THE ILLICIT STILL CASE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9315, 16 January 1896, Page 3

THE ILLICIT STILL CASE.

_4»FINE OF £50 INFLICTED. At the Lyttelton Magistrate's Courb yesterday, before Mr R. Beetham, S.M., Alexis Menand was charged on the information of Inspector Broham with being the owner of an illicit still. Mr Stringer appeared for the prosecution, Mr J. Joyce for defendant. Chief Detective A. Henderson deposed to the accused being arrested on another charge on December 9th, and while the premises were being examined tho articles produced, namely, two still heads and the complete apparatus for distilling, were found. Inspector Broham asked Menand if he had been making whiskey, and the accused said he had tried to do so bub failed. To Mr Joyce—Some of the articles were upstairs and some outside. They did nob appear to have beeu very recently used. Sergeant Rutledge deposed to charging accused with havhig the still?, the worm, two barrels, and a bottlo in his possession. He admitted the goods were his, and that the spirit in the bottle ha had was made out of molasses, but it wa« not good, and ho had used it for dissolving camphor for medicinal purposes. The spirit in the one bottlo contained a lizard, and accused said lie had got it from Mr Parsons, chemist. The barrels contained eldorberry wine, which accused said he had made last February. Mr Joyce called Professor Bickerton," who deposed to the still being quite fitted for distillation purposes. He had examined the spirits, &c., iv tho bottles, and found they contained 23 per cent, of alcohol. Had also examined them for other ingredients, such as lead or arsenic. Found no trace of either. The apparatus was composed of galvanised iron, with copper, compo and lead piping. At this stage Air Joyce anid the line of defence was that accused, being a Ftcnchman, and accustomed all his life to keep a still, was not aware he was breaking the law in keeping one here. Louis Marquet deposed to being a native of France. It was an almost universal practico in that country for people to keep stills. Farmers and everybody else kept stills and distilled their own spirits from the refuse of wine or cider. Had only learned from recent cases that it was illegal to keep them in New Zealand. Mr Joyce also ciUed the accused, who admitted the gooda were his. Bo had made them to distil spirits to dissolve camphor for tho purpose of rubbiug ou his wife's legs and arms. It proved a failure, however, and he had given it up two years ago. Had always used a still in Franco, where everybody who could afford it kept a still. There was no law atjainst it there, and he did not know he was doing any harm hero in keeping the still. To Mr Stringer —Made the still two and a half years ago, and only tried for six months to distil with it, as it was a failure. Had not used it since. His Worship said that Mr Joyce had practically admitted the offence. His Worship presumed the evidence was brought with a view to showing accused was ignorant of the law and to mitigate the penalty. Under the Aot defendaut had rendered himself liable to a fine of £500 or not less than £50. Replying to the Bench, the accused Baid he had no means or property. After consultation with Inspector Broham, Mr Stringer Baid there was'" no suspicion that accused had been making Bpirit and disposing of it. His Worship said he was bound by the Act, and would inflict tho minimum fine of £50, or three months' imprisonment, the still, and goods to be forfeited.