HENNESSY'S “THREE STARS” IN SYDNEY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2532, 3 May 1881, Page 2

HENNESSY'S “THREE STARS” IN SYDNEY.

WHOLESALE SMUGGLING. (“ Sydney Morning Herald,” April 19.) For a long time past it has been suspected by the police that a large amount of illicit distillation was going on in the southern part of the city, but up till Wednesday morning last no clue whatever could be obtained as to the exact locality in which the manufacture was carried on ; and as the following narrative will show, it was discovered then only by accident. It appears that between 2 and 3 o’clock on Wednesday morning, Constable Stephenson was on duty on the Glebe Eoad, when he heard some one speaking in a loud tone of voice at the back of some cottages in Hereford street, at a short distance from the Glebe Eoad. He went into the back yard to ascertain the cause of the disturbance, and found the landlord having an altercation with two men. The men were ordered off by the landlord but they refused to go, stating that they were the tenants of the cottage. This.the landlord denied, asserting that they had given up possession three weeks ago, and that up till Saturday, the 9th instant, the cottage had been occupied by another man ; he also said to the constable that he had been told that the men had gone back to the cottage, and he had come to put them out, as they were not his tenants. At the landlord’s request the constable accompanied him into the cottage. They found the two men in the first room they entered. The landlord then tried to get into an adjoining room, but the door was fastened, and as the men refused to open it, he put his back to it and burst it open. As soon as he did so the men bolted, and were not afterwards seen. In the middle of this room, and lying on the flooar, were between three and four dozen bottles containing what appeared to be pale brandy. The bottles, which were all full, were corked with a cork bearing Hennessy’s trade mark on the top, hut they had no labels on them. In a gincase a very short distance away, however, were found similar bottles full of ;t pale braudy,” and bearing Hennessy’s labels and capsules—the imitation being complete in every respect. Tne packing of this case had evidently been interrupted. In other parts of the room the constable found a box containing quantities of labels of different firms including those of Hennessy, Burrows, and Gleeson, and a box well filled with Hennessy’ capsuls. Besides these articles, there were three casks, with taps attached fitted up on stands containing what was evidently intended to be disposed of as “ pale brandy.” and theie was no doubt that it was from them that the bottles a’ready referred to had been filled. There was also a corking machine, which had apparently been recently used, and a laige measure. The constable and thelandlord then proceeded to an adjoining room, where they found seven large casks full of illicit spirits, besides several empty casks. In the yary, which they nest visited, a number of empty gin cases, a quantity of straw, and a cask of vinegar were discovered. From his esainination the constable had no doubt as to what the place had been used for, and he left the house and gave infornation to seniorconstable Maguire, who immediately proceeded to No. 2 Station and reported the matter to sub inspector Mackay. The latter at once went in a cab to the premises and put Stephenson and another constable in charge of them and the spirits, and then communicated with Superintendent Read. He also gave directions to inform the Inspector of Distilleries at 9 o’clock the same morning. This was done, and at 12 o’clock on Thursday, Mr Birney, having abtained the necessary authority, made a formal seizure of the spirit &c. The police are sti'l in charge of the premises and no one is allowed to enter. On Tuesday the whole of the seized articles will be removed to the Custom House.