THEFT OF BEER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 64, 15 March 1916, Page 7

THEFT OF BEER.

IN NO-LICENSE DISTRICT. WAIHI, Tuesday. A rather unusual case for a no-license district was heard in the Magistrate's Court this afternoon, when a 'middleaged man named Alfred Belcher, a miner, on remand, wag charged with the theft of three gallons of beer from the Sterling Temperance Hotel. Accused pleaded not guilty. Senior-Sergeant Wolilmann represented tihe police. Three bottles of beer and an empty jug -were exhibited in Court. J. h. Stevens, proprietor of the hotel, said that on Sunday morning last he went to the etoreroom, and he noticed accused coming out of a window with a jug of beer in his hand. On making further investigations 3ie found that eight bottles of beer and 3J gallons of draught beer were missing, tie bad lost other quantities on several occasions. The window had been broken open. Accused was a boarder in the hotel. Accused in the witness-box denied the charge. He said he had been out all ] night, and -would swear that when he met Stevens he (accused) did not have a jug in liis hand. Accused was fined 20/, er three days' imprisonment, and woe given a week in which to find the money.