LIQUOR IN THE MOKAU.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1921, Page 6

LIQUOR IN THE MOKAU.

WHISKY LEFT IN A DRAIN.

COACH-DRIVER FINED. The story of a sale of whisky in a nolicense area, in which the liquor was left in a drain, there to be gathered by the purchaser, was told to Mr. A. W. Mowiem, S.M., in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning. Stanley Hunt Mercer, of Tongaporntu, who last year was the driver of a coach between Waitara and the prohibited district of the Mokau. was arraigned on two charges of keeping liquor for sale and of selling it in ti no-license area. SeniorSergeant McCrorie prosecuted, and Mr. R. H. Quilliam appeared for Mercer. Mercer pleaded guilty to both charges. The case for the prosecution showed that while Mercer w«us employed in the coach service he was one day approached, by a farmer named Rattenbury, who wanted whisky. Mercer could not supply the wants of the settler, but said he would endeavor to do so next, day. Ha iold Rattenbury that he. would get him I four bottles of whisky, and lie mentioned a certain drain where he would leave (them. Rattenbury a part in the deal was to pay £1 a bottle for the whisky, and when he went to the afore-mentioned drain ho found the whisky awaiting him there.

Mr. Quilliam made a strong plea for accused on account of his youth and the fact that it was his first offence, but the Magistrate took a .serious view of the offences, and fined Mercer C2O for celling the whisky ami £5 for keeping liquor for sale.

AN ORDER FOR WHISKY

A CHARGE OF FORGERY

Another charge against Mercer was one of, on October 13, 1920, forging the . name of W. J. Avery. Awakino, to an order for liquor and forwarding it io , David McPherson, licensee of the Mas- , onic Hotel, Waitara. Wm. J. R. Avery, farmer, Awakino, said he was storekeeper at Awakino in October last. He did not give an order for whisky during that month. The order produced was not in his writing, the signature was not 'his, and lie did m t ' author'..; the order. Accused did not ask i iur consent to use witness' name for the purpose of securing liquor. Witness had never lived at Mokau, and there was no other person of the name of W. J. Avery at Awakino. The licensee of the hotel, McPherson, said he had never received any orders for liquor from accused, but an order (produced) purporting to be signed by A very had been received, and a case of whisky had been sent to ’Avery. Constable Lapouple. Waitara. related a visit the Masonic Hotel on November 14 last, when he asked the licensee’s wife for the orders she had received from Mokau. Amongst these he found an order for a case o’’ whisky signed “W. J. Avery,’* and. being familiar with Avery’s • signature, witness knew that the oneattached to the order was not that of ; Avery Witness took ‘hat order, and also other orders purporting to be signed Iby the accused Mercer, l/.iter witness j made enquiries from Mr. Johnston (gari age proprietor of Waitara), the accused’s ! ’ previous employer, and here witness v; <s I given a book containing accused’s signa- ' Tnre. Witness was of opinion that th? j signatures to all the orders and the sig- ! natures in the book were written by the j same person. Constable Blaikie, of Mokau. told of an interview he had wilii accused in October last, and received i statement from accused in refertmee to certain breaches of the Licensing Act. which had taken place in Awakino. Witnes*. received a signature from accused, and in. his opinion that signature and those on the orders were in the same hand1 writing. Charles Watterson, manager of the New Plymouth branch of the Union j Bank of Australia, who examined the ! various orders concerned, gave his opin- : ion regarding the writing ..nd signatures. He pointed out certain similarities, but noted one point of difference in the writing in the book to that in the orders. Accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed for trial at the Supreme Court sessions opening at New Plymouth on December 1. Bail wus allowed in self £2OO, ami two sureties of £2OO each.