with them. ■ They returned—still in the guise of tarred and.thirsty workmen —in tho afternoon, when Palmer met them and gave each a. nip of whisky in a eup and charged "thorn a shilling for it. A search of the premises ■revealed 21 full bottles of beer, and a bottle of whisky. ■Catherine Barnes pleaded guilty, and Mr. Mahoney, who appeared on her behalf, said that tho ■woman had been living with Palmer, and had been selling the liquor under compulsion by the man. Ho left her practically destitute and with a seven-months-olil baby. Worship convicted Palmer l and fined him £20 and costs. Tho woroaft was convicted and discharged. Mary Ann Hutchinson, the. keeper of a boardinghouso in.Grey Street, was charged that, oil January 1, slio illegally sold whisky to Constable Maguire, and, on' January i. illegally sold beer to the same, constable. On New Year's Day Constables Magusro and Healy, wearing the. garments of working men, and armed with two bottles of beer, went to Mrs. Hutchinsoivs boardinghouse and booked rooms. They broached tho boor, eikl, after that was done, deplored the fact, with tho result that .Airs. Hutchinson sold them each a. nip of whisky for a shilling. On Sunday morning they said that they would nay 10s. for a bottle of whisky, and Mrs. Hntchinson intimated that- they need not go outside the house to get" drink. She produced a big clear glass. bottle, containing a gallon of beer, wliie.h she said they could have for ten shillings. The two constables jwoled their' spare cash and found that it amounted to os. 9d., so the. landlady let them have the beer for that sum. Immediately afterwards, by arrangement, SeniorSergeant R.utJcdge came on the scono, and his search resulted in the discovery in the house of a two-gallon jar- of beer, - a. bottle of whisky, and-eleven dozen emnty beer bottles. J- His Worship convicted defendant and fined lier £20 and costs.