A PECULIAR SMUGGLING CASE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1218, 3 July 1885, Page 3

A PECULIAR SMUGGLING CASE.

In the case of the breach of Customs regulations against Captain Monro, of the baquo Altair, some extraordinary statements wore made. Among the men called as witm-ssea was Henry Parker, tide waiter, who deposed that he boarded the baiquo s une time after his arrival. At the ciptain’a request he met him in the Custom-house, ami remarked that he (Captain Mmirn) had some stores on board not under seal, and the defendant answered in the affirmative. He then went on board to get the s uno out of the stores, and the defendant then gave him some tea, coffee, and siijar. He had much difficulty in opening the store. He inquired, of the defendant whether he had a lazirette, and he said he had not. Subsequently, on Friday, the I Uli, he visited the vessel at half past 2 p.m.,witli Mr M‘Kellar, the lauding surveyor, but the captain waa not on hoard. On seeing the chief officer he inquired of him as !o whether there was a lazirette. On searching ho found it in the run of the vessel. He reached it in the second hatch over some sails. The hatch was covered hy bags of wheat and a quantity of firewood, which wore removed uy the orders of the Captain, he having arrived in the meantime. Captain Munro said nothing. On seeing the hatch he (witness) removed it, a id found more wheat, and upon it being cleared out he found fourteen hags of sugar. —Dugald M‘Keilar,landing surveyor, stated that he asked the captain why he denied having a lazaretto, and he replied th it it was notone, as it was full of cargo. He sai d he had no recollection of denying that he had a lazarette. One man (Jennings) said that there were thirteen bags of sugar there. Ou visiting the lazirette he saw fourteen bags of good sound sugar, in all about 700 or 8001b. Mrs Munro had been asked for a return at Dunedin, and enumerated what stores there were it did not include sugar, she said ; and she added that some ports in the world required more information than others. In explanation of the error that occurred the captain did not say any further than they p'aeed little account upon the sugar.—Mich lei Jordon, fireman, working his passage, said between Mauritius and Dunedin ho went down with the third mate and relieved an apprentice at changing some sugar from one bag into auother. Thoy used empty bags brought from Mauritius. A piece of tin, sharp at the point, was inserted between the plaiting of the mats, and the sugar was run out into the empties. A quantity was taken out of each, making a difference in the bags. Before arriving at Dunedin they filled one bag. AVffiea they arrived, at Lyttle-on six or seven hags were filled in the same way. Ten of those bags were put away by him in a tank under orders from the mate. Mason was the chief officer then, but left the ship at Lyttleton. The sugar was used as ship’s stores.—John Farrell, an A. 8., deposed that he shipped at Lyttleton, and was set to work at the sugar. Ha helped to lower bags of sugar from the tank to the lazaretto. The captain Was not on board at the time. He had plenty of sugar coming to Auckland. It was white crystallised. Ho never had such sugar at sea before. He put tha sugar in the tank by Davis’s order.—James Bradey, a s aman shipped wiih witness, saw the apprentice shitting the sugar. The apprentice calle'l his attention to it and remarked “ We shall havosu.ar on the cheap now.” He had a dispute with Captain Munro about washing the paint work, and the captain

placed him in irons. Ho told the captain that he would be even with him, and when he got to Auckland he would “ round ” upon him. Mr Heskoth : bo you carried out your threat ? Witness: I did.—Henry White, the apprentice, deposed to shifting the sugar from the tank to the lazaretto. For the defence Mr Hesketh called Captain Munro, who deposed that he arrived at Dunedin about a month ago. His cargo was sugar for Dunedin and Lyttleton, excepting ship’s stores, which were put in at Liverpool. He had been in the sugar trade for fourteen years. At Dunedin the tally was wrong by twenty-six pockets. Mason was responsi* ble. Ho left money for the deficiency, which was returned to him by the agents. He knew that there was Mauritius sugar on board after delivering his cargo at Lyttleton. He made entries at Lyttleton and Dunedin. His wife generally made the returns of the stores He heard the boy’s statement about making an instrument for extracting sugar. It was untrue he did nothing of the kind.— Agnes Munro was examined. She said she did the clerical work for her husband. At Dune-fin and Lyttelton she made returns according to instructions from the Custom officers —His worship,in pronouncing judgement, said that the captain had failed to make a due report of his passage. Whether he had done it willfully or unintentionally he did not know. As to the evidence of the seamen, he placed little reliance on what they said, as they had an animus against the master. As to the false declaration made by the master, it was his duty to see that declaration was properly made, and it required to be made in a certain time. He had power of mitigatmg the penalty, and in this case would reduce it by one half. He would therefore impose a tine of LSO and costs. Evening Star,