AN EMPTY HOUSE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10196, 25 March 1911, Page 5

AN EMPTY HOUSE.

AND ITS LIQUID CONTENTS

A CASE DISMISSED,

.Alfred r Langley was charged in the Magistrate's Court at Masterton yesterday afternoon, with keeping liquor for sale within the No-license area of Masterton.

Li,f-MrCuUen,appeared; for' :the ' defence. % ' r "."'"' '

Mrs Kiely stated that she remembered that on the 6tli inst. a young man had called at her house and inquired whether tne house next door was to let. Witness told him where to apply.' The young man was not the. accused. ; _ • / Esther Sheehan, who owned the ' .house next door to tlio previous witness, [■ stated that- a young , man, •whom glie 'a&-tWaeeused,; the accused paid a week's rent for the house. He said th,e house was for a man named Franks, who wasgoing to work at tie freezing works. Accused cattie later, she thought for the rent book, but before he could say anything & constable. came. to [.'the front door. Accused refused to

give -constable any information about Franks. Constable Bird stated that lie was standing at the back door of the house on the Bth inst., when he saw accused pass the gate. The latter came back and round to the back of the house. He saw witness there, and inquired of him whether the house was to let. Witness said he did not know, nor did he know the owner of the house.

Constable Drinrphy said he went to see Mrs Sheeaan on the Bth inst., to find out who was the occupier of the house. lichen he got to the .'house he saw- Xailgley'sj Bicycle at .the #roTvC r gafe. fitness knocked at the door, and Sheehan, who opened it, statctj t&afc a .young; man who had taken the house was at th» back door. -Witness went to the back .door., iitften Laiigley said he had taken the house, but refused to answer further Questions. Later, witness saw Langley in the town, and told him he had a search wan-ant for the house. Accused denied any connection iviih the house, and told him to go and search if he liked. Witness executed- the search Marrant, and seiiJed a quantity of liquor. . ' . • ■,•' " 1V '. ' .-'■''"

AJfred Langley, accused, a bricklayer, , stated that , in'.' conversation with Franks he- had;'been suggesting, ! commencing batching, and it "was decided to take a 'house;, question. He kiiowvnotlring oTf.;auy beer put in the' house;,, and was very much startled when he saw Constable Bird at the back door of the house. When ai-cused heard about the- raid he tried to find Franks, I but he h?ard- that he had gone to. '•Wellington; Accused also went to to ■ try to find Franks, but was unsuccessful. Franks was practically .a stranger to witness. Accused denied saying to Constable -Drimphy that he had anything to do with the house. He told the constable that lie had nothing to do with "it," meaning the beer. When cross-examined by the Sergeant, accuseds admitted that he ijad .been connected with several empty houses about Mastefton, but he never saw any liquor '■ in any of them. His Worship dismissed the case. An order was made for the. dostrucI tion of the liquor seized.