SLY GROG-SELLING AT THE PORT.

Evening Star, Issue 12164, 7 April 1904, Page 6

SLY GROG-SELLING AT THE PORT.

FINED £2O AND COSTS. At the Police Court this morning, before Mr E. H. Carew, S.M, Cecilia Furk was charged with, on the 25th March, selling liquor at Port Chalmers, a. district in which No-license 'was carried by the vote of the electors.

Mr J. F. M. Fraser appeared for the prosecutkm, and Mr A. C. Hanlon far the defendant, who pleaded guilty. Mr Fraser explained that the defendant •was the wife of a boarding-house keeper at Part Chalmers, bat apparency they took up the premises after No-license was ear r ried in the district On the 25th of March Constables Burrpws and Carmody arrived at the Port at ten minutes to' nine in Uw morning, having ' driven there in a trap. They called at the premises formerly known as the Marine Hotel, the place now kept by the defendant as a boarding-house. They were shown, into the dining room, where they had breakfast. The defendant next showed them into the sitting room, and gave them tlie morning paper to read. Constable Carmody then asked if there was any chance of getting a ginger ale, adding: "If you have anything better to drink we will have it" The defendant asked what they would like to have, and Carmody replied- "I would like a glass of beer.'" Burrows said: " I would rather have a whisky." The defendant replied that she had both beer and whisky. She then left the room, and returned with a medium glass of beer and some whisky, which the constables consumed and paid for. Carmody tendered a two-shißing piece, and received a shilling change. The policemen then went out to the stable and returned in twenty minutes, when they again saw the defendant and got a similar supply of drinks, which were paid for. They also took some whisky away with them. Subsequently the premises were raided under Sergeant Geerin, who, 6n entering, asked to see the proprietor. The defendant informed Mm that her husband was a patient of the Dunedin Hospital at the a search was then made. The sergeant .first found a pint bottle half-fall of whisky, which was locked up in an iron safe. Mr Hanlon: How much whisky was there?

Mr Fraser replied that there was only a small quantity in the bottle. The sergeant next found a bottle of Australian wine under the counter, a demijohn containing a quart of whisky, and a lOgal keg of beer locked up in the cupboard under the stairway. The police also found a irnmber of empty whisky bottles and glasses, which, as far as they could judge, had been recently used for the supply of liquor. A? they entered the place they met a couple of men coming out, and on the morning when the two constables visited the house a considerable number of men entered the place—about twenty in aIL Mr Hanlon said that the defendant asserted that the two constables when they visited her place made representations that one of them was ill, and that they asked frr some alcoholic stimulant. She supplied them with it, and they paid for the drinks. That was on the occasion upon which she supplied them with some liquor to take away with them. They said that they wanted to take some liquor with them, as they; had a long drive before them, and were leaving for a Prohibition district. She d'd not admit supplying them with liquor before that. The defendant and her husband had been carrying on the boarding:house for some considerable time. Her husband was suffering from a serious illness, and was in the hospital when the constables arrived and induced the woman to supply them with liquor. Counsel put it to the Court that the policemen persuaded the defendant to give them liquor, making representation that one of them was unwell. It was true that various people were in and out the premises on the morning in qnestion. Other people had their breakfast there besides the constables, and many of them were boarders. As this was the first case of the kind that had come before the Court since No-license was carried in Chalmers, he "submitted that one conviction—there were four informations altogether—would have a deterrent effect not only upon the defendant, but on others who might be led into srnilar misdoing. Mr Fraser asked permission to put Constable Carmody in the box, as the suggestion had been made that he induced the woman to supply him with drink on the plea that he was ill. Constable Carmody said that such wns not the case. His Worship did not consider it necessary to call the constable. Mr Hanlon: I did not say it was Constable Carmody. Mr Fraser: Then I am prepared to J.ut both constables in the box. Both of them say that no such inducement was made. His Worship said that he would take into consideration that it was the first case of the kind at Port Chalmers, and also that the defendant was a woman. At the same time it was useless to inflict small penalties in such cases. The defendant would be fined £2O and costs (£3 Is). The other three informations were with' drawn.