BEER OR DRAUGHTS?

Evening Star, Issue 17977, 25 May 1922, Page 2

BEER OR DRAUGHTS?

PETERSEN'S BIG- VISITING LIST. PINE OF £9O. FOR SLY GROG-SBLLING. l”eter George Petersen, against whotr three charges of sly grog-selling were pro ferred in the Police Court afternoon, was described as a. marine dcalei and a bottle gatherer. The defendant also admitted, not without a- phovv ol pride, that he was a draughts player o: no mean quality, had indeed taken part in the last championship t ouniaim-nl What he did not admit was that he Inn made a false move by indulging in tin wrong 1 draughts ” game and selling heei when he had no licouso to do so. In tin case brought against him yesterday, however, Mr Bartholomew, S.M., as umpire declared the police the winners, and linei Petersen £3O. Tho three charges concerned aliegcr sales to Edward Neilson, George Peter bom, arid Prank Robinson rc.-rectivoly; all on the evening of .May fi. Mr .A-pinall a]ipearcd tor the dt-lciu! ant. Sub-inspector Eccles said that defru dant’s premises were situated at 91 tin gall street, youth Dunedin. I-mm Apia 1 to time, of the raid defendant s preiin.-.*. had been under dost observation by tin police, and during that period a la-rgi number of men had been seen, purlieu liU'ly between 7 p.m. and 1 a.no, enteriiq and leaving. On May 5 the raid win made, and some men were found on tin premises. There were also forty live lul bottles of beer, one half full, seven empty and three glasses which had recently ecu tabled beer. It. would bo shown, lu ; said, that eighty-:;-..ven dozen bottle.; •’ beer had been bought by defendant, in ththree month.-; prior to tiro raid. 'i’ll-, value of this was £62 ids 6d, an averagi of about £5 worth, a week. 'Pin-ciib-iiisncc tor added that of all the sly grog eases h< had been connected with this was tin strongest he had ever brought to court. Constable Coppell related in detail tin number of men he had observed enter big and leaving Petersen’s premises on tie many occasions upon which be bat watched. Sundays and other dose day were particularly busy times, and it wai (dgiiiliraiit that business was almost ex eludvely carried, on during the hours tie j : holds were dosed. Some of the mei : who came out appeared to have bottles ii their pockets; others were inor or lev -under tho inliuence of liquor. Many o trio visits were of short duration, tin visions coming out in a minute or so am standing near by. On these- occasion: tho watching constables heard sounds a: though the stoppers were being pulled r-f bottb-s. One man was seen to Ihvou something over the fence of the next- doui house, and on this some thing being re trioved by the lolna; it- was found to b< an emptv Straehan's beer bottle, with (lu froth dill adhering to tho month. 0: the second night upon which the wniei was, kepi, things were slow, and someone came to Petersen's fence, and said to (Ik constables ; Good night; how are yoi getting on?” This was taken as a e;gi that the fact of the vigil had been com inunicated to the keeper of Em lions" iVhen Peterseu was ,-iwav from home play iug rlraiuihts. too. caller.-' were lew. Consaaido Watkins, another of those wlio had watched, told a siniioir dory On one or-i-asioii when a vr-itor was leav ing Petersen's the wind blew Ins coat- iai aside, and a bottle was revealed in iht hip po. kot. To Mr spin all : Only tv. o of i lionc whom lie saw leave, the hour,;- wen notieably under the influence or liquor K’hree or four <>f tiicin at- lent had obviously slowed away on their persons and it was safe- to say that most of tin others also carried thin kind of luggage. Sergeant Murray also gave evidence, Defendant, be fund, was; a single mar living by himself. On ti e nig!it <d tin raid witness went to its' door j-.i-f as. tv-, men wei-c, coniiog out. Each of tm*> when searched, had two bouh-s of beei in hi;-; pocket. '.IT.-e-y explained I hey lind come to I’cieiseit's on a friendly vi-ai, and brought the beer with lli.-m, leu their host wouldn't- allow them to driid: it, there. In ihe kit "hen were four olliet men silling near a, cosy fire. i hrei giag-es were on the (able-— two t-n. -u beer and one parti,oily full- The met, said ilmv were friend:; of rView'-uy am were having a drink. 1 hey denied that Pelernil ever sold liquor. Go tie. premwes -.v.'-r-i f'liiod, tin- heer and boAhmentioned W I lie iuib-tnspe"tor. Defendant explained ilia? In- bought bed from Fowled-', and sold ii io cud' mmw al ilm same price, plus 6d per d">zi-u cad. age, Mr A.-uina" ; Von expected (o lind m , Em- -m'dm o, l 1 p or < 1 didn’t yen'; Ad ness i.-nii;iie.,i ; ‘ J ■••■-is. '-ry well t, lu- 1 ■ ilb 1 i - d.h lb 1 is-w lie- !, 1d H t I mil, mb’ P 1 o 1 ,, tbl 'i . i I dI 1 < i 1 no si.ll or am dt i i id 1 . e - , 1 ’ - 1 . . the night o! the raid. ’! o Mr As-piu.'iil : iln re laid h- eii m diiliciiliv in gelilig int > the place. .1 hy, cs.ii!il u-it. have, looked in the window, because there was n. high feiu'e and a sou -.f barb-win' ei-laiiMe'nenl or ii--- i-.p o' it. Constable "Williamson gave Minilar evi deuce. ’lf.-n-drl (tiner, rleik o- IE I’ .'- lev all" Co., said that- from r-dnuaiv i-> !■> M-g, ]o (iefendaui. had pnrclm-ed u lx-u Coor four dozen lots .-i\- -kv.-.i Dm -. 1% q.d rug- dozen, lie paid - a-b. To Mi ,\: o!” dl ' lie. oW -o r.iiigemenf. wdli -.h-n-: •■■m- v. n* ’ was abo-.ved 6d nor ik-.0-n oi; .h - lishi price oi 15s ; i !ii;> v. • I fciidani had sand tin: i bo -. ,n. i a. I - -m- - for il. Witness km w ;!.;d ./-me pe-gdc Mc jecied tv- ha-.c a Iccv.ci. in; EI heir houses, and -o re - a oal.-.d---:. t-> d-.-. liver their b-er, or ba-l ! sen' a-i • 'I j - 'id h- p. A- d El I r’ a -'o' had aim iiad (went •, , -..i;i<- do.un to Er--. nic.-iillls from el raebau at lE-. -,e-: ! c.‘n ! a Ibis was a- spem"! ai nn .men- I '. 'ilm de"-.e,ee was. sand Mr Asnmail. Er P,.p-.v;r.. domed S'-iihig liquor to n-e-q.l abemt. the mvnns" . Defendant- '-':- '■ baebeh-r, and had a- hat of company, Erqiientiv people rune to piny -Inniglds wii him ; others came P> wal.di the games. [I kept a free-and-easy house, whei" in fib-m's eonhl drop in any old time. ?r pie aho dropped in to lake delivery o beer Err TAder-cr: had got for Emm, o to sell empty b-d-fle-s. Defendant- guv-’ evidcri"e. Tie was. • native of Denmark, lie said ( idi inspector : f)n they driid; |,a ri liso- in Denmark. Oh. ves. Defendant- went on to ray that Ire go h.ee.r for several people. “\\ lien ym bring it f» them in n bag it it; more pri vide.,” lie evplained. lie made only wlm was allowed for cartage, but got a pm fi( on empty hollies bought from the.--people. lie had lots of '.is.tor . most '• them draughts entliuskn-ts. Ibdemlan named two people to whom he dmlvere-liK-r, but declined (o name a.nv mole a. “his customers would object, to then mimes hieing divulged.” Me had s anwiinc—r=;, hut, tliev could not- wait; fbev had to -go io work that afternoon. The Sub-inspector : “It was their move MCE’ TI is Worship said {hot be need md fake up time, going over t-lie rvidem,.-. It- wat |daiu that defendant had ccr-ed on an extensive and no doubt lucrative sly c-- -s bnsinc.-'i for some time jim-t., and the qunn(itv involved must' have hern considerable. The explanation put forward wav absolute! v inadequate and seemed false alto-ecE-r-r. In view of (he magnitude of the business and the pirobable profits, a. sub-fdant-iai jienalty would bo imposed. Defendant. would be fined £?9 on each of the three eh i <>> £9O iu all. together with eourl. to D "E) and witnesses’ expenses (dC.-i, in deiaulf- did rest. The liquor found on the premise.-; Io be forfeited. Defendant nid-rod for time to pay, and the magistrate wiid he would ;dh.w him one week iii which to lind the first £9O. a further week to tied the second, and a third week to find the third.