CHARGES OF SMUGGLING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12539, 28 June 1901, Page 3

CHARGES OF SMUGGLING.

A PINE OF £25. At the Lyttelton Police Court yesterday morning Harry Trengrove was charged, before Mr J. Hamilton, J.P., with being concerned in evading payment of dirty on 500 cigars, ' Mr - George Harper appeared for the defendant. Captain Patten, Collector of Customs, prosecuted. Thomas A. Murphy, customs officer at Lyttelton, deposed: that on Friday morning last he saw a man on Norwich Quay carrying a vegetable basket, and it struck. witness to see what the man was doing with it. Ho went back, and as the only shop open was that of defendant, he entered, and asked to see the basket. No difficulty was made, and witness found in the basket a box of 500 cigars. He saw a man, who said that the basket had been brought by him from H.M.S. Pylades. for the manager of the butcher’s shop. There had been no duty 'paid on the cigars, as far as witness knew. The cigars were similar to some on the s.s. Lynalder, which had been brought from Auckland. Cigars for the warships were not charged duty, bat were put oh board as stores. To Mr Harper t Witness did not see Mr Trengrove in the shop. _ The door was half open. The man there said that the cigars were for the manager. There was no customs stamp on the box. The customs stamp was a special indelible one, and was put on the wood, not on paper. T. Featherstone, steward on H.M.S. Pylades, was called, _ Mr Harper said that an information had been sworn against the witness, and he was mot bound to incriminate himseif. The accused and the present ■witness were practically accused of conspiracy to defraud the customs, undone conspirator could not be called to give evidence against the other. Captain Patten said ho would not press his examination of the witness. , Mr Harper, for the defence, called the defendant, Harry Trengrove, who stated that he had been manager of the Christchurch Meat Company’s shop in Lyttelton : for four years and eleven months, and' dived at Heathcote Valley. He had known . Featherstone for some time.’ Featherstone brought in his basket on the day H.M.S. Pylades came , in. : Witness had never made any arrangement with him to bring any cigars as a present or as 'anything! else. When he came to business on June 21, witness was told by the shopman that Murphy* had: taken away a basket. To Captain Patten: Witness/had known Featherstone ever since the first visit of H.M.S.. Pylades, but only in the way of business. ■ He had occasionally received a cigar from a steward, but never cigars in any quantity. David Murray, assistant in the shop, stated that on the morning of Juno 21 £e was .serving a number of men-of-war’s-mcn, when Featherstone passed in, took a basket into the' office, and then went out, saying he would get- his meat later. Witness knew nothing as to what was in the basket. -

To. Captain Patten; Featherstone said nobbing but “I’ll get my meat later on.” Featherstone -was then charged with being concerned in evading the payment of duty on a box of cigars. He pleaded not guilty. '• : : / The. evidence already given by T. A. MiffjNy was taken to apply to tins case.In answer to Mr Harper, accused 1 said that he took a basket into the butcher’s shop' about seven o’clock on Friday morning. -The basket was' covered with a ptamp,.. and contained a .box of cigars. ;No duty had been paid on them. They-were intended a 3 a .present for Trengrove, but accused had mad© no arrangement with him to bring them. ' Trengrove did not know that he was bringing them'. 1 - To Captain Patten:, The cigars were accused’s own, and were not from the ship’s stores. He had got them at Sydney or Auckland about twelve months ago. The duty was not 1 paid on them. He had smuggled them here.- He was steward on board, and could get cigars'by getting tho officer to sign a declaration. He had not told Mr Murphy that , he was taking them for tho'manager. .Merely put them in. the shop. • 1 - . To. the Bench :' The manager was not there. . He.meant the cigars as a present. T. A. Murphy, recalled, stated that when he came out of the butcher’s'sbop .be asked Featherstone if the basket was his. Ho replied- “ Yes,”- and said ho had brought the cigars for the manager of the shop, who 'had arranged to get them-' The man seemed ;a little upset, as he said .bis position on board would be jeopardised. Mr Harper submitted that there was no case -against Trengrove, who bad sworn that be .knew nothing about the cigars. It was necessary;for the prosecution to prove knowledge on Mr Tren grove’s part. In reply to the Bench, Captain Patten said he would press for the full penaltv of £IOO. • ' . J Mr Hamilton said that there was some doubt, about Trengrove, but none about the steward, who would be fined £IOO. On an application on behalf of Featheratone/the Bench reduced the fine to £25, which was paid.