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Evening Star, Issue 15777, 14 April 1915, Page 6

A lucrative business is carried on by certain individuals who illicitly sell 11 nips ” of something stronger thnn water at a handsome profit. Those “ lighthouses,” as they are known, are extremely shrewd in their dealings, and exceptionally hard to catch. However, their shrewdness is not altogether puoof against detection, for sometimes they dispose of their liquid wares to plain-clothes policemen. Of such a nature was a case which was heard'in the (Magistrates’ Court on Friday (says the Wellington ‘ Times ’), when, before Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M., a man named Albert Henry Williams was charged that, not being licensed so to do, he sold whisky to two constables. Inspector Hendrey explained that accused accosted a plainclothes constable and offered to sell him whisky. The constable accepted the offer, and accused took a flask out of his pocket and sold the constable a “nip,” for which he charged Is 3d. Later he agreed to sell the constable a bottle of whisky, for which ho charged 12s 6d. The defendant had a flask in another pocket, and when the constable asked if that was for sale defendant replied: “ Oh! This is for mugs.” Mr Cruickshank : “ Then he didn’t think the constable was a mug?” Inspector Hendrey: “ No; he didn't take the constable for a mug. The cork had been removed from the bottle and half the whisky taken out and replaced with water!” A fine of £lO was imposed. Default was fixed at three weeks’ imprisonment.