The Hawera Still Case.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 6, 16 February 1885, Page 3

The Hawera Still Case.

JOSEPH JESSOP'S EVIDENCE.

' [Hawera Star.] ■ > ' Joseph Jessopwas called, and on step- ' 'ping into the box said— Before I give my evidence 1 wish to address the bench. i:; Certain rumours are abroad, that I have something to do with: this, information being laid; I wish to say-— -- : . The R.M.— We have nothing to do ■ i iWith. that., . t-j'j i. 4. Mr Lundon— l may soiy I did not get mv mforinatibn from Jessop.: I never pat my; informants into the witness ' ' The ft M.— As I have said before, /we . have nothing to do .with this, Let.us get on with the evidence. „.._/'■: Witness examined— l live at Palmers- . ton North. lam a4>rewer by profession.I know Anderson.' I saw him at m& house: ;He came to have a conversation with me about a distillery. He told, me he had a still at work. m: ; tM district';that some person, bad been>;fitjing it upfor him, but had} !madela ihess ofit. This was onthe 8& October last. He asked me what- to do. After conversation, 1 agreed' to go with him, -and went next morning, arriving next: evening. We got off the railway at a place I thought I recognised last' evening— Ball • road%tation. We went to defendant s place, where his family lived ; and next morning we Went out into the bush to - have a look at the still. Anderson and I Went' 'together. We went to abuildmg. about 80 to 100 chains frpinth^ houseit Was a place about 20fli by 14ft. There I saw a boiler, a vat, and a kind of a ;. worm, and there was sundry little „;. things about, including soniejLC. sugar ; ' saw. these articles (false, bottom for a . mash tub, and other things).; *= " • ' Well; after seeing the place, ■ what did? y6u do ?— I just explained the thing tj them. They seemed , to know nothing i about it. , ■,/,! on Whom ! do you mean by "they / — There was another party there, then. Who ?— I don't know. Look at that man (pointing to Peter ...iSmith).— Yes, that is the man. Then what did you do ?— I asked them who fitted up the things. , >r: It does noti matter what they replied ? j '■' —Oh, lam not going to tell you. s Well?— I told them; he was a duffer, ; and knew nothing about the business (a laugh)- ;■ . •. ..',,;■. : Did you show them how to do it?— No, I merely told them that if they ■ .did, the thing this way* and that way, and the other way, it would.work well. ■ Did*hey give you 'anything ?— They showed me a sample of whisky, or ' , what was supposed to be whisky, m a "billy." . .:.-. ; , . Gross-examined.— You are ! a brewer by trade ?— Yes.— And a .distiller ?— ' Yes. Brought iip to it. from a child. I had no arrangement with defendant. I '.'came up to Woodville because I had business up there as baliff of the court. Did you do this to help the Governf ihent ?— The Government is not a friend ,';.. of mine (a.Jaugh). , • ... Did you come up as a matter ot busr- " ©ess to show these men- how to work the " £birig?— No.". ' ''..: . , ' VBe careful ?— I am always caretul. Did you receive £15 from these men ? ■' '—Not a sixpence; did not receive payment bif my expenses,; I did not when I was .at defendant's place send him to ' Patea for malt ; he did iiot get me any ; - I believe I gave them the heats m writ- ' ing : ; did not tell them what to make whisky of ;.l might have given them the .quantities: m writing, but I do not re r member. , 'Didyouat.Pa,hMerstoh tell Anderson that you had a. worm under the English Church?— ljlo.': I, told them I had some piping which the Government wanted to get frQih me, and that it was lying under the church (a laugh). ; Did you' tell him you had another worm m Palmerston ?— I might have. W.as what you told him true ?— Some ! £>£it:i)4y have been-i I Did Anderson give you Si ;when you left -his place ?rrl think I said he had ~) tiut^ae to luineqessary expense, and that he gave me £". ' ! " " • _ Two pounds. an^ aham, was it not? — -Nb/Wham. / ; : ■ • : According to what they . produced, -pouldr these men have known anything '" abbu? the work ?—Wh&t they produxsedWas : a> lot of; Cubbish m a billy ; I was <# four ddys with them ; I drove^.. '. cattle part *of the time ; lam a cattle •-' dealer J I am lots of things— anything to turn inf a hohestvpound ; I did not tell •them l,had .a still at the Manawatu > ' : go^ge' i I never tell wilful lies. • • >'• \ Did iyoulnot' mention the name of a ; .person at Manawatu. who was m with '< ■ l -tou nrastil|. ?|—Nb. Andersori is ablack- •; gtiarii to say so; ' J^ .t'• 5 • '. * V Have; you not a still at Palmerston North?— No.' t had once. I was. in this v thuik m a forge way once. 1 '' ' Blow 'often were you at this still?— 1 Three or four times ; I did not make any Whisky, I looked on ; they did not seem to understand making ifc; there was none completed before I left ; the, ..wonn was a complete farce; It was made of lead instead of copper or pure tin; \Did you tell Anderson before you left Palmerston that j f ou wanted £25 ?— No. I told him I w.anted to have nothing |to do With it; I had had enough of the work ; two convictions were quite enough forme. ■■ ~ '