SOUTHLAND STILL

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 May 1934, Page 2

SOUTHLAND STILL

TWO ACCUSED ACQUITTED. [PER PRIMS ASSOCIATION.] INVERCARGILL. May 10. A verdict of not guilty was relumed to-day by the jury in the case in which. William Allan Alexander McRae, and his sou, William Robertson Mcßae, of Dunsdale, farmers, wore charged with being concerned in unlawfully making spirits. Tim accused were discharged. Counsel for the defendant, Mr Eustace Russell, in his address io the jury, said that them was not a tittle of direct evidence against either of the accused. The new still, v.lnch was of excellent construction, was extraordinarily well concealed, and the • ■.moke was carried away by a long funnel into the bush. The accused said that, they did not know that tlm still was there. An area of oil ploughed land had reverted pracHml!y to a barren state, and therefore the Mcßaes would seldom have occasion to go there for feeding their stock. Counsel submitted that whoever used the still worked at night. Evidence of this was found in a la tilt, rn found at the still. There wu.s no positive proof such as an analysis to «how that any of the whisky found was illicit whisky, lie commented on discrepancies in the police evidence regarding the identity of the milk cans produced in court. In his reply, the Crown Prosecutor. Mr 11. J. Mac Alister, said that it had been proved that there was a large still in full operation within eight chains of the accused’s property. It was insulting the intelligence of the jury to east, any doubt ns to the still being for the making of whisky. Thon there was the evidence Hint an old still had been found on the accused's property. It was one precisely similar in its design to the other still. Doubts had been cast as to whethei the whisky found was really "Hokouui.” if the jury took the hoi He in court to the jury room and tested it in any way they liked, they would have no doubts.

HONEY MEAD SOLD. CHRISTCHURCH. May 10. Charles Albert Oldman, apiarist, of Waiau. was fined £lO by Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M.. at Cuiverden to-day, for selling honey mead. Oldman, it was stated, had been unable to dispose of his honey, and lie had converted a large quantity to mead, and had sold some of it. He pleaded guilty. It. was stated that, only about £4 worth of mead had been sold, and that 400 gallons had been confiscated by the police. The Magistrate said that, there were extenuating circumstances. The accused’s financial position was weak, and he would be allowed to pay in instalments if he wished.