ALLEGED SLY GROGSELLING.

Evening Star, Issue 11696, 30 September 1902, Page 3

ALLEGED SLY GROGSELLING.

PBTLANTHROPIC INFORMERS. At the Ophir Police Court, before Mr M'Ennis, S.M., several charges of sly grogselling were heard on the 24th inst. The first case called was that against Peter Morrisey, of Poolburn, who waa charged with selling drink at Manuherikia on August 14. Inspector O'Brien prosecuted, and Mr A C. Hanlon (with whom was Mr J. R. Kirk, of Naseby) defended.—David Alexander Bnchan was the first witness. He said that he was a storekeeper before he went to work on the Otago Central. On August 14 he went to Morrisey's tent along with Charles Jopson, and asked for a drink. Morrisey supplied witness with a glass of claret, and Jopson helped himself to a glass of claret. He gave Morrisey two single shillings, and received back sixpence as change. Morrisey had a glass of claret with them. To Mr Hanlon: Witness came to the district four years ago. He was doing informing work—not for-lhe love of it, but for the benefit of the wives and families of the men working on the line. He drank occasionally himself, but never got drunk. Jopson and he lived together. He received some money a month ago, and spent it on board. He spent £ls in a month; some of it went in drink, as he had to drink now and again. He had gone over their evidence along with Jopson before the case started, and went through the whole story. He told Jopson that be (Mr Hanlon) would be sure to be getting or to him. Did not converse with Jopson about the men's wives and families before he called for the drinks. He was quite sober while at Morrisey's. Ho told one of his creditors that he would pay him when these prosecutions were over, but he did not remember saying that he would get anything out of them. He expected something, and thought he might get half the fine. He and Jopson thought of getting as much as possible out of these cases, and then leaving the district. The day after the purchase of the drink he thought about the men's wives and families, and went then and there and gave information to the police. It afterwards struck him that it was a mean and contemptible thing to do, and he was very sorry, for he did not thinkthat the money he was likely to get was worth it. Ho afterwards informed the police that he was sorry he had had anything to do with the business.—Charles Jopson gave corroborative evident*, but in cross-examination he admitted that they considered they had all the defendants " good." It was after coining out of Glenn's place that ho and Buchan agreed that they would try the lot, as they reckoned that these men were taking away money that belonged to the wives and families of the railway men. Witness could neither read nor write. They had a barrel of beer with them, and partook of some of it. Witness did not remember being lifted into a cart, nor could he tell how many drinks he had. Had no cartridges with him, nor did he remember having a rifle or buying cartridges. Did not remember talking over with Buchan the possibility of them making anything out of the prosecution. Ho might have been under the influence of drink on the Sunday, but he did not recollect whether or not he was pretty far gone; indeed, he remembered preciouslittle. At this stage the. witness ownmenced crying, and had to be taken out of court.—Constable Mathews, who executed a search warrant on defendant's premises, said he. found no drinking utensils inside the tent. Outside there was a large demijohn, with its neck broken off, and in defendant's covered van there was an empty ten-gallon beer keg and half a dozen tumblers.—Mr Hanlon asked for a dismissal. It would be simply monstrous —a travesty on justice, in fact—to convict on the contradictory evidence of these two informers, who acknowledged that they had beer with them, and had indulged in it somewhat freely. He would call no evidence, but was content that his client should be judged alone on tho evidence led by the prosecution.—His Worship said ho could not possibly convict on the very contradictory and unsatisfactory evidence of these men. No sale of liquor had been proved, consequently the information would be dismissed. John "Davis ' waa next charged with a similar offence at Poolburn, Gore, ou August 14. Buchan gave evidence on much the same lines as in the first case. In this instance he called for and was served with four drinks, for which he paid Davis two shillings. He told Mr Hanlon that he went to Davis's hut, because he did not wish to make fish of one and flesh of an-

other. He acknowledged that, he went there to trap Davis. It certainly waa a dirty thing to do. Both of them took notes, and Jopson wrote his own. Ho would swear that Jopson wrote his own notes.— Jopson, in cross-examination, swore that he never wrote the notes; that was done for him by a lady friend.—Constable Mathews said he executed a search warrant, and 1 found no liquor on the premises.—Mr Han- ■ lon again cotpmented on the extremely un- , satisfactory and unworthy nature of the evidence.—His Worship said that the charge had not been sustained, and dismissed the . case. '

On the informations against Margaret Kennedy, James Glenn, William Waldron, and Patrick Healv being called on Inspector O'Brien intimated that* in view of the decisions in the previous cases, he would not offer any evidence, and asked leave to withdraw the 'informations, which was done. Considerable interest was shown in the proceedings, the court room being crowded throughout the entire day.