ALLEGED SLY-GROG.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 22, 19 September 1912, Page 5

ALLEGED SLY-GROG.

AT A WELLINGTON TEA SHOP. i *- tfPol i’roSs. Ufcrfothitihm) *’ i Wellington, September 18. At tibi 'Mligistratd’ia Court to-day before Mr, W. G. Riddell, S.-MMrs Gertrude' Bennett was'* charged wit. beeping premises at 262 Riddifon Street, for the consumption of beer She was also charged with kecpin iquor for sale’. Evidence was give: that at half-past two on the morninj <f September 7th, Senior-Sargean Mathieson and Constables Taylor, Wil iotts and* JWs visited the defendant’ premises, and were admitted by Wil dam Henry Albert Scoones. In tin dining room were seven men. Fiv< were sitting around a table, and tw (MacAlistey. and Tates), who wei\ said to hf|p in a l drunken condition were asleep on chairs. The men arounc the table were stated to Have showi signs of liquor, but not so much a: Mac Alister and Yates. Scoones in formed Senior-Sergeant Mathiesoi that ho was thore in charge of tin place, and was acting for Mrs. Bon nett, who had gone to bed. Under tin staircase, twenty-one full quart hot lies of boor were discovered. Scoone;

said .that the beer belonged to Bon nett. An empty whisky bottle watfound in the kitchen, also a demijoln ■ontaining about a gallon of beor. 0) tbo sink, immediately over wliere tin demijohn was found, were a nnmbei of glasses. In the back yard, neai the dog kennel, was found a botth which had in it about three or fou nips of whisky. Several whisky hoi ties wore found in an outhouse. Dur ing the progress - of the search Mrs Bennett came downstairs, and when i shod by Senior-Sergeant Mathieson to explain tho presence of the men. md also the position of Scoones, she •eplied that when she went to bed she left Scoones in charge. Six o; seven, men in the house had come in for supper some time during tin night. She had no excuse to offer foi .heir presence at that hour of the morning. Tho beer belonged to herself. Scoones told the Senior-Sergeant that ho was a lodger, and that he and the other men had all boon playing ■aids. Owing ,to complaints Senior Sergeant Mathieson had had defend int’s premises under ohservatioi nightly for about three months. Ad mission was sought at the hack door hut there was no immediate responsi to tho knocks. Entrance was grantee when one of tho constables called on! ‘Police.” With the exception <f cm man (Grant) all the men found in tin bouse were tramway in on. There war nothing to indicate any immediately recent consumption of liquor, excep; die amount found in tho demijohn. Defendant said she kept a tea shop chore the tramwaymen had supper afer finishing work. Sho was not a too totallor, and kept beer for her own md her guests’ use on social evenings. At no time had she sold liquor.

Derision was reserved, fa connection with the above ease. Thomas Madden, secretary of Staples’ Urowory, was charged witli. Inving failed to send to the Clerk of the Court a notice statins; that ho had sent liquor into a uo-license district. 'Hie defence was that the notice had been prepared, but the clerk omitted L o put the notice in the letter-box. Next ntorniny he found the notice, and hurried arid posted it.

A lino of ‘2os and costs was imposed