ILLICIT STILL CASES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 160, 9 July 1890, Page 5

ILLICIT STILL CASES.

REMARKABLE DISCLOSURES.

DISCOVERIES BY THE INVER CAKGILL POLICE.

> (BY , TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Jnvercargill, this day. Sensational disclosures in re the distillery conspiracy were made at the Police Court yesterday. Two men named Waters and Elliott, alias Stewart, have been in town for some days. Waters gavo out he was an excise officer, and his movements attracted the attention of the police, who have found out a deep-laid plan for entrapping business people on a charge of defrauding the Customs. Seeing a report in bhe papers of bhe Dunedin case, Detective Madden concluded bhese men were connected with the business. Inspector Hicksoh telegraphed for a description of the man whom Donnelly asserted had entrapped him. The description tallied with Elliott, and the police here then discovered that an attempt had been made to repeat the Dunedin tactics. A house had been rented, a boiler and still had been procured, bub arrangements were nob quite completed when the schemers found the police were on their track. Elliott left by express on Saturday morning and Waters in the afternoon, both getting outside the station. The former was arrested at Gore and the latter at Dunedin. Elliobb was broughb up and charged with having had in his possession certain material for distilling purposes, and also of being connected wibh the Dunedin case. ' He pleaded guilty to both charges.. In reply to the Bench, he gave an extraordinary explanation of his connection with Waters, and said he was engaged by a man who advertised in the Dunedin "Star," and gave him to understand he was employed by the Cusboms to detect breaches of the law. He was bound to se'erecy, and instructed to do simply as told. In Dunedin, Waters was ordered to get a house wibh a boiler in ib, nob to give the name, but pay a week's renb in advance. This he did, and the house was fibted up wibh disbilling apparabus. He bold him bhab a merchanb had a lot of bhings on which bhe duby was unpaid, and wanted to catch him. Under Waters' insbrucbions, he broughb bhe man to the house, who now turned out to be Donnelly. He the Invercargill case they were informed that a local merchanb (Mr Hawson) had goods in store, and the duty was not paid, and to trap him. They fitted up the house as described, and intended to connect him with illicit) distillation and then search the store for the alleged contraband goods. Mr Rawsonkin said if the prisoners were dupes thej would probably be 'discharged, bub if they were parties to a terrible conspiracy tliey would geb a long term. After a further explanation, Elliott withdrew the plea of guilty in both cases, and was remanded to Dunedin on Thursday on the second chnrge, and till Monday ab Invercargill on the first. He lefb by express bo-day in charge of Debective Madden^