A CHEMIST SUED.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 February 1924, Page 4

A CHEMIST SUED.

(■ If K Y .M(>l ill. I-ebi nar\ It). At .1 lie .Magistrate’s Court yesterday, .1. 11. Kedtlie, a local chemist, was ebatgeil that being a registered vendor of poisons lie did on February 0, l!E!l. sell to a person unknown to him, and mu int roduced to bint bv a | er-on known to liitn, a ipinntity of poison.

to. wit, laudanum. (living evidence. IJetei live g sai.l that on February 8, he visited the shop in company with Sorgt. Fiver

and saw the defendant amt his ac-ist-a-nl lie told defendant lie wixiieu to see the poisons book, and also tlie book kept by him under (lie regulations of .the Opium Act. In the latter book an entry ol a -ale ol laudanum was made against tlie name of AY. Jones t of the Commercial Hotel. A d.ed il I lie knew Join s, defendant said b>- did : not, as Ills assistant. Wilson, made tile | sail-. Witness called (be ass tv. .-. wh • | said be recollected making the sale but idid not know the man uho pun based i Hie drug. He admitted that it was laudanum he .sold the man. There was no record of the i i :iii-a>i ion in the I'bisons hook, and though i ire- .- mc.-k enquiries about file m o .1 -. be could not trace him. Replying to Alt Joyce, Jtm-s, sail he had not seen an entry against the name of done dated (>■. to’ it IHb . IV'MS. Defendant admitted a previous i.ou- ' lotion in J.IH-J for failure I i bee-, hook-, “This was. just after regulations canto into force,” said Mi Joyce. Che hi into did not keep backs and many "ere :-n the same boat at the time." I lie Magistrate, giving judgment, said that there appeared to lie no doubt, that proper entries had not been made in the book, hut tbe charge was not that but merely that he sold the opium to a man unknown t i him. Sales of 1.-iudauum were made to Joiie.about eight times, anil the - barge was made in respect of the last sale. Tie assistant had: sivorn that the man who made that purchase was the man v. ho made all the purchases and Hint evidence had not been discountcil. The information therefore would ho dismissed.