OAMARU LIQUOR CASES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 34

OAM ARU LIQUOR CASES.

MAGISTRATE'S BUSY DAY..

(FSOIC Ora OW» COKRESrONDENT.y OAMARU, August 23. Mr Hutchison, S.M., spent quite ai busy day to-day hearing cases in which the alleged sale of liquor was involved. James Taylor, charged -with having sold liquor at Kakanui, pleaded " Guilty, and as the police were satisfied that the offence was an isolated one accused was fined 40s and costs (7e). Edward James Geen was charged with haying kept liquor for sale. Sergeant Griffith, in evidence, said he executed a. search warrant on defendant's property, and found three bottles of whisky and a. fourth with some Jiquor in it. There was ale© a 10-gallon ke,z of Speight's beer addressed to one M'Keime, who was on defendant's premises. Defendant at first pleaded "Not guilty,'"" but later withdrew the plea. The same defendant was charged with, selling liquor at Kakanui. George M'Kenzie stated in evidence that Geen gave him whisky to sell, and witness sold two bottiles at 8s each. That was at a dance. Again, the plea of " Not guilty " was withdrawn. Another charge of selling at Kakanui was laid, and defendant pleaded " Guilty." Judgment was reserved in all the cases.

John M'Lebd and Robert Dey wer« chared wLth- having liquor for sale on the premises known as tibe Criterion Hotel. The police deposed that they entered the hotel, and went into a side room adjoinng the' bar., parlour. There were two men there " with glasses in their hands, and there- was a bottle Xvith liquor in it. The barmaid said that the whisky was not hsis, and one of the men claimed it as his.- They went '„. into^-a "storeroom, and M'Leod showed them, whisky on a chelf — five bottles, — : and remai.ked that that was all the whisky lie , had in the house. There was also a demijohn containing whisky on" a stool and addressed to R. Dey. There was „a brown-paper parcel with two bottles of whisky in it. Four of the bottles of whisky had no labels, and M'Lecd stated that they had been filled from the demijohn. The bottles in the parcel were stated to belong to Stewart, a commercial traveller. In Dey's room was found a &maU keg of beer and a bottle with some, whisky in it in a drawer. The two men who were found drinking were Peart and Miller. Peart claimed the bottle. The clerk of the conrt produced a statement 'of liquor supplied to John M'Leod — two gallons of wlirisky on August 3. On June 21 Robert Dey received two gallons of whisky, and' another two galilons on July 16. On Juiy 24 two bottles of whisky were consigned to R. Dey. On July 1 two gallons of whisky were sent to John M'Leod, and were xeceived on July 2. Robert Dey stated that he drank about three bottles of whisky a week. John M'Leod said that the liquor' seized had been brought in to celebrate the birthday of Dey's child. Judgment Avar deferred.

August 24,

Edward J. Green, convicted on thr©» charges of dealing in sly grog, on two o£ selling, a*id on one of keeping for sale, was fiiied in all £25 and costs (28s). The magistrate rohised coits in the case of witnesses aotually oonoernod in the sale. The charges against M'Leod and Dey (of the Criterion Hotel) were dismissed.