NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 May 1929, Page 8

NEWS BY MAIL.

BEER DOWN A DRAIN. A DOCKSIDE TRAGEDY. LONDON, March 20. Landlords of taverns which hug the . gates of the East India Docks noticed yesterday that many of their customers paid for their beer with strange reluctance. ' “Just think” they explained sadly when questioned, “that only, on Saturday I was helping to pour 600 gallons of this stuff down a drain! What, a Government!” Their story cast a spell over the audiences. They were ordered, they said, to go to a dockside where Customs officers were standing beside tempting barrels. There they had to roll the beer to a drain, and they j)uiy-acted their task of tipping up the barrels so that the last drops went gurgling away. The beer had been part of the freight of the s.s. City of Lancaster, in collision In the Thames some months ago. As it was intended for export, no Customs dues had been paid on it, ancl the brewery company did not dolire to place it on the home market — so the only alternative was to pour it away. HOME-MADE SPIRITS. SEQUEL TO NIGHTLY ORGIES. LONDON, March 20. Maurice la Maire, a printer of Ver-non-street, West Kensington, W., was summoned at West London yesterday ifor being in possession of a still for disilling spirits. Mr R. L. Fisk, prosecuting said a “wash” was made from dissolved sugar, to which was added yeast and bicarbonate of soda, to set up ferment action. From it was extracted the crude spirit. When the place was raided a tengallon still was found, and there was no doubt that la Maire and his wife had indulged in nightly orgies oh stuff. The liquor contained 2.07 per cent, crude spirit. INSANITY DANGER, The raiding officers found la Maine’s wife unconscious, presumably from the effect Of the spirt. She died the same day, and though the coroner’s verdict was one of Death from Natural Causes there could be little doubt that her death was 'accelerated in this way. Since the issue of the summonses 1:; Maire had attempted to commit suicide. There was no doubt that if he continued to consume this concoction he would become insane. La Maire said that he used to make the liquor solely for himself and his wife—three ounces of the spirit each every night mixed in milk and sugar and egg. “It is wrong to say that I attempted to commit suicide. It was an accident,” he added. PRISON BEST. Mr Marshall, the magistrate, said it was clear that owing to the wife’s consumption of this spirit she came to an untimely end, and that unless something was done to stop him the man would come to the same end. La Maire would be fined £IOO or three months’ imprisonment. La Maire: I have not 60 pence May I. have time? Mr Marshall: No the imprisonment will bo the best thing for you.