"A POTENT BREW"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 298, 11 August 1932, Page 6

"A POTENT BREW"

pfcoof spir1t 11.4 p.c. ALLEGED ILLEGAL BREWING . CBARGE PARTIALLY HEARD SEQUEL TO A TANGI Described by tho. Government analyst as "pofcent," the eomposition and alleged sale of a horne-brewed beer occupied the time oi' Ihe Rotorua ■ Court yesterday in a case> in which Letitia Mary Milton, of Whakarewarewa, was charged v/ith a breacli of the Finance Aet by brewing beer without a license. Mr. E. Roe appeared for the Collector of Customs and Mr. W. A. Carter for Mrs Mitton. In opening, Mr. Roe said that the case was one where the Collcctor of Customs was proceeding against the defendiant for brewing without a license. The maximum penalty was £100 and the minimum £25. The case was the sequel to a raid by the police at Whaka at the end of June. A ten shilling note played a big part in the proceedings which were adjourned after being p'art-heard. E. M. Griffen, Government analyst, gave evidence of the strength of the . samples oi' the brew sent to hini, which were alleged to have c'ome from the liquor seized at Mitton's. The first sample found in the possession of a Maori named Wi Martin, contained 11.4 p'Jr cent. proof spirit, the next from the same source 11.4 per cent. the third from a stone jar 7.35 per cent., the next from an iron can 3.85 per cent., and ,another from the same can bottled at the police station some. days later, 5.6 per cent. A bottle found in a cupboard at Mitton's showed 11.4 per cent., and a later sample from the iron can 8.35 per cent. Three of thcse samples w:ire of matuned beer, otheiv still being in process of fermentaticn Cross-examined, v.itness said thahe knew nothing about a "bug" beer. He had analysed hundreds of samples of home-br >.w, but had never difterentiated as they were all beer and all alcoholic. The pres/ent brew was particularlv potent. The 10/- Note James Harvey gave evidence thai he was barman pc rter at the Geyse: Hotel, "Whakarewarewa. On the nighi in question, witness handed Wi Martin a Bank of New Zcaland, 10/- note, C607385. He had seen the Maovis loitenng outside Mitton's shop and also going round the back. He had also seei Maoris under the influence of liquor around Mitton's place. To Mr. Carter: The 10/- note canic from Constable Kelly. I£ counsel likec' to put it so, witness was part of a trap. He had given the note to W Martin for nothing. Counsel: Have you got any more o. 'em ? Continuing. witn ss said th.it Mariii came and asked for a 10/- note. Maoris were round all the storss in the area. He knew of no bad feeling between r.is emfloyor and the Mittons "Wi Martin, of Ohinemutu, said that he had been attending a tangi a" Whaka and had got a 10/- note from Harvey. He wianted to buy "some booze" with it from thi Geyser Hote but Harvey would not give it to hira. "Witness knew that he could get it a Mitton's. K> promised Gunle Ava u shout "ix he was holding" and thougb he gave the 10/- to his wi*'?, Eva clu.s ed him until his wife handed ov .-v the 10/- to her. He aceompanicd Guidc Eva behind Mitton's shop and she picked up the parceis of liquor, handing them to him. He v/alkod out carry ing the beir. "When he got into th; road, he was chased and c&ug'nt by Constable Shilton. • To Mr. Carter witness said tha when he met Harvey, the latter tolc him that the police had been in th hotel. i Mr. Carter: I)id he tel! you the nott was marked ? — No, I thought he was a good sport. Mr. Carter: Harvey ha.-n't got his 10/- back yet has he? — No, but he stuck me up for it th j other day. Mr. Carter: Did you give it to him? — No, I told him the police took him, eh? Mrs. Muritai Toherau Te Kiri, whc asked for an interpreter, gave evidence that she had b icn given a 10/note by her husband for some beer She gave the note to Eva but was not with her when the beer was purchased. At this stagi the court adjournec till Tuesday, August 23.