SLY GROG-SELLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 172, 21 July 1903, Page 2

SLY GROG-SELLING.

POLICE RAID AT TAIUUA.

The details of a raid by two policemen on a sly grog seller's shanty at 'J airua were revealed at tne Thames Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr It. S. iiush. It appeared from the evidence that Joseph litfyes occupied v shanty at Tairua, at which the police suspected that sly grog selling w;is pursued. Constables uutler and Keid thereCore visited the district, and by peeping lurough a crack in the sUanty door they saw Hayes sell a man some liquor. They tuen raided the premises, and found 10 half-cases of bottled beer, 50 dozen empty beer bottles, and a number of empty whisky bottles. There were three other men in the shanty under the influence of drink, besides an assistant named John Antoue Sareigh, and they each claimed ownership of portions of the captured liquor. A young man named Thomas Reid said that he purchased a bottle of beer from Hayes for 1/6 at the request of his battery manager (Mr Adams), but when he returned to the manager's house he was confronted by two constables. In giving evidence Hayes said it was a custom of some of the men wording at Tairua to send for cases of beer from Auckland and have them consigned to one person. He and Sariegh were prospectors, and had not carried on a sly grog business. Sariegh stated that all the beer had been consigned to him for convenience. It was merely a whare companion of Hayes.

The magistrate dismissed tne charges against Sariegh, but fined Hayes £10, and £8 12/ costs, on the first charge of selling , i>eer to Reid, and £10, and £6 4/3 costs, ou the second charge, the whole totalling £34 17/, or, in default, a month's imprisonment on each charge, to run consecutively. The magistrate added that If any more cases of a like character were brought before him he would not deal so leniently with them. The accused Hayes paid half the amount and was allowed a month in which to pay the balance. A third charge against both the accused, of selling liquor without being licensed, was withdrawn. One of the cases of beer was ordered by the magistrate to be handed over to Sariegh.